"Naughty" Costume for Toddler Girls?

[catcul]

Walmart Now Offers “Naughty” Costumes For Toddler Girls

To be honest, I don't know what to think about this.

Apparently, "Rachael" thinks that this costume is too "sexy" for a 3-year-old. A staff member at the Consumerist says it's not that big of a deal, but it is adorable.

[Greenday]

There's...nothing naughty about that outfit in the first link. I don't really get it.

[Nekojin]

Whoever thought the term "naughty" was a good choice for toddlers needs a smack upside the head. Kids can't understand the distinctions that such a word evokes. "Bad, but in a good way." NO.

The costume is perfectly fine for what it is, and yes it's adorable, but it's horribly mis-marketed.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm wondering if that thing wasn't conceived of and created in a language other than English, and the "naughty" part is just a horrible choice of word that is close enough to the original.

Then again, with how utterly unlike a leopard, or any other actual cat it is, I'm not sure they're just not horrifically ignorant.

[Racket_Man]

looking at the picture from the link, I do not find that costume all that "naughty". HMMMMM skirt that is at or below the knees, some black tights, no hint of "naughty bits" (up top or down below) showing and a pair of purple ears.

NOW it the skirt was a mini and the top was low low cut and the material was semi-seethru I could see the "Naughty" label.

I second the bad English translation or just a bad label.

[kamn]

Looking at it, my thoughts came to the other definition of "naughty", as in a naughty child. But yeah, no...

[Aethian]

I second the bad English translation or just a bad label.

Thirded. If I was a kid that age I would so want that costume.

[Hyena Dandy]

I'd guess that it's probably not so much a bad translation word-to-word, as a bad cultural translation. Someone may have seen "Costumes women wear on HAlloween are labeled Naughty - This is a Hallowen costume for a girl - Therefore, Naughty"

[siead_lietrathua]

naughty also has other contexts other than sexual. mischievous or troublemaker kids are often called naughty. it may be one of those things that is more the mind of the reader.
cuz first thing i thought of seeing that was "oh, like rumpleteaser"

[gremcint]

meh, nothing surprises me anymore after this: http://www.nerve.com/news/current-ev...ther-complains

It's probably ok but may not want to check that link at work

[Skunkle]

I think I agree with Hyena Dandy and Andara here: go look in any Halloween store and see how many adult costumes are sexy this or that. Schoolgirls, nurses and pirates, sure, but just about every possible outfit is made in a sexy version. I suspect whoever made the packaging didn't fully understand the English implications of the word they chose. If the version for adults was a "Naughty Leopard," the kids' version with what amounts to the same outfit could be given the same name.

I'm on-the-fence on the issue of "sexy" kids' clothing. On one hand, there's a lot of outfits available for teens and tweens that are a bit revealing. On the other, I see claims that a leopard-print swimsuit or other clothes for kids is objectification - and I say BS. Leopard print isn't inherently sexy, so taking an outfit that's innocent and putting that pattern on it doesn't change what it is. Leopard print has been made into something sexy by association, by way of where and how it has been used. I judge those based on how much they show, not whether a print pattern that has come to be associated with sexy clothing has been used.

All that said, if I had a kid, I'd let her wear that outfit. It looks just fine. It doesn't show too much, it's not too short. It's adorable, actually.

Edit: As to the 2nd link... In my opinion, the Dakota Fanning ad is borderline leaning toward too risque. The "Jours Après Lunes" lingerie-- I suppose the ADS show kids wearing it with nothing else, but I'd think in reality, it'd be worn under clothing. France does have a lassies-faire attitude toward sexuality, in a way - they're far less upset by things being seen as sexy. In many areas of France, it's not an issue for women to go topless in hot weather. It's not like the way Americans think of a nude beach, no one is standing around in groups ogling and drooling. It's normal.

That said, the crotchless panties are off-the-charts bad. Whoever thought that was a good idea needs a few whacks with a clue-by-four, and that's just for starters. How could they NOT know what that was implying - the designers, the manufacturers, and/or the sellers!?

[Andara Bledin]

Some of the stuff in the link was more adults reading too much into it, but some of it was just pure

[ozcatbug]

Having worked in a clothing department I saw a few things that I felt were very innapropriate. "So many boys, so little time" printed on a toddler's (aged 18 months to 4 years) t-shirt. Push-up 'training' bra's. Bralette and g-string (thongs for all non-Aussies) sets for children aged 5 and up. Even think this set had a print of something like Dora or My Little Pony.

As a department we unanimously refused to put out the bralette and g-string sets, and our manager was in complete agreement so sent it back to the DC. I don't think we sold more than 1 of the t-shirts. As for the push-up bra, I actively talked several parents out of buying them. One woman I even got to reinforce her position as "me parent, you child".

I'll explain this a bit more, as I love that I was able to convince a woman who had been sent in by her daughter with the order to get lacy, sexy training bra's, to instead return with the determination that the only way that child was getting sexy underwear was when she was working and paying for it herself. It was early morning, I'm thinking about 5am, and I see a woman looking at the girl's underwear. Although I was a filler and was not required to greet customers or offer help, we were pretty much done for the night and were just tidying up anyway, so I asked if she needed help. The woman said she had just finished her shift and was going to grab a couple of training bra's for her 9 year old daughter, but looking at the selection, they were nothing like she had had as a young girl. I agreed and said that I couldn't believe how inappropriate some of them were. I mean underwire, push-up, full lace, these are not good for developing breasts, and since there are girls as young as 7 or 8 starting puberty, these 'training lingerie' is totally wrong.

The woman wanted to purchase the traditional training bra sets (essentially 2 triangles with a tiny bit of lace, and a single hook at the back, less for support and more to get the girl used to wearing a bra, you know a 'training' bra) but had been told by her daughter that she would not wear anything so ugly. The woman knew her daughter wanted either the lace underwire (seriously, underwire on a training bra is so wrong and I would never replenish these if we were low, oops, bad me ) or the push-up (again underwire and totally bad). I just asked the woman if her daughter had anything to "push-up". She admitted as she was shopping for the training bra, there wasn't really anything to push-up. Then I asked what would happen if she gave the regular training bra to her daughter. She said her daughter had said she would be too embarrassed if anyone saw her in such an ugly bra. Now for the big question. I asked, and I remember my exact words "who exactly is going to see your 9 year old daughter wearing her training bra?" The woman stared at me for a minute, smiled then picked up 2 packs of the 'ugly' training bra's, said "thank you very much" and as she was about to walk away I said to her "remember you are the parent." It was like a revelation as she walked away I could here her saying to herself "I am the parent."

But to get back to the OP, I find two problems with the "Naughty Leopard" costume. Firstly, there is no way I could ever consider that costume to be naughty, and secondly, how in the hell is a black dress trimmed with black lace and purple trim with black spots anything resembling a leopard. Take off the ears and put a witches hat and I could definitely agree to a witches costume, but a leopard? Leopard print trim does not a leopard make. Take off that description, and I think it is a totally cute, totally appropriate costume for a little girl.

And as for the store selling the crotchless undies, I believe they should be charged for encouraging underage sex or paedophilia, as should the suppliers. As the woman in the video said there is only one purpose for crotchless undies, and as the underwear was designed for 7 to 13 year olds, who are children, anyone supplying, selling or purchasing these items needs to be charged with something. Ok, no one had to buy the product, but the fact that the product exists is a major WTF?

[Andara Bledin]

I asked, and I remember my exact words "who exactly is going to see your 9 year old daughter wearing her training bra?" The woman stared at me for a minute, smiled then picked up 2 packs of the 'ugly' training bra's, said "thank you very much" and as she was about to walk away I said to her "remember you are the parent."

I can tell you precisely who would be seeing her in her training bra: Her fellow classmates. And I'm sure it's no less bitchy and vicious now than it was 20 years ago when I was harassed in gym class simply because my own bra was utilitarian as opposed to some known brand.

Also, it's worth noting that a person wearing what they think are attractive undergarments will have better self esteem than one who is wearing undergarments that they find to be embarrassing.

What you wear under your clothes is more about making the person wearing them happy than showing off to someone else.

That said, I do find the sexualization of pre-teen youth to be disturbing.

[Aethian]

I think in my school the training bras looked more like sports bras and one girl had the undershirt with little lifts.