It's Not Ok

 

It's been over years since the fight for stopping sexualization in the media started but it looks like we have a newest addition to our ‘stop’ list. Women are not only objectified but they are seen as these things or toys used just for sexual pleasure. When women are seen showing skin they are often tagged as ‘slut’ or ‘whore’. But is the problem really the clothes women wear or the society’s mentality? It's definitely the latter. ‘What women want, women wear’ this phrase is particularly popular since our society started calling the clothes women wear as an invitation for getting raped. But this is not the topic for today’s discussion. 

Clothing is an essential part of our lifestyle and shopping for clothes is something we all love to do.  A few months back, me and my mom were in the mall shopping for my 10 year old cousin. We found ourselves going to several stores and buying just a pair or two of clothes. Why? Because mostly all of the children's clothing was way more mature than her actual age. That made me realize that what I was facing that day is one of the problems mother’s encounter everyday. A famous American online shop brand which sells children’s clothing calls its products as ‘cool’ or ‘diva defining’ when in reality their products have collapsible heels, pointed toes and visual representation of a kid's chest. Society has started to hold young girl’s to the same messed up standards for women and it's not OK. A study was conducted which showed that “Of all clothing items, 31 percent has sexualizing features” This is a part where the problem lies. And for those who are still weary that clothes are sexualized I bet this photo will convince you to hop on the bandwagon. 

There is no point in producing products like these because no mother would want their children to wear this while going to a mall or going anywhere outside, I bet she wouldn’t want her to wear this at home too. The product is just absurd and it is not healthy for visualizing breasts under the name of patterns. This is what makes people turn their heads at you. Aultising children’s clothing is now a trend amongst producers, I’ve seen plenty of products that say wild child. We really need to stop this. Young girls don’t sexualize themselves the way society does and this picture right here is the perfect example of how they do it. And the harsh reality is that this will play a huge part in the woman they will become. Society forces young girls to sexualize themselves and then they are the first one to point it out. 

We as a society need to change and stop sexualizing clothes which are impacting one’s view of themselves. And is the attempt to encourage children to wear mature clothing really healthy? Is it healthy that we are promoting attitudes of disrespect of ourselves and others amongst children? And most importantly are we stealing their innocence from them? It’s high time that we start answering these questions and build a society where children, young women or any human being are not forced to wear sexualized products.

Bibliography 

Abril, Danielle. “Society Needs to Stop Sexualizing Female Clothing.” The Searchlight, 29 Mar. 2020, walpolestudentmedianetwork.com/76369/opinion/society-needs-to-stop-sexualizing-female-clothing/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.

“The Sexualizing Nature of Dress Codes.” Ivymoose.com, 7 Jan. 2021, ivymoose.com/essay-samples/the-sexualizing-nature-of-dress-codes. Accessed 5 Dec. 2021.