31 October 2023 , 12:01
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There's such an innocence that comes with childhood, and when it comes to dressing little girls, parents will often opt for cutesy princess dresses, or something more practical like matching leggings and t-shirt sets.
What many mums are struggling to get their heads around is why fast fashion brand Shein, which offers many outfits for less than a tenner, is producing clothing that's more suited for clubbing days - for kids. One mum, known as @cathyrn_3 on TikTok, was so horrified that she took to the platform to show other parents the clothing designs, captioning the shocking video: "Disbelief parents are actually buying this for their kids", with two shocked face emojis. "Those outfits are for grown women."
Over the top of a picture of a ruched bodycon one-shoulder dress from the website, the mum wrote: "I was just looking through Shein toddler dresses and I can't believe these are even an option. One review was 'sexy and cute'. That's a literal child." The video then continued with a slideshow of inappropriate clothes that included knitted winter dresses that were skintight, bodycon dresses with cut-outs in the tummy area, one-shoulder bodycon dresses with ruffles on, and even a 'sexy Santa' style dress with white fur trim and a bow on it - akin to dresses normally seen in stores like Ann Summers.
Despite the fact that some of the outfits cost as little as £4, the mum wasn't pleased with what she saw, and found the clothing totally ridiculous for little ones to be wearing. However, on the forum Mumsnet, other parents praised the retailer, with one saying: "I've placed three orders over the last year and have been thrilled with it. Now there is a lot of tat on there and you really need to read the reviews and look at the photos that customers have uploaded but they do have some gems!"
Of course, there are more appropriate clothes for toddlers than the ones posted by the fuming mum, such as two-piece tracksuits, tutu dresses, and cute leggings - but parents may wish to steer away from the bodycon clothing for toddlers. And Shein isn't just selling unusual clothing for kids - they've also been criticised for selling a skimpy pair of denim shorts that resemble a thong, rather than something you'd wear out and about.
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The Mirror has contacted Shein for comment.