I took a picture of this bikini at a children’s clothing store in L.A. It is size 12-18 months:
NEW! (May ’10): Reagan B., Tara C., and Ma. Elí C.L. told us about a children’s bikini for sale at the chain Primark in the U.K. The bikini came complete with a top sufficiently padded to make girls look as though they have breasts:
The chain quickly pulled the bikinis after a public outcry about the sexualization of children.
NEW! (July ’10): Naomi sent us a link to Babi-kini, a website that sells string bikinis for little girls. Not only is the girl on the homepage in a bikini, but she’s in a typical swimsuit-model pose, too:
They sell a variety of styles, including one similar to the zebra-print one I originally posted above.
I went to the “one-piece swimsuits” section, but an error message came up saying there were no items matching my search. Sigh.
Comments 9
monsoon — March 21, 2008
What's more outrageous, the company that creates such an ensemble for consumption, or the parent who purchases this for their infant?
Sexualizing children is clearly wrong, but what gets me is infantizing adults to intensify their sexuality. Adult size "Hello Kitty" underwear? hmmm.
Lazercat — October 1, 2008
Bikinis for babies (who don't even fucking have breasts to cover!!!). 13 year old models being portrayed as fully-grown, fully-sexual adults. Grown adults posing seductively in schoolgirl clothes, with lollipops in their mouths. And they still try and tell us that child porn is illegal.
What the fuck is happening here?!!!
Sociological Images » VINTAGE ALBUM COVER NEWLY CENSORED — December 12, 2008
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Mina — June 4, 2010
I'm not sure how much volume the pads added, but I prefer padded swimsuits because they are good at hiding nipples. If my suit is any guide, this looks like just enough to hide erect nipples, but wouldn't add much volume. (I really have no idea if kids care about their nipples showing.)
JohnC — September 17, 2010
Children of this age are only a sexual object to depraved individuals - and apparently the makers of bikinis, who think babies should wear provocative clothing.
It is a truism that it is clothing that emphasises sex, not the absence of clothing.
Until a few years ago children would be nude at a beach. And no eyebrows would be raised - or anything else, for that matter. The Victorian era was supposed to be uptight about such things, but look at photos of the period showing bathing children. They were as likely as not to be naked.
Babies should not wear a swimsuit at all. If they are to be clothed it should be in swimtrunks only. They have no breasts to provoke perverts. The bra does not hide their "sexuality" - it artificially creates it.