Padded Bikini Tops for Young Girls?

A trendy store for the younger crowd has ruffled some feathers lately. It seems they are now offering padded bikini tops for girls 8 - 14 years. My opinion on this is a little mixed. For one thing, a girl of 14 is a totally different animal than one of 8. They can't be grouped together like that. First, let's look at the 8-year-old girls.

Do we really want to rush the beast known as Puberty? I'd want my 8-year-old to look like one. Most parents feel the same way and this little clothing item will be another area they will have to go to battle with. Like they need another one. I know little girls are in a hurry to grow up, but wearing a padded top when there is obviously nothing there to begin with is pushing it a bit and would probably look ridiculous. They will spend the bigger portion of their lives wearing some type of bra and the day will come soon enough. I understand the word profit, but stores need to let children be children.

As for the 14-year-olds, I have no objection to a little padding. When jumping into cool water with some high beam action going on, I'd like to know there is something else between my daughter and the Spandex. And if a little padding makes them feel less self-conscious at that age, bring it on. Like I said, it's a good covering.

I guess my first reaction to this news was how glad I am that my own children are grown. But I do have granddaughters and I know their mothers will not adhere to a tacky fashion statement that is not age-appropriate. Let the girls play with their Barbie dolls instead of trying to turn them into one.