'If you buy Shein for your tween, you're a bad parent'

A mum has slammed the ultra-budget website for targeting kids with 'inappropriate attire' that 'sexualises' them. But not every parent agrees. 

A mum of two has gone on a rant after discovering the clothes that are being targeted at tweens by budget fashion retailer, Shein.

Despite not having tweens yet herself - her girls are three and six - Lynsey Hope says she's seen 'inappropriate clothes' advertised to girls as young as eight.

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Image: Shein

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"These styles should only be seen on adult women"

From padded bikini tops to revealing party dresses and mini skirts, Lynsey believes that all these items of clothing are "tasteless" and "crass" and should be reserved for adults.

"The girls modelling many of the 'tween' clothes, which appear to cover the age group of eight to 14, are wearing styles which should only be seen on adult women, often showing midriff and loads of leg," she said, via The Sun.

And according to Hope, these outfits are only made worse by the child models' provocative poses. 

"There’s a girl who looks about six pouting and popping her leg, another twiddling her hair, and tweens with hands on hips, cocking their heads," she said.

"The idea of my little ones posing like that makes me shudder."

Hope says she stumbled across the clothing this week while browsing the site, and has since been targeted by ads on her social media, something that makes her "queasy."

She concludes her rant by slamming Shein for commercialising  the "sexualisation of kids" and "making children grow up so fast."

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"It's up to the parent"

So, what do people think of her opinion? Is Shein in the wrong, or is it up to parents to decide what's appropriate for their own kids?

Over on social media, one mum simply stated, "I'm not a bad parent, I'm just broke."

Another shared, "It's up to me as a mother to choose clothes for my daughter, so if I choose non-suitable clothing then it's my fault, not Shein's fault."

And many others said they've found loads of age-appropriate items on there.

"I dress my kid for church from Shein. You just gotta look deeper," said one.

"I buy my kids clothes from Shein all the time and they always get compliments and they're all very modest outfits," wrote someone else. 

But on the other hand, some parents sided with Lynsey, with one saying, "I agree that green dress is for a child, I even own it!"

Another wrote, "I've noticed this trend too. Glad I'm not the only one."

And finally, there was this assessment: "This will just attract bad attention. Why would you want your child in that?"

Originally published as 'If you buy Shein for your tween, you're a bad parent'