It seems like the same old story. A clothing line under scrutiny for perpetuating false body images that may be damaging to young girls. Barbie definitely knows what I'm talking about. But it seems like Abercrombie has went too far. The clothing line recently added a new line of Ashley triangle push-up bikini tops originally targeting under girls under 12. But after strong feed back from parents, they included a note suggesting the top be worn by children over 12.
Whether or not you agree that girls going through adolescence should even wear bikinis, making a top that is padded and is a push-up definitely has some negative consequences. The expert in the article, Dr. Eileen L. Zurbriggen (leader of an American Psychological Association task force on the sexualization of girls) says ""There's nothing wrong with wanting to be attractive, but girls are getting the message that being sexy is the only thing that is important." She makes a clear distinction between a feeling of wanting to be attractive and given message of needing to be sexy.
I find it interesting that Abercrombie changed their age suggestion to 12 and older after the negative feedback. I wonder if it slapped them into reality like "oh right, giving a push-up bra to children under 12 could cause body issues!" Either way, we need to take a look at the messages we're sending young girls. False body perception can lead to severe psychological issues such as Anorexia or Bulimia.
-Lena Asfour
Read the original article here!
This blog is the work of Loyola University Chicago's Advanced Reporting class for Spring 2011. We will be researching and writing about mental illnesses and brain diseases in an effort to educate the general public about the issues surrounding mental health. We hope to reduce the stigma of mental illness and present accurate and fair reporting on current mental health issues.
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