When mum Kayleigh Shore found a child’s SHEIN swimsuit with built-in breast pads, she was horrified – and has launched an online petition to ensure it never happens again
Fast-fashion retailer SHEIN has come under fire from a horrified mum for selling children’s swimming costumes with built-in padded breast cups. Kayleigh Shore says the swimwear sends a dangerous message to young girls that their natural flat chests are something to be hidden or changed. She has now launched an online petition for the company to remove all padded bra inserts from children’s clothing lines and check their kids ranges to make sure everything is age appropriate.
Kayleigh was browsing in a charity shop with her seven-year-old daughter Penny when she spotted the swimsuit – labelled aged eight – with padding inserted in the chest area. Kayleigh, from Manchester, says: “Rummaging through the rails of our local charity shop is one of our favourite things to do together.
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“I was going through the rails to look for stuff for her as she had had a growth spurt, so I was looking for potential clothes for her. My daughter was just ahead of me when I spotted a Shein swimming costume, labelled age eight, with padded, cupped breast cups built into the lining.
“The fact that my daughter was with me and it was an item aimed at her age struck so much of a chord. Who would put a child in this item? I stood there holding it, and I felt sick. Whoever designed this garment looked at a child’s body and decided it needed shaping, padding, adult contours. My daughter is seven years old. She doesn’t need a padded bra, no child does.
“SHEIN may argue that such items provide modesty or coverage, but I disagree. A plain, comfortable swimsuit provides coverage. Structured breast cups provide something else entirely – they tell a young girl that her flat chest is something to be concealed, augmented, made to look different. That message does damage.”
When Kayleigh went home, she checked the SHEIN website and says she found lots of similar items on sale. She says: “It is unacceptable even if it was a one-off, but on the site the majority of swimsuits for young girls have got padding in. I agree that all kids grow at different rates and to have modesty is important – but you can have it as thicker fabric, it doesn’t have to be a padded breast cup like for an adult push-up bra.”
SHEIN is the world’s largest fast fashion retailer, shipping billions of items every year. And Kayleigh believes its global impact means it has the power to spread a more positive message to children about body image. Her petition has already reached more than 25,000 signatures in a matter of days – and she is hoping thousands more will sign in a bid to make SHEIN sit up and take notice.
Kayleigh, who is a specialist in kids’ sustainable fashion, says: “I felt so strongly about it, and a few people said why bother? Nobody is going to do anything? But if nobody says anything nothing will get changed. But I have had a big response from other parents who have been horrified like me, it has really taken off. My daughter didn’t see what I found that day. But other children are wearing these clothes right now. Every name on this petition tells SHEIN that parents are watching, and we will not let this pass quietly.
Body Image Campaigner Molly Forbes, of The Body Happy Organisation, backed Kayleigh’s campaign saying: “This is a deeply concerning trend with the potential to perpetuate body image issues in an already vulnerable age group.
“Evidence shows children as young as three have already absorbed messaging about what a “good” and “bad” body looks like. This messaging comes from everywhere – the conversations they overhear from the adults in their lives, media, books, and increasingly, fashion and beauty brands looking to capitalise on a younger market.
“More than half of children and young people feel bad about their body, and this has huge implications for their education and health outcomes, not to mention their broader quality of life. Young girls are particularly vulnerable, living in a world that increasingly teaches them their bodies exist to be looked at rather than lived in – and this type of clothing alteration only adds to that noise.
“We would urge all fashion retailers to think carefully about the power they hold over children’s body image, and to use that power for good.” Kayleigh says after her shocking charity shop find, she did look at other high street retailers like Next, M&S and H&M and didn’t find any similar products in their ‘tween’ ranges.
And she is urging SHEIN to follow suit. Kayleigh says: “It is hard to let a kid be a kid these days. There is a lot in the media about what kids are watching on TV, are they using social media, what are they eating. But there is not much chat about what we are dressing our kids in which I feel can be equally as damaging.”
A spokesperson at SHEIN said: “We treat the protection and wellbeing of children with the utmost seriousness and have clear policies in place. Padding in children’s swimwear can be a legitimate design feature, offering an additional layer of modesty and comfort.
“We will review any feedback provided and will take action if listings do not meet our standards. We welcome feedback from customers and encourage them to report any listing they find concerning so that we can review and act promptly.”
*You can sign Kayleigh’s petition here https://c.org/kF4kPHyjS
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