I realize that French women are known for being sensual and that the finest lingerie and some of the best fashions originate in France, but being unable to differentiate between adults and children seems to me another marker on the gradual loss of all morality in western society and it’s frankly disgusting.
I’ve written about this before, in an article appropriately titled Who buys this stuff for their kids? so perhaps I shouldn’t be shocked that it appears again, but I am.
A French lingerie company has launched a line of pre-teen lingerie called Jours Apres Lunes with the tag line “créateur loungerie enfant” which, if my rusty French doesn’t fail me, translates into “creative loungeware for children”. The company explains that middle word as “lingerie + loungeware” on its site, actually.
Here’s a pic:
To be fair, I’m sensitized to this living in the same city that gained renown for the mysterious death of creepy six year old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey and as the father of a 7yo daughter, I think it’s appalling that companies want to further sexualize little girls or even bring an awareness of their sexuaitly to them at what’s unquestionably (or is it?) too early an age?
It’s not just the concept that bugs me either, it’s also the imagery that the company shares. When Abercrombie and Fitch released a line of thong panties for teens, it received much negative feedback, but that was years ago. Have we decided it’s okay now?
Check out the image on the right: 
I think this not only pushes them into thinking of themselves as women (doesn’t the lower left photo in the above montage look like a young Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby?) but encourages the rest of society to see young girls as shorter, less developed, but no less sexually available than mature women. A scary prospect and if you are aware of the situation in countries like those in sub-Saharan Africa (and elsewhere on that continent) where men still believe that intercourse — often with a preteen — virgin girl can cure them of AIDS, well, suffice to say that we really don’t need to be projecting this image of young girls as sexually aware and, sometimes, seemingly available and interested too.
But what do you think? Would you buy lingerie/loungewear for your preteen so she can “look like mommy”, or would you — like me– prefer your little girl to wear a Hello Kitty or unicorn t-shirt and a comfy pair of shorts when she’s hanging out?
Yuck, I can’t think of anything worse to ‘lounge’ around in. Good old fasioned PJs will do for my girls 😛
that is a pedophiles heaven…ick.
AP Dad- just found your blog and am enjoying reading it.
As for “HEY JOURS APRE LUNES”- very well said. Looking at those images is truly nauseating. There is no question what the ads are selling.
As the mother of both a daughter AND a son, it reminds me to be vigilant about what they are exposed to. So that my children’s parents may influence their morals and values strongly enough that it counteracts this garbage.
You are right this is disgusting. I’ve heard of sleezy companies making trash like this. Not the kids mind you, the products these companies put them in are trash as are the companies themeselves, and this is one instance I am not recycling. I’m not a parent myself, but I still think that’s going way too far, even by French Standards. Even Walmart shoppers don’t have their infants, toddlers, and preteens shop looking like that, at least none that we’ve ever seen in ten years at my store, only the grown ups shop in underwear, and most of them them look even worse. If my store or the company were to ever start letting kids that young in looking anywhere near like that I’d quit my job, for as it is now they don’t care how shoppers dress as long as they buy something and as they’re not naked(their nudity views are loose as well),