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Politician outraged over ‘sexualized’ bra for girls

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Do you remember your first bra? I do. Mine consisted of this weird, stretchy piece of fabric that bunched up under my T-shirt and left red marks across my back. It was awkward to wear, but it did the trick.

When most parents take their daughters shopping for their first bra, they’re often looking for something like this: practical. Sexy isn’t typically on the checklist. But some parents argue that retailers are sending a different message.

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Sarah Champion, a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, recently received a complaint from a parent about a bra from popular retailer, Matalan, claiming that it sexualized children with its plunging neckline and padded cups.

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(Matalan)

The £4 (approximately $7 CAD) bra is advertised as an ideal first bra for girls aged 2 to 13, and features a deep V neckline and padding.

“Yesterday evening I was contacted by Judith, a concerned parent, regarding the sale of an item of children’s underwear in your stores and online,” Champion wrote in a letter to the retailer, which she later posted on Facebook.

“Judith is concerned that, despite the bra being advertised as a ‘first bra’ for girls, it is very small. It appears that this item would not fit a child over the age of eight.”

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She then goes on to describe the sexual nature of the bra.

“The padding, the plunging front of the bra and the fact that it is sold in black is, in my opinion, justification for her concerns, making the garment unsuitable for a child. Whilst your online shop refers to the purpose of this moulding as being for modesty, this is countered by the design and padding of the bra, which gives the illusion of a cleavage.”

Champion then goes on to discuss how sexualization of children in this way is directly linked to child sexual exploitation and child abuse and perpetuates negative body image issues for young girls. She closes by asked the retailer to reach out to the concerned parent and to remove the product from their stores.

After she posted the letter on social media, many Twitter followers chimed in with their agreement.

In response to the outcry, Matalan issued a statement to the Daily Mail saying, “Since 2011 we have been working in conjunction with Mumsnet, where this sensitive issue was raised as part of their ‘Let Girls be Girls’ campaign. We purposely ensure that our girls bras are not sold to specific ages but are sold in sizes.”

They then explain that the bras have been developed from customer feedback and that girls have requested such padding, not to enhance cleavage, but rather serve as a modesty and comfort layer.

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“We conduct thorough tests and speak to our customers for their feedback and as such, will always investigate any claims against Matalan regarding the suitability of our products. We take our commitment as a family business seriously, and Matalan is the only retailer in the U.K. to currently hold the Mumsnet Gold Award for being family friendly, an award we’ve held for the last three years.“

What do you think about this bra? Is it too sexy for young girls? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.