Outrage online as Kmart sells ‘inappropriate’ item for toddlers

“WTAF Kmart…do better.”

Image: Facebook @kmartmumsaustralia

Kmart has come under fire online after a mum shared a photo of a small pair of cut-off denim shorts hanging on a rack in-store, designed for babies and toddlers. 

The photo of the in-store clothing rack and the size one shorts that are being sold for just $12 was shared by a top contributor on a popular Kmart mum’s Facebook group and captioned: “WTAF Kmart... do better.”

The hundreds of comments on the now viral group post were mixed with many mums feeling similarly to the original poster.

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"I was taken aback"

“I saw these and I was a little taken aback,” wrote one mum.

“Not much upsets me but when they are making size 1-7 shorts for little girls that show arse cheek... I was a tad disgusted.”

Another added:“OMG what happened to the modesty for our young girls? Geez where's the rest of the fabric?”

“[I] held them up against my daughter for s***s and giggles. Honestly [they] could pass for underwear,” said a third.

One mum felt they would barely be acceptable for tweens and teens, let alone babies.

“My daughter is 10 and I have always bought most of her shorts from the boys section as the girls are disgustingly short,” one unhappy mum shared.

The shorts on the hanger vs on the child model. Image: Facebook @kmartmumsaustralia

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"Absolutely not!"

While many felt they were inappropriate, some also felt they just looked uncomfortable. 

“Absolutely not!” wrote one mum under the photo. Not only did she feel they were too short but that the denim would be “so uncomfortable for a toddler on a hot day in a nappy.”

Another added: “Uncomfortable hideous nappy covers, it’s a ‘no’ from me unfortunately.”

However, there were many users who did not all agree with the sentiment that these shorts were inappropriate for little girls, rather that the anger at the shorts was misplaced.

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"What the f**k is wrong with you all?"

“What the f**k is wrong with you all?” said one angry mum

“They are kids…. Not adults. Yes they are short… they are also for a small child who on a hot day walks around in swimmers… I mean at a year old my kids spent most of their time with just undies.

“The issue isn’t the clothes, it’s people like you making a deal over it when there is no need to.

“They are for sale and no one is forcing you to buy them.

“Honestly if this offends you, you have way too much time on your hands. They are a pair of SUMMER SHORTS!”

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"Calm down people"

A few mums appealed for calm as the discussion blew up, sharing that the shorts looked quite different online and in real life.

One mum said she had seen another post where a woman had bought the shorts by mistake,  but had been surprised by how they looked on her girl.

She wrote: “When she washed them and put them on her daughter they actually fitted perfectly and weren't short at all. [They were] just like normal shorts and nothing how they looked in the shop.”

Another added: “They don’t look as short as you are imagining once they are on. Just regular cut off shorts.

“Calm down people.”

Originally published as Outrage online as Kmart sells ‘inappropriate’ item for toddlers