Fast fashion giant SHEIN under fire for 'sexy' toddler clothes – including crop tops and mini skirts

Fast fashion giant SHEIN is under fire for selling 'sexy' clothes and padded bikinis for girls aged six months.

The Chinese retailer has become a top shopping destination for many in recent years, selling items at incredibly cheap prices and shipping to more than 150 countries.

However, parents have targeted the producer for its children's range, with dresses and swimwear that some consider inappropriate.

A €7.49 teal velvet dress, with a sweetheart neckline, bodycon fit and ruffles, can be purchased for girls aged eight to 12.

The young model on the website leans against a table with her chest pushed forward suggestively.

Meanwhile, a £5.49 figure-hugging sequin dress, with one shoulder detail and a bright pink shade, is available for girls aged six months to three years.

And a range of padded bikinis are also being marketed for girls of the same age.

These designs feature vibrant color schemes, playful motifs, ruffles and cutouts that give the impression that they are intended for adults.

Some child models have complemented their outfits with heart-shaped sunglasses and a coconut in hand.

One amazed American shopper, who goes by the handle @Cathyrn24 on TikTok, shared screenshots from the SHEIN website and explained: 'I was just looking through SHEIN toddler dresses and I can't believe these are even an option.

'One review was 'sexy and cute' – that's a literal child.'

The brand offers its youngest customers countless mini dresses, with a plunging neckline and plenty of leg room.

Cathyrn continued, “Disbelief that parents are actually buying this for their children.”

The selection of figure-hugging clothes on display included a Fuzzy Trim Bow Front halter dress, priced at £5.49, which was reminiscent of the racy Christmas outfits worn during the Jingle Bell Rock scene in the 2004 film Mean Girls .

The Chinese company, which is valued at around £53 billion, has gained global recognition and acquired many of its rivals, including Missguided, in October last year.

It is currently the eleventh largest clothing retailer in Britain and is expected to rise to sixth place by 2027.

Other items in the childrenswear range include a figure-hugging one-shoulder dress with ruffled edges, £5.99, a puff-sleeved belted dress with houndstooth print, £9.49, and a Barbie-esque one-shoulder sequin lantern sleeve dress, £5.49 – all available for girls aged six months to three years.

There are also some scarce sets on sale, such as the Cold Shoulder Shirred Ruffle Hem Top & Skirt, £7.99, and Twist Front Tank Top & Button Detail Split Hem Skirt, £6.99, offered for girls from a young age. like four.

SHEIN dominates online clothing shopping and has surpassed rivals Zara and H&M into the top spot.

The brand releases more than 6,000 new products on its website every day, usually costing less than £10 each.

Using teams of designers and complex algorithms that look for micro-trends on social media, it can have new styles on sale in less than a week.

Founded by Xu Yangtian in 2008, the company is affiliated with a number of celebrities, including Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Hailey Bieber and Khloe Kardashian.

However, this is not the first time that the clothing giant has come under fire.

Last December the company pledged to invest £12 million in improving standards at its suppliers' factories after admitting working hours at two sites broke rules.

The group said an independent investigation, launched after allegations of labor abuse in a Channel 4 documentary, had revealed that workers at two of its Chinese sites were working longer hours than allowed under local regulations.

In January, Uniqlo announced it was suing controversial Chinese fast fashion retailer SHEIN over claims it was selling fake imitations of its shoulder bag.

Since its unveiling in April 2022, Uniqlo's popular round mini shoulder bag has been featured in viral videos on social media for its surprisingly large capacity.

As such, it has been compared to the infinitely large magic carpet bag worn by Mary Poppins in the 1964 film of the same name.

While the Uniqlo bag retails for £14.90, very similar bags are listed on SHEIN for £5.

Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retail said on Tuesday that a petition was filed in a Tokyo court on December 28 against SHEIN Japan and two of its subsidiaries.

In justifying its complaint, Fast Retailing said that the “imitation products that SHEIN sells are very similar to its own product.”

A spokesperson for SHEIN said the company “respects the intellectual property rights of others and takes all claims of infringement seriously.” We are currently investigating this matter.”