Abercrombie is apparently marketing a padded push up bikini for kids aged 7-14. (Since then they have apparently removed the "push up" in their description.)
I have to ask the question, WHY?
Why did they even feel the need for it? Who had the great idea of designing a bikini top for kids so young to make them "sexy"? Why does a kid need to be sexy? Those two words do not belong in the same sentence.
One of the first things that popped in my head was how easy it would be for pedophiles to get their "fix" if the little girls they lusted after were running around with their pushed-up breasts on full display. Does Abercrombie realize that they are easily providing another reason for pedophiles to molest kids? Promoting what barely constitutes as a bathing suit for such a young age group accomplishes nothing but putting them in dangerous situations and giving them a false definition of beauty.
And why shouldn't these young girls have a warped sense of true beauty? Everywhere they look they see "sexy" and "hot". It's all over the magazines, portrayed in movies, and heard in all the popular songs of today--in order to compete with those airbrushed, photoshopped models and actresses they MUST wear less clothing. Skirts must show off too much leg, shirts must be low enough to show off breasts, and everyone must wear bikinis that don't leave anything to the imagination. And if that doesn't boost their self-esteem, then Abercrombie swoops in with the answer--a padded push-up bikini top so these young girls can transform themselves into mini-versions of what they idolize as the "perfect woman".
As we all know, girls at that age are quite impressionable. We all remember how at that age we wanted so hard to be "grown up". To act like and dress like all the older girls. Unfortunately, nowadays acting like all the older girls seems to mean lowering ones standards to follow blindly the degrading path that the media and entertainment industries have laid down.
We need to change this ambition.
As the "older girls" it is our responsibility to make sure our younger followers have a better image to follow. It is our responsibility to act and dress in ways that are respectful to us, that don't degrade us, and which uphold our dignity as women. Since our dignity and worth don't diminish when we age, we should not lower our own standards either. As women, we should avoid flaunting too much leg, showing off too much chest, or wearing swimsuits that are better left in the bedroom, for just that reason. Whether we're 10 years old sporting the latest Abercrombie swim top or 25 years old wearing a string bikini, both lead guys to view us not as women, but as objects. Both lead even the best of guys through a visual struggle focusing on the amount of skin revealed instead of the beautiful woman in front of them.
And since we are the example for the younger generations we need to show them that some things are not okay--it is not okay to let ourselves be viewed in this manner just because the latest celebrity magazine tells us this is the only way we will be beautiful, or liked, or successful. We need to stand up for respect and TRUE beauty, for our sake and the sake of those who look to us for leadership.
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