Mums of daughters will know that the pre-teen years are tough to navigate – not least when it comes to clothing.
However, a difficult job is made more so when some brands target young girls with altogether grown-up clothing.
Indeed, one woman has now called out Primark for seemingly selling padded bras aimed at tweens.
She said she was “horrified” and shared an image of the underwear on Twitter.
Horrified that @Primark are selling padded bras to children aged between 7-13! #Toomuchtoyoung #Children #sexualisation pic.twitter.com/bWTqD999n7
— Bea (@missbelleteach) July 20, 2017
However, Primark – which of course trades as the ever-popular Penneys in Ireland – is adamant that the bras in question are not padded.
“We would like to be absolutely clear that these bras are moulded, not padded,” it said in a statement to Cosmopolitan.com.
“My first bra ranges are designed and constructed purely for support, comfort, and modesty and adhere to the BRC’s childrenswear guidelines. There is no enhancement.”
@Primark why are you selling padded bras to children?why would my 8 year old need a padded bra?this has got to stop! Please #LetKidsBeKids pic.twitter.com/ggMgS67vI6
— Emma’s Cafe (@whittyem) November 9, 2016
Last year, Primark also came in for criticism when another woman shared an image of its pre-teen bra range on Twitter.
A US study in 2013 stated that girls are hitting puberty earlier than before.
Published in the journal, Pediatrics, it found that girls on average began developing breasts at a median age of 9.7 years – around four months earlier than a separate 1997 study had found.
