We magnify the body, we perfect the silhouette, we help to cheat
That was said about push-up bras by a woman who manages a French company which invented them.
A bra now being marketed to girls who haven’t even hit their teens and, mostly, will not possess anything that needs support, let alone need a lacy push-up number.
In yet another example of the sexualisation of girls, Best and Less is selling the Tween-age Push-up Bra. Tweens have been defined as aged 6-12.
Now, as most people know, push-up bras are designed to show off cleavage. Obviously the inventors of the tween push-up bra don’t care if there is no ‘cleavage’ to start with. They will help a young girl cheat and make it look like there is. Underwire padding, boosting: helping create the illusion that this little girl is much more developed than she really is.
And why would you want to do that exactly?
Why would a child need to have her body magnified? What is a perfect silhouette for a child? Why would a child be required to cheat? Why adultify little girls?
We are telling little girls that their bodies are not acceptable as they are. And that their bodies are supposed to draw attention, primarily male attention. The earlier these messages hit them, the more ingrained they become. They are being groomed to see their bodies as sexual objects.
Normalising and encouraging the appearance of breasts on prepubescent children puts them in danger.
We are witnessing the disappearance of spontaneity, unselfconsciousness, curiosity and fun in girls – qualities that were once valued for their role in developing a strong sense of self identity; enabling girls to journey into adulthood in a natural and healthy way. But now they are body conscious – indeed self-loathing – at younger ages, wracked by fear and self-doubt, wondering if they are good enough.
The manufacturers of the push-up bra for little girls know this, and are preying on it.
They need to be held accountable. Tell Best and Lest what you think. Email:feedback@bestandless.com.au, Ph: (02) 95613400.
Some mates and I are about to launch Collective Shout to name, shame and expose corporations and marketers who objectify women and sexualise girls to sell products and services. Stayed tuned.
Now in its second printing!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I went shopping with my daughter last week to find new bras for her to wear under her white shirt for middle school – she is 12 1/2 years old. I was appalled at the lack sensible bras. The push up bra for teens is being pushed in way more retail outlets than the one mentioned above. From what we viewed, the range was limited to this new style.
My daughter felt uncomfortable at the very sight of them and was thankfully astute enough to recognise they were too ‘old’ for her. We found an alternative – a simple cut bra – fondly known as the ‘training bra’. This used to be readily available and a normal expectation of the market place. It came at a price double that of the others, but in my opinion, well worth the money.
I am looking forward to the launch of the Collective Shout website – such a vital voice for the preservation of our daughters’ healthy image.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 am
Children are often seen as a ‘market’ in which corporations can sell the next best fad, clothing, idea.
But do they ever sit down and ask ‘is this actually best for the child’?.
How can a board of directors give clearance to push push-up bras – which are designed for a woman’s mature body – to children? Do they see no social responsibility to protect the welfare of a little girl?
A child’s life does not constitute a target or opportunity for a new range to succeed. A child’s life is worth much much more than that.
What these organisations are doing is saying ‘a child has no rights’ instead of ‘a child has every right – and we will do our utmost to protect them’. These organisations who plot to sell push up bras for little girls need to be shamed. They need people to boycott their outlets. They need parents to be strong and complain. And the girls need advocates to stand in the gap, to represent them until they can be strong enough to represent themselves.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:18 am
In the UK, Tesco (large supermarket chain) came under fire regarding their decision to sell push up bras for girls. Their argument was that the bra was designed to ‘Cover up, not flatter’.
Now I don’t know what part of COVER UP they don’t understand, but in my experience a push up bra is intended to do just that: PUSH UP! (Tesco was also the crew that sold a pole dancing kit for kids).
In my opinion and from the small bit of research I have done; the push up bra is designed to enhance the breast, to show off the cleavage and cause a more provocative look than the average bra.
The push up bra is about emphasising sex-appeal. So why would a child need to do this? Why enhance? Why show off cleavage and why need a provocative look?
Caroline Adams of Debenhams (UK), after surveying 3,000 women regarding the push up bra, said ‘Push -up bra’s have become a wardrobe weapon for millions of women across the world. The underwear not only makes the women feel incredibly sexy, but creates the ultimate cleavage’.
My message to parents – letting your beautiful girls wear sexually explicit under garments at such a young age gives out a dangerous message of availability. What child needs a ‘wardrobe weapon’? And what child needs to be available? I believe this latest bombardment created by the organisations is exploiting and ultimately harmful to girls.
Melinda, what you are doing is alerting us to the commercial assault on our kids but also subverting the current systems. You have my support.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:43 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sharon_Haywood: RT @MelTankardReist Push-up bras for tweens (ages 6-12) give the illusion of breasts http://bit.ly/ckdVTC via @AddToAny How this angers me!!…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:45 am
Is the desire to wear pretty lingerie and that it helps girls feel ‘pretty’ and ‘attractive’? ‘Sexy ate my childhood’ is the compounding psychology. Did you hear Miley Cyrus’s sister (9 years old) has launched a new underwear clothing range? I wonder if 10 years from now we’ll ok breast ‘enhancing’ for tweens in some form of plastic surgery. Maybe they won’t need the implants: the culture is becoming so over sexed instead of reaching puberty round 10/12 years, their bodies will be maturing at 7-8 years.
How *lovely* we’re encouraging their feminine sexuality from such a young age. Normalized sexuality a gateway to the formation of women as ‘one-stop-pleasure-stops’. Hoe is becoming the new ‘normal’, ‘plastic’ the new beautiful, Bitch the new feminism, look out Australia.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:04 am
As a mother of a 4 yr old girl, and nieces aged 12 and 4, this horrifies me! What the bloody hell are they thinking?
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:51 am
Again I ask…
How can our society outlaw pedophilia yet sell sexy women’s underwear to children?
How can we not think we are on a slippery slope?
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:28 am
Anyone considering this kind of clothing for a child needs to sit down and watch an episode of ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ on the Lifestyle Channel. I just subjected myself to 60 minutes of 4-7yr olds, made up to look 20, parading in skimpy clothing, dancing like strippers and all cheered on by an audience of competitive parents. One little 7 year old made several comments about how the ‘boy judge just couldn’t stop looking at me… going… ooohhh’ A long way from push up bras? I’m not so sure.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:11 am
So where is left to shop at, cotton on is gone, supre is gone, Roger David is gone, Best and Less is gone just where do we find suitable clothing for our girls?
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:26 pm
OK… here we go again – another irresponsible retailer!
Well done on your blog Melinda – raising awareness about this sort of issue is so important.
The buyers and staff at ‘Best and Less’ need to be educated about the impacts of the sexualisation of children. It is time for companies to develop protocols for merchandise aimed at kids – and to be responsible proactively.
‘Best and Less’ should withdraw the product immediately.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:04 am
Once again – are these desingers and store owners not aware that they are teaching our girls to view themselves in this damaging way and for our boys to view girls (and ultimately women) as sexual objects. I have sent some feedback to Best and Less and I hope many others do the same.
February 3rd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
This is an outrage. I have sent in my objections to Best & Less. Thank you Melinda for pursuing these issues and bringing them to our attention. My email to Best & Less is below.
Attention: General Manager,
I am very concerned that Best & Less, a family department store, is stocking “Tween Push Up Bras”.
Tweens are children that are not even teenagers yet – so they are 12 or under and therefore in primary school. Why would a primary school child need to wear a bra that is designed to enhance their cleavage? Firstly, they don’t have a cleavage. Secondly, children should not be encouraged to draw attention to their private regions like this.
I am well aware that some children develop early and may require suitable underwear, but this should be made available with the aim of providing support and appropriateness, not as a sexual object designed to gain male attention.
What are you telling these tweens? That their underwear is designed to be seen? That being flat at their age is unnatural? That they are sexual objects?
The Best & Less content department needs to immediately rethink it’s values and what sort of pressure it is trying to put on our children. Items that sexualise children should not be available.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Caro Webster, Tania Andrusiak, drrobyn, Michelle DennisEvans, Melissa Wardy and others. Melissa Wardy said: RT @MelTankardReist: Push-up bras for tweens: the illusion of breasts for the youngest girls http://bit.ly/ckdVTC via @AddToAny #sexualisation #objectification [...]