Why are little girls raised to look sexy?

[GirlWSemiAuto]

I am so thankful I only have a boy! I am curious about your thoughts on this subject...

Kids' Swimwear: Boys Aren't Made to Look Sexy, So Why Are Girls?

by admin on April 24th, 2013

"Here's what I want you focused on...Sexy adult swimwear (totally okay) being made into miniature versions for children as young as four (totally not okay)".

These words appeared in a post by my friend Melissa Wardy written in response to a story about Gwyneth Paltrow endorsing designer Melissa Odabash's bikinis for little girls. As Melissa (Wardy) emphasizes in the piece, there is nothing wrong with age-appropriate two-piece bathing suits for girls, but shrinking a suit designed for an adult female body and placing it on a little girl is wrong. Here is the ad included in Melissa's post.

I wonder if the girl was asked to look this miserable, or if this was her way of appearing serious and grown-up? Why so much sadness in such a young face? I find that just as disturbing as the bathing suit.

I checked the US version of the Odabash website. There are several images of girls laughing in their bathing suits, but there are also these:

The black suit is called "Baby Shorts" and the other is "Baby Heart."

There are plenty of people who defend these images and this type of swimwear for little girls. To them I say: picture a 4-year-old boy in a teeny tiny Speedo posing like the girl in the Baby Shorts picture, or standing with a big red heart plastered on his little bottom. Creepy, huh?

If a designer made a revealing suit for a boy and posed him this way, that person would likely be accused of pedophilia, especially if the designer were male. But Ms. Obadash gets a major celebrity endorsement for doing that to girls. (Please note that I am not calling Ms. Obadash a pedophile-just pointing out the double standard.)

Compare the types of swimwear marketed to 4- and 5-year-old boys to that sold to girls and tell me there isn't something amiss:

     

These two suits for girls from Old Navy are designed for ages 12 months to five years. To be fair, Old Navy also sells a tankini and a few one-pieces, but when you compare them to boys' suits, the contrast is jarring:

This unequal treatment of female bodies starts so young and is so common that people hardly notice it. Thanks to Melissa Wardy for continually pointing it out. I hope that this juxtaposition of girls' and boys' swimwear will make it harder to ignore. 

http://www.achilleseffect.com/2013/04/kids-swimwear-boys-arent-made-to-look-sexy-so-why-are-girls/

[kaylaybaby666]

I dont know but my daughter wears one pieces

[Beauty91805]

I don't know, my dd wears one piece with the skirt. And she wears loose fitted jeans and sneakers. Thats her thing, she hates showing too much skin lol, yay!.

[GirlWSemiAuto]

I remember constantly tugging at my bikini tops growing up, so I finally started asking for tankinis when I was a young teen. If I had a daughter I would not allow bikinis until she was old enough to consciously decide what image she wants to portray to the world. 

I've heard people say, "the only ones with the problem are those that look at a little girl and find her sexy" but I don't think that's the issue. I don't like that girls are being raised as objects. Why must we show so much skin? Especially at such a young age? Is it part of desensitizing us to being physical objects to be obtained, conquered, bought, sold?

[GirlWSemiAuto]

Phew! I bet that's a lot easier on you! 

Quoting Beauty91805:

I don't know, my dd wears one piece with the skirt. And she wears loose fitted jeans and sneakers. Thats her thing, she hates showing too much skin lol, yay!.

[LongBeachLiz]

My dd wants a bikini but I have told her to keep dreaming. I do allow tankinis that cover (not cropped but full tankinis).

[Mommy4-27-08]

My daughter will only have one piece bathing suits until she reaches teens and even then it will be a tasteful bikini.

Whenever she wears any sort of dress or skirt she wears leggings. I don't allow her to dress slutty at all nor would I ever allow her too.

[Allons-y]

I'm about to go on a tangent here.
This is a problem! Mothers are dressing their girls like little adults. Tiny dresses, tiny bikinis, tight pants... they allow them adult freedoms way too early on. 12 year old girls posting bikini pics on facebook... then everyone is so shocked that these girls are becoming pregnant by 13.

[1st_time_mom789]

I have no clue. I don't want my DD to grow up and be self consious. She only wears one piece bathing suits. We tell DD everyday how pretty she is, I dred for when she starts school. I hope she stays positive about her image. 

[alexsmomaubrys2]

Because parents buy them for their daughters. If there wasn't a market, then they wouldn't be made.

My DD wears a tankini.

[AlwaysKISA]

Eeek. Totally going to be bashed for this. But I don't see the big deal. I really don't.