Ten high street retailers have enforced a strict code to outlaw the sale of provocative and sexually-suggestive clothes for children in Ireland.
The shops have followed the ban by British retailers last year to promote practical, age-appropriate garments for youngsters.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said parents need to be empowered to prevent the sexualisation of children.
“Irish childhood has changed and continues to change. We all have a responsibility to make sure that those changes are positive for our children,” she said.
“Some things are not the same for adults and children. Never have been, never will be. This includes clothes with suggestive slogans, overtly sexual cuts and styles and unreal or unbalanced portrayals of an ‘ideal’ body image. The new guidelines recognise these differences.”
Retail Ireland, the organisation which represents the 10 stores, said the aim was for designers and fashion buyers to feel the impact of the guidelines, not consumers.
The 10 Retail Ireland members invited to sign up to the voluntary code are Arnotts, Brown Thomas, Clerys, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer, Next, Penneys, Tesco and TK Maxx.
Some of the leading retailers not linked to Retail Ireland have been invited to adopt the code, including Dunnes, H&M and Gap.
Until the guidelines were agreed some shops were freely selling padded bras, crop tops, t-shirts shaped like bras, hot pants, high heels and garments with provocative slogans or symbols in children’s sizes as young as five.
The new code, which aims to market clothes at parents and not children, will enforce rules for under 12s.
The code states that slogans and imagery must be age appropriate and not sexually suggestive, demeaning or derogatory while fabrics and cut should ensure modesty - brand names, humour and trademarks need to be carefully considered while sheer material is banned on bodices or skirts.
Children’s underwear should also be carefully designed to differentiate it from lingerie while swimwear should also ensure modesty, and should be age appropriate. Everyday footwear should be stable and supporting with heels no higher than 2.5 cm or one inch.
Elsewhere, it says that colours should be age appropriate and in keeping with the item of clothing - for example black is the wrong colour for a first bra - while child models should only be used within defined parameters such as little or no make-up and natural poses.
PA