THE UK is basking in a glorious mini heatwave this week, with temperatures hitting a balmy 28 degrees.
With the arrival of warmer weather, it’s no surprise that wardrobes across the nation are adjusting — think shorter hemlines and lower-cut necklines designed to keep us cool.
But while adults embrace these seasonal style shifts, the same approach should never extend to children.
As a proud feminist, author and mum of three with two boys, Oliver, 15, Alexander, 12, and a daughter, Florence, just three, I’m shocked and disappointed by what I’ve seen on the high street this week.
Shops including and , and online stores such as are offering the likes of baby bikinis, cropped tops for toddlers, and hot pants for preschoolers as
Damaging slogans
A textured two-piece with shoulder detail for age five and beyond is something you would expect a much older tween or teen to wear.
Revealing, with one shoulder partly exposed — who is designing children’s ? Not parents, I’m sure!
Unsuitable for protection against the sun, awkward to wear and swim in, not to mention leaving bizarre tan lines.
Children are already is a thanks to the influence of , which only sends the message that the more flesh you show, the more valuable and worthy you are.
And what is this monstrosity for six-year-olds?
A revealing three-piece with a mesh top, which looks like something I wore to the gym in my uni days.
Even more worrying are clothes with potentially damaging slogans emblazoned across them.
brings up cropped tops with troubling slogans such as “Cherry with Love”; for girls aged eight and above which could allude to taking someone’s virginity.
I can’t even find the top for the frilly Jungle Book bikini bottoms on Zara’s site for ages two to six.
My older boys are obsessed with baggy clothes, which are strikingly never hard to be found in stores or online yet when it comes to the girls’ sections, mini skirts, tiny dresses and ever-increasingly small denim shorts seem all the rage.
Children are already is a huge rush to grow up thanks to the influence of TikTok
One study by advocacy group Let Clothes Be Clothes found that girls’ clothing sizes were significantly more revealing than boys’ equivalent items in over 12 major UK retailers, including shorter hemlines and tighter fits.
I remember seeing pleather dresses for young girls in my local supermarket over the festive season and couldn’t fathom why that would be a stylish choice for a young child with the sexual connotations that come with them.
Shein currently stocks a similar leather dress and apart from being a humid and uncomfortable item to wear for adults at the best of times, how any parent or guardian could deem it appropriate for their child to dress in, is mind-boggling to me.
It’s our duty as parents to protect our children from predators both in real life and online where twisted individuals seek out sexualised, children in adult-style clothes and to prey upon.
Can’t we just let kids be kids?
One YouGov poll revealed that 55 per cent of mums and dads believe it is the responsibility of parents to avoid buying items which have been
I have to agree. Frankly, you are making a terrible parenting decision if you buy these kinds of skimpy outfits for your kids, which are totally inappropriate.
A friend of mine told me she believes her four-year-old daughter should wear what she likes and that the blame lies with society sexualising kids, not the parents buying the outfits.
I could see her point if we were talking about adult women and agree that they should not be blamed for crimes against them based on what they’re wearing.
Frankly, you are a bad parent if you buy these kinds of skimpy outfits for your kids, which are totally inappropriate.
But we’re talking about young children here that we have a responsibility to protect against a dangerous world.
While I encourage imaginative dressing and creativity in my home, modesty is vital.
One-piece swimsuits with children’s characters such as Bluey and Elsa from , floral mid-length dresses, jeans with tees and practical sportswear and shorts, empower my daughter.
Cropped tops
They allow her to run wild, swim and play freely, something every child has a right to do.
Childhood is so precious and fleeting with plenty of time later to try fashion and make-up in an age-appropriate way.
Just this week I’ve seen children who looked no older than four years old in the playground wearing with lipstick and mascara on.
Many seem inspired by their not-much-older siblings beside them.
I understand the social media pressures tweens and teens feel but as parents who hold the purse strings, literally, we have to ensure we’re not buying our little ones (and they really are little) clothes that belittle or sexualise them.
Let’s not forget that dressing your children in this kind of clothing can have effects on them as they grow older.
A shocking 61 per cent of girls said they feel pressured to look “sexy”; by the age of 11 due to societal expectations, according to a survey by Girlguiding UK.
As my family and I head off to Bavaria for a family holiday soon, I can assure you that none of us, let alone my daughter, will be wearing anything inappropriate — whatever the forecast.
I hope you take heed and do the same.
Please don’t let the heatwave go to your head.
- Vicki is a panellist on Good Morning Britain, follow her @honestmum on Instagram
