H&M gets flak for girls' shorts that are too sexy

Slimfit and skinnyfit jeans, tight and skimpy shorts that just cover the butt - to each one their own, one may think, but this is not fashion for adults we are talking about, but for children. Girls aged 8 to 14 fare especially badly at Swedish fashion brand H&M. If they want thigh- or even knee-length shorts, they have to shop in the boys' department. Parents have had enough and currently air their frustration.

"What is the difference between a girl and a boy who are both nine years old?", asks Åsa Enquist, an outraged mother, when talking to Swedish daily Expressen. She wanted to buy shorts for her daughter, but turned away from the H&M website. She thinks that clothes should be age-appropriate and that too much naked skin is a no-no.

Enquist looked at H&Ms 30+ models of girls' shorts and found them all inappropriate. "Not a single one of them covered at least half the thigh. Then I looked into the boys' department and almost all shorts were really long. When my daughter bends forward in the girls' shorts, you can see half of her butt. And when she lifts her leg, half of her butt cheek peeks out," Enquist complained on Facebook.

Even in the jeans department, girls do not fare any better - instead of comfortable jeans for everyday wear, the only choice is between super tight ('skinnyfit') and tight ('slimfit') at H&M. "Why is the term 'skinny' and 'slim' used in the children's department?", asks Lina Svensson, mother of an eight-year-old daughter who is already worried about her weight. "That's sad," she says.

H&M did not ignore the complaints. "We try not to sell children's clothes that can be considered offensive," said press officer Iñigo Sáenz Maestre from Copenhagen after the Expressen inquired. In addition, the company claims it always wants to create fashionable and comfortable items for boys and girls. "It is important for us that our collections for children are fashionable and practical. When we create new children's clothing, we want to offer a wide range of sizes and styles that fit the daily activities of children, both boys and girls," the company said in a written statement.

Even the British website of H&M does not look any better - whether jeans dungarees or cotton shorts, except for one pair, all are short. At least for girls. Not to even mention the frills and too much pink. Parents who want to buy their children comfortable play clothes at H&M seem to find them only in the boys' section - here, shorts are sufficiently long (knee-length or above) and offered in neutral colors. Though jeans are also mostly 'skinny' and 'slim', there is at least a 'relaxed' fit as well. Reason enough for 37-year-old Delea Shand to ask for a boycott on the British H&M Facebook page after she tried to find age-appropriate shorts for her 5-year-old daughter and failed.

Fast fashion chain H&M is certainly not alone when it comes to offering gender-specific children's clothes. In fact, it is virtually impossible nowadays to find gender-neutral clothing especially for older children. But as one of the largest fashion companies in the world, H&M has the necessary reach to influence what parents buy for their children and could be a positive role mole. Now if only someone would listen to the parents.

Photos: H&M UK Website