Primark accused of sexualising young children by selling padded bras for girls as young as seven
Actress mum horrified after discovering ‘My first bra’ range for seven to 13-year-olds while shopping for her daughters in London
PRIMARK has been accused of sexualising young children by selling padded bras for girls as young as seven.
It offers the pink polka dot underwear at £5 for two.
But actress Emma Linley, 43, was horrified when she saw the ‘My first bra’ range for seven to 13-year-olds while shopping for her daughters in London.
Emma, who starred in Channel Five soap Family Affairs, said the design fuelled young girls’ worries about body image.
She said: “Do Primark sell padded pants for seven to 13-year boys to make their genitals seem bigger?
“So boys are OK as they are but girls need enhancement?”
Emma vowed to campaign to stop the sale of the bras, saying: “I have two young girls. I do not want them facing puberty with this crap to deal with.”
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, South Yorks, said: “It is disappointing. This leads to the sexualisation of children and increases the social pressure on them to look older.”
Primark denied the bras were padded and said they are in fact "moulded".
A spokesman added: “We would like to be absolutely clear that these bras are moulded, not padded.
"'My first bra’ ranges are designed and constructed purely for support, comfort, and modesty and adhere to the BRC’s childrenswear guidelines.
"There is no enhancement. This type of moulded bra is extremely common, and selling them is entirely normal practice on the high street."