Rachel Kiley
A mom took to Facebook to slam padded bras she alleged were meant for young children, opening a debate among parents.
Angela Turner Fells took photos of Calvin Klein bras marked “S 6-6X” spotted at Nordstrom, captioning her pictures, “These are padded bras for SIX-YEAR-OLDS — WTAF, Nordstrom & Calvin Klein?”
People were initially appalled alongside of her, believing without hesitation that a company would make padded bras aimed at children.
“Sick! They should be arrested for sexual exploitation of minors,” one man suggested.
“I’ve got an 11 yr old that her momma and grandmothers buy her padded bras AND underwire! Absolutely ridiculous!” another Facebook user commented. “So when I was them I take the padding out and give them back to her.”
Another person pointed out that “the median onset of puberty has gotten much younger over the past several decades,” suggesting younger and younger children may need bras.
But others argued that saying a bra is a small/size 6 isn’t equivalent to saying it’s intended for six-year-olds — children’s clothing sizes can include their age, but clothing intended for adults and teens uses single-digit numbers as well. And some people just wear smaller clothing even as they get older.
“This size would’ve fit me when I was much older than six and I would’ve been happy to wear them,” one commenter wrote. “The liners are optional, so no worries if a child doesn’t need them.”
And plenty of folks pointed out that even if these are meant for children, the padding is likely intended for modesty rather than to sexualize minors.
“Some of these are being used as sports bras for dance studios (they wear shorts and a sports bra only), so I buy the padded/lined ones for my little vs the thin ones,” a mother explained.
“Having 2 daughters there’s nothing wrong with this,” another said. “It isn’t a padded bra for adding size or a lift. It isn’t even underwire. It’s for comfort and discretion.”
Despite the fact that Fells first posted this back in 2018, the debate continues, being revived every so often with new concerned parties or parents explaining why they think it’s absolutely fine.
