From sperm-harming fragrances and racist t-shirts to lawsuits of
discrimination, Abercrombie has gone from bad to worst. It's no wonder that
when Corporate Responsibility
magazine compiled a list of the worst companies in the world, Abercrombie
earned its place in the rankings.
So, what is Abercrombie doing to make headlines this time? You guessed it, selling push-up bras to little girls as young as 7 years old!
When AF introduced the "Ashley," a padded triangle bathing suit
top, to their spring line, the public raised questions about whether or not
certain types of clothing were appropriate for underage girls.
L.Z.Granderson CNN opinion columnist points out the fact that encouraging young girls to become sex symbols seems to be the latest marketing trend. It exposes companies like the "Bratz" franchise that recently introduced padded bras called "bralettes" for girls as young as six.
But Granderson also points to the root of the problem: parents.
"Parents stop dressing your kids like tramps," said Granderson.
"...As creepy as it is to think a store like Abercrombie is offering something
like the "Ashley," the fact remains that sex only sells because
people are buying it."
Furthermore, dressing children like pop stars Rihanna and Lil'
Wayne just to be a "cool" parent proves to have damaging psychological effects.
The American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls reported that girls who dressed more seductively at a younger age faced a higher risk for developing mental-health problems such as "eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression."
In the perfectly put words of LZ Granderson, "A line needs to be
drawn, but not by Abercrombie. Not by Britney Spears. And not by these little
girls who don't know better..."
It's time for PARENTS to draw the line.