The video: A Greeley, Colorado mom reacted in horror recently when she visited a new clothing store called Kid N Teen in the local mall, and spotted leopard-print, crotchless thong panties she said were sized to fit girls as young as 7 years old (watch a local news report below). "I was mortified," said Erin French said, who considers the item highly inappropriate for a store that also sells toddler clothing, furry stuffed animals, and princess costumes. "My first initial response was, 'Am I really seeing that?'" The owner defended herself by saying that 25 percent of her merchandise, including the racy undergarments, is intended for teens. But customers complained to mall management about the panties, and the owner of the store agreed to remove them from the shelves.
The reaction: "Holy triple inappropriate, Batman," says Meredith Carroll at Babble. It's questionable enough that places like Gap offer sequined hot pants for little girls, "but why on earth would a 7-year-old need panties without a crotch?" The owner's defense is not exactly reassuring, says Nicole Fabian-Weber at The Stir. Panties specifically designed to make it easier, and faster, to have sex "totally shouldn't be sold to gullible, impressionable teenagers," either. "It's wrong, it's revolting, and it pretty much encourages irresponsible sex. Fail." Have a look at a local TV station's report:
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