A mother was shocked to discover just how short the shorts intended for little girls were while shopping for her two-year-old daughter.
Elli Tamar filmed some items from the girls' section at Kmart in Australia, sharing the video with the caption, "I just want shorts that look like real shorts and not underwear."
The mother of two first held up a pair of $15 silver "booty" shorts.
Highlights
- A mother was outraged by the length of girls' shorts sold at Kmart in Australia.
- Elli Tamar decided to buy her two-year-old daughter a pair of shorts designed for boys instead.
- Criticism highlighted the societal issue of the early sexualization of women through fashion.
"What the f*** is this? What two-year-old is wearing disco booty shorts? Her butt cheeks will actually be hanging out of these," Elli complained.
She then filmed some denim shorts on the rack before focusing her attention on a color-blocked pair.
Image credits: Anthony Questa
Elli then showed a pair of denim shorts she picked up from the boys' section. "Not even kidding. I'm having to buy boys' shorts just to make them decent for a child."
Her video quickly went viral, garnering over half a million views and 45,000 likes since she shared it last Friday (October 11).
"Thank you for saying something. I hope Kmart sees this and makes a change," one woman commented.
"I agree, struggling so much to find appropriate summer clothing for my daughter this year because everything is so short," another mom said.
Elli Tamar filmed a pair of "disco booty shorts" for 2-year-olds that specifically caught her attention
Image credits: ellitamar
Image credits: ellitamar
"I noticed this the other day!!! I went to get my little girl some summer clothes and was disgusted!" wrote a third user.
"I gasped when I saw the shorts irl. Totally unacceptable," a separate commenter added.
Other mothers shared that they also shop for shorts designed for boys. "We buy from the boys section for our 4-year-old too. Girls shorts are ridiculous in length!!"
However, some accused the mom of sexualizing the clothing. "They don't fit as short as they look. The fact that you're sexualizing them is a bit sad."
"Probably the scariest part is the parents who defend this kind of insanity like it's the people who highlight it that are 'sexualizing' children," another said in response to the claim.
"The crotch is longer than the shorts," the Australian mom commented on a different pair
Image credits: ellitamar
Image credits: ellitamar
Elli herself responded to the accusations by comparing the length of a pair of girls' board shorts with a boys' pair in the same size (2).
"Girl shorts always end at the crotch, and the boy's ones are mid-thigh. The same goes for the denim section, and it doesn't make any sense considering we're shopping for toddlers, not teenagers."
Her videos come after another Australian mother, Althea, fumed over the length of shorts intended for little girls compared to those designed for young boys at Kmart.
"I hate this. Why do we make them this short for girls?" she asked in a video that received over 80,000 likes.
Just like Elli, Althea left the store with a pair of boys' cargo shorts "because her nappy would literally hang out of these."
In the end, she purchased a pair of shorts designed for boys that she found "decent for a child"
Image credits: ellitamar
The 26-year-old later revealed that she bought the shorts because she needed "something quick," but her daughter ended up disliking them and expressed a preference for another pair with flowers.
Althea believes the difference in length between the shorts highlights the sexualization of women from an early age in society.
"A key takeaway for me is that women and girls are sexualized from the moment they enter the world. It's not just Kmart and these shorts. It's the crop tops, and it's the 'cheeky' cut swimwear," she told news.com.au.
For the mom, the issue is not only evident in the length but also in the design of clothing intended for boys and girls.
"It's a problem that runs far deeper than short shorts. It's the fact that young girls' clothes are always decorated with the hunted animals: unicorns, rabbits.
"Then the boys' clothes are the hunter dinosaurs, lions, etc. Perpetuating the idea that girls and women are helpless and weak, and boys and men are aggressive and strong."
Bored Panda has contacted Kmart for comment.
"Absolutely insane. I have the same frustration," another mom shared
