When Did Children Stop Dressing Like Kids?

Once upon a time, not too long ago in a little era that we like to refer to as the 1980s, I was a small child. Besides from my short stature, you would know I was a small child by the way I dressed. Maybe Madonna was prancing around half-naked, but I wasn't. I was prancing around in pink and purple overalls. My mother dressed me like a child and I never questioned it. It didn't matter if the teenagers around the block wanted to dress provocatively, I was too young and I simply wasn't allowed to copy older styles. To be honest with you, I never fought to look like the older kids. All my friends dressed in frilly, flowery frocks too. We were happy being kids and were happy looking like kids.

It sort of scares me what I see small children wearing these days. I feel too young to have these concerns, but it bothers me to see six year old girls taking fashion advice from Britney Spears. I am not sure what the worst part is: the fact that designers are making these inappropriate mini-clothes or the fact that parents are willing to buy them.

This issue of children dressing beyond their years has bothered me for some time, but it resurfaced the other day when I saw a news story on teen trend brand Abercrombie & Fitch. Apparently, the famous retailer is now selling PADDED bikini tops for girls ages seven and up. I have three words for you: ARE THEY SERIOUS?

When I look back at childhood pictures of me in a bathing suit sometimes I looked way too chubby or way too thin or way too silly, but none of that mattered. I was a kid, I was having fun and I was covered up. The one thing that I definitely did not look at age seven or so was sexy. It would have never even crossed my mind to be sexy. I didn't even know what sexy was. I just wanted to romp in the sprinkler and slip and slide with my friends.

Newsflash Abercrombie & Fitch: Seven and eight year old girls don't need push-up bra bathing suits because seven and eight year old girls aren't supposed to have breasts yet! It's that simple. Why would anyone want their daughter of that age to have cleavage?

In a society very concerned over children being safe from sexual predators on the Internet, the last thing anyone should encourage is a girl that young attempting to enhance her non-existent boobs.

Unfortunately, as long as these swimsuits exist, some parents will buy these garments for their children. It seems that some kids these days have a way of getting the things that they want and if the media pushes something enough, there will always be kids interested. Young girls don't understand why the bathing suits are a bad thing. They simply just want to look like their favorite TV stars or older sisters. Children are innocent, they will not see the dangers of these bathing suits and other non-age appropriate clothing. As adults, it is our job to protect them. I think certain members of the fashion industry need to stop looking at dollar signs and start look at morality.