Lingerie for little girls? Yikes!

A company in France has recently released a new line of lingerie ... for girls as young as 4 years old (as well as swimwear for girls as young as 3 months). The new line has been dubbed "loungerie" and includes ruffled panties, bras and camisoles for young girls. The advertising photos being used to market these products depicts young girls with adult-like hair and makeup, in some very adult poses.

The launch of this line of undergarments for children has generated quite a stir ... and I have to say I really understand why that's the case ...

First of all, what 4 year old (or even 8, 9, 10 or 11 year old) needs lacy underwear and midriff-revealing camisoles? Children are not mini-adults ... they don't have the developmental capacity to cope with the world as we (adults) construct it for ourselves. Childhood is a time for development ... a time for playing and learning about yourself and the world around you. A child's experience is already so heavily impacted by the society they live in, and I don't see any need to add on the burden of adult-like sexuality to this already fragile and complex stage of life.

Secondly, what is going on in the minds of the parents who are buying these items for their children? What parent really wants their child parading around wearing adult-like lingerie? I do not understand where the market for this kind of product comes from and it upsets me to think that parents might decide that their 4 year old should be wearing these items. Children grow up so quickly as it is ... do we need to make it even faster?

And thirdly, I'm horrified by the sexualized images of little girls that are now widely available across the internet as a result of the marketing of these products.  Isn't it just asking for more issues around child pornography?  Anyone can get their hands on these pictures and once they're posted, and they are going to exist in cyber space for as long as cyber space exists. I shudder to think about the potential for damage this holds.

For the most part, I consider myself to be fairly liberal-minded. I try to keep an open mind, even when I have an initial gut reaction to something. However, this is going too far. I don't believe in ignoring the reality that children are sexual beings, just like the rest of us ... but this goes way beyond acknowledging and communicating with children about sex. This leaps from appropriate education and conversation to dressing up children in sexy "loungerie" and plastering images of young girls in sexual poses on the internet and in magazines ... it's telling little kids that they need to wear sexy underwear, reveal their bodies to the world, and contend with the horrors of self-esteem and a sexualized body image at a VERY young age.

I've pasted in a link to the video where I first learned about this new venture, as well as an additional site with a number of additional photos and info.  If you want to do more research for yourself, simply search "Jours Après Lunes".

Please take a look at the posted research for yourself, and I'd love your feedback.

ABC News Video:

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Additional website:

Oh No They Didn't! - Jours Après Lunes Launches 'Loungerie' Line for Girls and Hears About It.

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