Mom calls out companies selling padded bras for 6-year-olds but people are divided

The sexualization of young girls is an ongoing problem that the world has more or less turned a blind eye to. By doing so, we also conveniently ignore the myriad of problems they raise for the children: the negative impact to their cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, stifling societal pressures, perpetuating sexualized violence, etc. One mom decided to call out this troubling pattern when she came across a section of padded undergarments that went as small as a size 6X. Angela Turner Fellars was shopping at Nordstrom when she saw the concerning sight and snapped photos of the Calvin Klein bras that would make the wearer look like they have fully formed breasts.

Sharing the photographs on Facebook, Fellars called out both Nordstrom and Calvin Klein for pushing such bras on young girls. "These are padded bras for SIX YEAR OLDS -- WTAF, Nordstrom & Calvin Klein?" she asked in a post that has gained a lot of attention. While most shared Fellars' horror that a company would make padded bras aimed at children, others seemed to be of the opinion that there's nothing wrong with offering different options. "Sick! They should arrested for sexual exploitation of minors. A six year old with a padded chest. What next? I’m afraid to suggest a possibility," commented Ron Johnson.

"I've got an 11-year-old that her momma and grandmother's buy her padded bras AND underwire! Absolutely ridiculous! She doesn't even have mosquito bites yet! So when I wash them. I take the padding out and give them back to her. You're 11 yrs old... not 25," wrote Ashley N Jason. "Wait until you find the push-up bras. I nearly lost my mind trying to find decent bras for the kids," commented Tammy York. "I bought A her first non-sports bras last night, basically double layers of cotton with a stretchy band because we've reached the start of this thing at 9 and I was also traumatized by the LACY BRAS WITH BOWS AND SHIT FOR 6/6X," wrote Erica Faith. "I even talked to Aerianna about it as we looked at which ones she wanted to pick out and she commented that those look like grown up women's bras."

Meanwhile, Facebook user Sarah Hagarty pointed out that companies might be catering to the changing physique of kids these days. "Crazy. Sadly though the median onset of puberty has gotten much younger over the past several decades," Hagarty commented. However, as many others pointed out, this would merely warrant the need for training bras with liners and not hypersexualized child-sized bras with molded, padded cups. Yet, many defended the product being padded, claiming it was likely only for modesty and not another example of how society loves sexualizing young girls.

"The pads in these aren't meant to enhance, but to hide. I remember being young and having just a thin cotton trainer. It can be embarrassing when other kiddos point out when things get a bit nipply," commented Christy Daugherty while Niki Meganck wrote: "Soooo, I get where you're coming from, but I see it differently. I was super small - like, end-of-picture-line small. I didn't need to wear a bra, so I wore sports bras just to be covered (and still only wear bralettes, because it's incredibly hard to find bras for my teeny ribcage). This size would've fit me when I was much older than six and I would've been happy to wear them. I wore those same liners in my bathing suits around the age of 10 and loved that my little nips didn't show. These would've been awesome. Just wanting to give a little perspective. The liners are optional, so no worries if a child doesn't need them." What is your take on this? Are six-year-olds too old for such padded bras or not?