What little child needs to have this low-cut stuff? This is what we're up against.
When my daughter made the transition from toddler sizes to girls, I got a shock. Most of it was “slutwear”; shirts and skirts too short, hot pants, low-cut tops, defiant phrases, etc. I had to look far and wide for appropriate clothing that fit properly. I resorted to the Lands End catalog a LOT, as well as my sewing machine.
That was 12 years ago. I know it’s gotten worse over the years. Even boys clothing has taken a turn towards “thugwear.”
I know exactly what you are talking about. My daughter is 12 and finding appropriate clothes is murder.
Thankfully, when they hit middle school, the "layered" look with long tops under shorter ones was the rage and they were able to find girls' clothing.
You have to be a really dedicated parent to be able to find modest girl’s clothing. Lands End is still a safe haven. My girls live in their dresses and leggings year round. They also have the only girl jeans I’d let my girls wear. Not low or tight. They wore boy jeans before that. I can’t sew but am arranging for my girls to learn. They may not have Lands End for their girls someday.
took my youngest to Burlington Coat Factory right after Christmas. She is starting to *grow up*, and mom told me to take her over there and get some training bra’s.
Ok, fine, I’m a big man, I can handle that... I think.
Well, 9 of 10 of the bras were padded. Now, not knowing that this is not normal, or what I should do, I phoned my wife, and asked her if training bra’s have padding. She had a hissy fit on me, and basically sighed at sending a man out to do what she should have done, because obviously I had no idea what I was doing.
So, home we came, and later that night, wife and daughter head off to Burlington again. Wife came home empty handed. She said it wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was looking for, she said it was that all they had for 10 year old girls was padded bra’s and “push em up” bras.
She went to Wal-Mart and found what she needed.
Now, another story, which I’ll make short, same daughter in 1st grade, I drop her off to her line where they wait to be let in the school, and am walking away and notice a girl in her class with a shirt that says “SWEET and SLUTTY” on the front of it.
Welcome to the suburbs of Chicago.
This trend has surely grown quickly. My daughter is now 29 and the worst I had to deal with was the ‘grunge’ look, t-shirt or turtle neck with flannel men’s overshirt, and jeans.
Given my preference they’d all wear skirts/dresses (better yet, uniforms!) to school and jeans for play time after school. But I noticed, even back ‘then,’ that by 2nd grade the girls who were totally into dresses in 1st grade would go to wearing pants/jeans because of PE and not wanting their little panties to show when they would do gymnastics activities. I guess now by 13 they want those panties showing. It’s rather sad.
What little child needs to have this low-cut stuff? This is what we're up against.
I’ve been through this twice: first with my daughter, now with my granddaughter. I know exactly what you mean.