Tuesday, 26 July 2011

  • Bikinis For Little Girls - Too Much Too Soon?

    A children's clothing and swimsuit company is supposed to have a website and catalog that appeals to children and parents, right? Both are tools to get the child interested, and to get the parent to approve and make a purchase. There's plenty of things that happen behind the scenes to produce a website and a catalog, and the general public isn't too aware of that. What they can gather though, is that models are required to show off the clothing and swimsuits. You see it on a body, on a real person versus a mannequin.

    Well, it recently came into the public eye that a children's clothing and swimsuit company had some rather eyebrow-raising photos of young girls posing in barely-there swimsuits.

    Let's take a look at the actual bikini in the above picture first. Can you see it? There isn't much fabric to it. The print is cute though... but if that's supposed to be a COVER UP skirt, then it's very misleading.

    Now let's focus on the pose and the facial expression. I don't even notice that starfish because I'm noticing that this young girl is blowing me a kiss. Is that really necessary? Can't she just smile and act her age?

    Here is another:

    First of all, that certainly can't be her real hair color, it's a little too fluorescent, don't you think? And why is she so serious? Again, why can't she smile and be acting her age?

    I'm only showing two of the photos here because in my opinion, they are bordering on child porn. If you want, you can browse the Submarine website yourself to see the others. What I don't get is why it's necessary for a company that sells only children's clothing (and only girls, nothing for boys), uses these kind of pictures. They don't appeal to young girls. Girls want to see smiles, laughter, fun swimsuits in settings they are familiar with like the pool, backyard, or ocean.

    There are two things going on here:

    1) Are the swimsuits too provocative for young girls?

    2) Are these photos appropriate for a website and catalog of children's clothing and swimsuits?

    What do you think?

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Comments (75)

  • MissiBarraclough@xanga

    Having 3 daughters over my dead body would my daughter wear those LOL. Nor would I let her pose like that. In 10 years when she is acting like a grown up and doing grown up things they will wonder why, hmmm I wonder LOL 
  • OsuwarInuyasha@xanga

    its all about making money!
  • Brilliant_Innocence@xanga

     Yeah, not a fan of the pictures or the bikinis they're wearing in the pictures! I agree with you.
  • ange_lae@xanga

    I hate bikinis on little girls. If they want a two-piece bathing suit, compromise with a tankini! Like srsly! You kind of have to have breasts for bikinis....

    I had somebody buy my daughter a bikini when she was only a month old and I was like WTF. She never wore it.

  • RebeccaPMiller@xanga

    My daughter would NEVER be caught in one of those.. I'm all about modesty.. Way too much.. Way too soon! They're KIDS and should dress like one! 
  • rosertot_love@xanga

    *facepalm* I know sex sells, but this is ridiculous.
  • turningreen@xanga

    So inappropriate.  But I can tell you that I see plenty of little girls strutting around wearing skimpy bikinis at our local pool -- lots of parents seem to think it's ok, regardless of the sexed up advertising ploys.  I have a 9 year old daughter who wears a one piece or a tankini and always has.  It is getting harder and harder to find clothes that are not "sexy" when I shop for her.  Insane.
  • babybug329@xanga

    Hey, whatever happened to SWIMSUITS?  It doesn't seem like the fashion companies are making swimsuits for the function of covering your private parts while swimming.  I don't have kids yet, but I do think the bikinis are too revealing for little girls.  The expressions, the accessories on the models, the whole look is too provacative for little girls.  Let children enjoy their childhood.  I hear time flies by fast enough, we don't need to make childhood any shorter.


    @ange_lae@xanga - I agree, at least a tankini!
  • Raytiamo
    So sad really, my daughters wear a tankini (think that's whai they are called) only cause they are easier for the bathroom. Not skimpy crap like this stuff
  • Joobie82@xanga

    No teenie bikinis for my daughter. First, her father would kill me for buying one for her. Second, I don't think there's any need for a little girl to look sexy.
  • WhenHateIsTheOnlyOption@xanga

    I know even kids have to be glammed up for the cameras but that first picture is too much. Little girls are growing up too fast.

  • sarahsmurfette@xanga

    I just pissed myself off by going to that site. Nothing to say. Disgusted.
  • hereinyourarms11@xanga

    I agree, it does seem like borderline child porn to me. Not just the bathing suits, but the poses too. My daughter will NOT be wearing a bikini that young.
  • ohforrealson@xanga

    I hate this shit.  I can't even talk about how many essays I wrote on sexualization of young girls in my psychology/sociology classes in college.  It sickens me, to my core.



    I would NEVER clothe a daughter or niece in shit like this.  Swim time is for fun for little kids, not to be provocative.  These companies are about making money, because our country is so up capitalism's ass it's not even funny.  I get that sex sells, but there are so many fucking boundaries that are crossed.  Just like the cigarette companies - who cares who they kill as long as they're making a dollar?

    Any mother who would clothe their daughter in this trash loses my respect.
  • rays_anatomy@xanga

    idfgvijdfivbsdfnvjdnsvl

    Oh my sweet lord.
    Wow.
    That's pretty bad.
  • ScarletMoth@xanga

    I don't think they're BAD, per say, because we are talking about little girls, and honestly if we see anything sexual in what they do, it's mostly in our heads.   I've seen little girls wear some pretty skimpy bathing suits (worked at a camp) but if they're just swimming around and not being too concerned, it's about as sexual as a diaper when you're looking at it.

      Unless you're looking at it the wrong way, but perverts will do that no matter what.

    However, I do agree that their marketing is suspect.
    " What I don't get is why it's necessary for a company that sells only
    children's clothing (and only girls, nothing for boys), uses these kind
    of pictures. They don't appeal to young girls."

    It's true.   Nothing about these pictures is really trying to tell something little girls will, or should, find appealing... the poses are just that, poses, of someone far older, far more serious, and far more aware of their bodies.
  • shondadiane@xanga

    when I have little girls, they will never wear a bikini...one-piece is fine, or even a tank/shorts suit...
  • Katie_Gillen@xanga

    The pics you have on here disturb me.. Little girls are SO sexed up! Some advertising companies have NO scruples! No elementary school daughter of mine will be posing sexy in a sexy swim suit... We want to raise our gals to be strong from the inside, but these pictures look like, "Hey baby, I'm young, dumb and ripe for your picking!" Disgusting. :(
  • lifeonacitybusem4@xanga

    "I'm only showing two of the photos here because in my opinion, they are bordering on child porn"


    Wowowow.  I'm pretty sure it's *you* who is sexualizing those photos. 
  • OsuwarInuyasha@xanga

    I'm hoping I have all boys... so  won't have to bother finding modest bathing suits for my children lol
  • Lirael123@xanga

    no way in hell am i letting my daughter wear a bikini. to me little girls in sexy clothing of any kind is just sick and wrong on so many levels. and really why would you dress your kid older than what they are. little ones grow up so scarily fast these days it seems wrong to deprive them of what little childhood they do  have.
  • caitlinbellabella

    Yeah its fucking sick, no way in hell would I let my little girl wear a bikini, and they wonder why there are so many perverts. And pedophile can log onto that site! Whether we like it or not, there is perverts everywhere, so we have to consider that in every little thing. Its terrible! I hate the world so much. Most bikinis for women of all ages cover less than underwear, which is why I don't wear bathing suits I wear surfing gear. If I wanted to boast around in my undies I would.

  • sarahsmurfette@xanga

    @caitlinbellabella - I do the same thing for my 5 y/o daughter - I get surf gear. And you know what? It's cute as hell. Without being immodest or attracting attention to naked skin.
  • sarahsmurfette@xanga

    @lifeonacitybusem4@xanga - You're out of your mind if you don't think these photos, and their intent, is to attract attention to the bodies of these children. It says "look at my skin. Look how I can act." There is nothing innocent about that. They are not swimming. They are not at a beach or a pool. They are posing like VS models.
  • blissful_soul@xanga

    I may be a little conservative, but I refuse to let my girls wear two pieces until maybe they turn 15 or out of my house on their own. I guess I don't see the point.Tankinis are okay too. And the design has to be child-like, not adult-like.

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