New Look under fire for ‘sexualising children by selling padded bikinis for girls aged nine’

New Look has come under fire by British mothers for ‘sexualising children’ by selling a range of padded bikinis for girls as young as nine.

Vicky Snowdon, from Leicester, spotted the swimsuits in store and shared a snapshot of the collection on Twitter, posting: ‘It’s hard enough shopping for my daughters in @newlook with the insistence on all the tops being cropped. But padded bikini bras?! Padded bikinis for 9 year olds. Really?’

Campaign group Object, which opposes the sexual objectification of women, reposted the images, writing: ‘Stop sexualising children @newlook. It’s wrong and damaging. Take them away. We object.’

Available in a range of bright colours and for ages 9-15, the swimsuits are described online as featuring ‘moulded triangle cups’.

A New Look spokesperson said: ‘The bikinis in the New Look 915 range are designed with shaped foam cups to offer structure to the garment and to provide modesty for the wearer. This type of swimwear is widely available from other brands on the high street. We always listen to our customers and comply with all the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Responsible Retailing guidelines to create products that are age appropriate and best suit their needs.’ 

New Look has come under fire by British mothers for ‘sexualising children’ by selling a range of padded bikinis for girls as young as nine

British mother Vicky Snowdon posted a photo online of the swimsuits in the store and called the padded bikinis ‘awful’ 

The swimsuits, which are part of the brand’s 915 children’s department, also come with skimpy bottoms which are secured by ties on the side.        

The suits are priced between £7.49 and £14.99.

Online, the pieces are described as ‘a must for girls updating their swimwear.’  

After Object shared the tweet, Vicky commented: ‘Thank you for sharing this. I was so angry and just baffled at the same time. 

The collection of bikinis, which come in a range of bright colours and styles, are also available online for ages 9-15 years-old 

One of the swimsuits, which range in price between £7.49 and £14.99, within the range is described online as ‘a must for girls updating their swimwear’

‘Just why? I complained about it to the girl on the till but she didn’t get it and it’s not her fault.’

She continued: ‘I only shopped in New Look because I had a voucher. Just awful.’ 

Other parents were also quick to respond, with one writing: ‘Holy c***, girls just don’t stand a chance of a childhood do they?’

Another commented: ‘I know. Couldn’t find non-padded bras for my daughter anywhere in NL. Had to get them shipped from M&S and they still had slight shape. 

Other Twitter users were left stunned by the range, which is part of the high street store’s children’s department, and called it ‘damaging’ for young girls 

 ‘Aren’t natural breasts good enough anymore?’

Meanwhile The Sun reported Susan Davies, 49, a mother-of-four from Poole in Dorset, said: ‘I cannot believe that a huge brand like New Look thinks these disgusting bikinis are acceptable.

‘Children should not be sexualised at nine years old.

‘Why can’t little girls be little girls? No nine-year-old needs padding in a bikini top. It is hideous.’

The outrage over the bikinis was debated on ITV’s This Morning today, with Nicola Thorp suggesting she had no problem with them as they offered extra coverage.

However, Robert Rinder said the ensemble could be used to objectify young women more.