Padded Bras for Little Girls?

Posted by Susan Carney Nov 8, 2007

As a mother of a toddler girl, I am acutely aware of the current trend to push more sexualized clothing onto younger and younger girls. It’s something that greatly concerns me as my daughter grows older. Just the other day I was shopping for clothes for my kids in a local department store. Several yards from the toddler section was a colorful display of small padded bras. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that these bras weren’t for teens or even pre-teens. They were clearly intended for girls only several years older than my daughter.

What seven or eight year old needs a padded bra? I know that the day will come when my daughter will notice a display such as this, and be drawn to the vibrant colors and thematic packaging. She will recognize this as something designed for “big girls,” and, wanting so much to be a “big girl,” she will probably ask if she can have one, too. Marketers recognize these potential conflicts between parent and child. It’s called the “nag factor,” and marketers bank on the fact that weary parents will eventually cave to the incessant begging that young children are so good at.

Rather than caving, we need to have conversations with girls (and boys, too) at all age levels about what is and isn’t appropriate for them, and why. Our voices need to be stronger than marketing strategies, stronger than peer pressure, and stronger than our desire to make our kids “happy” for the moment.

For more about the trend to push inappropriate clothing on younger girls, please check out Sexy Fashion Trends and Teens, as well as the recent blog Sexy Halloween Costumes for Girls.