Padded bras, ‘Juicy’ Pants, and Bare Midriffs? Oh My!

An opinion article on CNN.com titled “Parents, Don’t Dress Your Girls Like Tramps” has garnered nearly 5,600 comments and is buzzing around the blogosphere.

In the piece, the author, LZ Granderson, describes the horror he felt when he saw a young girl wearing pants that said “Juicy” on the butt. She was tan, her midriff was exposed, and her lips were puckered with gloss. She was 8 years old.

The issue has been ongoing for some time, and many clothing companies have come under fire for manufacturing and marketing sexy clothes to youngsters.  

Most recently, was skewered after it introduced the “Ashley,” a padded swimsuit top made for preteen girls in elementary school.  

And this isn’t the company’s first offense. “About 10 years ago, they sold thongs for 10-year-olds,”Granderson explained.

But Abercrombie isn’t the only guilty party. “Four years ago the popular ‘Bratz’ franchise introduced padded bras called ‘bralettes’ for girls as young as 6,” he added. “That was also around the time the good folks at Wal-Mart rolled out a pair of pink panties in its junior department with the phrase ‘Who Needs Credit Cards’ printed on the front.”

But are the companies to blame? As Granderson points out, the parents are the ones buying these clothes for their daughters.

“It's easy to blast companies for introducing the sexy wear, but our ire really should be directed at the parents who think low rise jeans for a second grader is cute,” he said. “They are the ones who are spending the money to fuel this budding trend.”

What is going on here? And what can we do to protect our girls from growing up too fast?

Our Coronado Moms Council weighs in.

Tonia Accetta: I have a daughter who has just discovered Abercrombie & Fitch, and I had nothing to do with it. This change in clothing choice came from school and her peers, with her purchasing her first Abercrombie T-shirt while out at a movie with girlfriends from her class. At this stage we must guide them, not stop them or ban them altogether. This is a brand-name issue, more than a sexy clothing brand for young girls—although they do sell short shorts, off-the-shoulder tops, boots and padded bikinis. I don't object to any of these clothing items by themselves, just don't wear them all at the same time. Without sounding like my mother who hated "jeans," I myself do not want to see "bra straps" or underwear of any kind showing! 

Morgan Benzian: I have to totally agree with the author of this article. The demand for this kind of clothing is set by the parents. My children are still toddlers, and we have yet to go through the peer pressure to dress like the hottest star, but I can tell you right now that push-up bras and thong underwear will not be part of my child's junior high wardrobe. 

Tam Dorow: It's sad to see young girls dressing sexy and wearing a lot of makeup, because these girls don't realize just how beautiful they already are. We all wish we could look that fresh and radiant. Us old ladies have to work on our bodies and show them off because our faces aren't what they used to be.  Come on girls, look in the mirror! OK, but don't fixate on what's wrong with it, see the whole beautiful package. Show off your sparkling eyes, wrinkle-free face and whatever else God and the good fortunes of genetics gave you. Why would you want to look like a 40-year-old? (Oops! Sorry ladies, we all used to be fresh and radiant once.) Parents, please discourage your daughters from wearing clothing that brings attention to their bums or the other bumps (B&B). We teach our children "NOT to talk to strangers," but we dress them provocatively so that even more strangers can stare at their bodies? Really?

Lynette Penn: One might ask, what age is too young? 15? 12? 9? Who is buying these clothes? Those children that have a strong sense of who they are don't feel the need to put their body on display. This issue has to be addressed, beginning at a young age. The contribution of friends, Hollywood, magazines, etc. will be and has always been an influence on our culture. It would be a bit of a cop out to blame the cultural influence for this choice by our children. This accountability starts at home. Parents are the ones buying the clothes, giving them the money, or not demanding they go right back in their room and change. Why does the response by parents on the sexualization of our children's clothing seem different from the way we teach, monitor and provide consequences for any other damaging behavior our children participate in? The sexual objectification of our youth has far reaching effects. Three of the most common mental health problems of girls and women, eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression, have been linked to sexualization.  

Jan Spear: Like it or not, people judge a book by its cover. Your clothes tell a story about you. With current fashion trends, what you wear doesn't define you, but can be a reflection of who you are or want to be.  

Today's styles are seen on celebrities/models, in fashion magazines, on television, and in music videos just to name a few. What message are we sending to young girls, that it's OK to wear less just to get attention? Girls, our clothes talk about us and give other people clues about our values and how we want to be treated. 

I would like to think that most girls have some idea of what's appropriate dress and what's not. Mothers also need to step up and teach values and morals, and know it's OK to say, "No, you can't wear that!"

Suzette Valle: Balancing a child's fashion demands and parents' relationships with their girls is a tricky thing. I think it's a combination of things that influence parents to buy certain clothes for their young girls: media, marketing, limited clothing options and peer pressure.  

Modest clothes for girls, though tough to find, are out there. Parents just need to stand their ground on the dress code, and spend time walking around a mall with their daughters to help them find something suitable for their age to wear, while still being fashionable.

Wearing specific styles (short shorts and UGGs anyone?) and labels to many parents and preadolescent girls also tends to indicate quite the opposite of the oversexualized message they are sending. When they wear padded bikini tops or things with words like "Juicy" or "Pink" on them, it's a status symbol. 

And we can't ignore Hollywood's part in this, since it has conditioned many into thinking there's nothing wrong with these outfits, since they're in the sweetest shade of pink and sparkly ... and Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian wear them!

Sure, an 8-year-old can't be a tramp, but letting little girls (and some teenagers) wear skimpy clothes to school, at Halloween or to a Middle School dance is inappropriate. Frankly, I agree with Mr. Granderson: Don't dress your little girls like hoochie mamas.

Meet our Moms:

Tonia Accetta is a British born, boarding-school educated, stay-at-home mom of a teenage boy and a preteen girl. She moved to Coronado in 2002 from Florida with her husband of 15 years looking for a better school system than Florida had to offer. Both children attend Coronado Unified Schools. She is currently on the Coronado Youth Softball board covering many positions (offers of help are always welcome!), and she is a co-leader and cookie mom for Girl Scout Troop 5039.

Morgan Benzian, a third-generation San Diegan, is a domestic goddess and stay-at-home mom to Emma and Annie. She first fell in love with Coronado Island in 1996, and then years later fell in love with a Coronado resident. Morgan, her husband, Whitney, and their two daughters enjoy looking at the aquarium inside Bay Books, lunching at the Yacht Club, picnics at Pomona Park, and bike rides around the island. She is a regular contributor for Coronado Patch. You can also read more of her work at thelittlehenhouse.com.

Tam Dorow emigrated from Vietnam to the U.S. when she was 10 years old, and grew up in Lansing, MI. She has a B.S. in Engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. She worked at all Big 3 US car companies in Engineering and International Finance.  She was a management consultant and started a management consulting firm in Indiana. She's been a stay-at-home mom for the last 10 years. She's served on the board of directors for Village Elementary Parents And Teachers Together (PATT), is a past president of Coronado Youth Softball, and is a current member of the board of directors for Coronado Little League. She married her college sweetheart, two children, a dog, and a 21-year-old cat. 

Lynette Penn is a military wife and mother of three children, whose ages are 18, 21 and 24. She moved to Coronado in 2003 as a result of the school shooting at Santana High School. She was recognized by Time Warner Cable as one of San Diego's "50 Best Moms" in 2006. Her kids have attended Coronado schools since their move to this wonderful place. Penn was a paramedic for 15 years and worked for a law enforcement agency as well. She stopped working in 2000 when her kids started high school, and her husband started to deploy regularly. But now she says, "I just recently started working part time to fill the void of stalking my children." She told us her latest achievement is the fact all three of her children made it to age 18 without her changing her pro-life stance. 

Jan Spear is mother to two teenage boys whose education is a high priority. She is a longtime Coronado resident, and graduated with a B.A from UC San Diego, and later earned an A.S. in nursing at Grossmont College. She was a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for children in foster care until 2005. She volunteered for the Everyone-A-Reader program at Silver Strand Elementary School. She is a health-conscious, avid runner, and has a marathon under her belt. She participates in 5 and 10k runs and encourages her kids and husband to be fit!

Suzette Valle is a 20-year resident of Coronado. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of San Diego, and has an M.A. from Oxford University, England. After a career as an investment banker, she married and moved from high finance to high drama. She’s the mother of two teenagers, one at Purdue University, another at Coronado High School. She is bilingual and bicultural. She's held many volunteer positions among various Coronado community organizations: vice-president of Coronado Youth Softball 2007-2010, director for the Islander Sports Foundation 2008-2010, and served on both the PTO 2006 and PTA 2005. She was recognized by Time Warner Cable as one of San Diego's “50 Best Moms” in 2006, and has been part of the judging panel for the last four years. She blogs at MamarazziKnowsBest.com, and is a featured Hollyblogger at TheWrap.com, where she blogs about parenting in a celebrity-driven society. In 2010 she appeared on the Dr. Phil Show discussing Reality TV, and was a presenter at San Diego’s Head to Toe Women’s Expo speaking about Hollywood’s far-reaching influence on children's daily lives and family values.