TheTrashiest Clothes Ever Designed for 11-Year-Olds

Emily Yoffe - Slate Writer for the Washington Post
Thursday, August 30, 2007; 2:00 PM

Push-up bras for girls too young to have anything to push up? Thong underwear marketed to prepubscents? Slate writer Emily Yoffe was online Thursday, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. ET to offer tips for avoiding the trashiest of tweener fashion, while not forcing your daughter to dress as a Harriet Miers Jr.

Here are just some of the questions ask:

Wisconsin: What is the right age to let my daughter start wearing thongs? She wants them now and she's 13. Does anyone else have this problem?

Emily Yoffe: Why would a 13-year-old want a thong? Does she want it to be seen in her low-rise jeans? I don't know what the right age for thongs is, but I'd say 13 isn't it.

If a parent has to ask that question, they have no business having children!!!

Takoma Park, Md.: Emily -- I love your columns. You're a hoot. Alas, I thought the era of prosti-tots would end quickly. How do these kids make it past dress code at school? Please tell me they still have dress codes!

Emily Yoffe: Thanks. I know my daughter's school does have a dress code -- the shorts or shirts have to be as long as the arms, and no skimpy tops.

I was told by a friend whose kids go to a celebrity-filled private school in Los Angeles that the administration sent out a letter asking the mothers to come to school events dressed more appropriately!

And people wonder why pre-teens dress like they do?? These people must be blind or are confined to a jail or are agoraphobic and do not watch television!!

I am so thankful I have no kids at home. I find it difficult enough to buy for my Granddaughter! While she doesn't go for the slutty clothes, she does go for things that have the camoflouge print. Some things look ok in this, others look too military for someone so young (12).

One thing she really wanted was a t-shirt with a silhouette of a man's head. Looked just like Che Guevara. I did my best to try to explain who he was and why she was not going to get the t-shirt. But being so young, all she new was that like the t-shirt. She did not get it! That was the only battle we have had about a choice in clothes.

When my daughter was in high school, she went to a Van Halen concert. She bought a souvenior t-shirt of their CD "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". The words were written one word under the other with the first letters in larger and bolder letters.

Come Monday morning, as she was getting ready to leave the house for school, she had that t-shirt on. I told her could not wear it to school. She argued with me that they did not care. I told her that I doubted that very seriously, but even if they did not care, I did and she was not going to wear it to school. An argument ensued, but she left the house with me holding the t-shirt.

For the remainder of her school days, before she could leave the house to go to school, she had to hand me the t-shirt. Otherwise, I knew she would take it to school and change into it.

Kids really do think their parents are naive!