Kmart urged to make major change as Aussie mum slams 'shocking' problem: 'Going on for a really long time'

When you're a parent shopping for a toddler, there are particular requirements that you'll likely have for the items you purchase. They shouldn't be too expensive as they are likely to get trashed or quickly outgrown, they should be comfortable and allow for free play and, ideally, they should be cute and durable too.

Doesn't sound like too much to ask, right? Well, several Aussie parents are finding that it is, in fact, really tricky to find kids' clothes that tick these boxes - particularly when shopping at popular retailers like Kmart.

Melbourne mum Elli Tamar has spoken out about a major issue with the girls' selection at her local Kmart, noting that many of the items on offer are simply not appropriate for little girls. Take, for example, the "disco booty shorts" she found at her local store.

Mum says Kmart girls' clothes are 'shocking'

The mother-of-two told Yahoo Lifestyle that while some retailers are better than others when it comes to toddler and kids clothing, "Kmart seems to be the worst".

"They have excellent baby and adult clothing," Ellis says. "However, the toddler and children's department is really shocking."

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It's a sentiment she has also shared on her social media, where she has demonstrated the noticeable difference between the girls' and boys' clothing.

"I honestly don't think the suggestiveness of the girls' clothes is something that we're making up because look at this," she says in one video as she compares shorts. "These are the girls' board shorts compared to the boys' ones, now they're both a size 2, which is for a toddler. Girls' shorts always end basically at the crotch, and the boys' ones go to mid-thigh."

'A tricky problem'

In a different video, she holds up a tiny pair of silver girl's shorts, saying: "I'm gonna buy some summer clothes for my toddler and come and check this out. What the f*ck is this? What two-year-old is wearing disco booty shorts? Her butt cheek will actually be hanging out of these ones.

"The crotch is longer than the shorts. Not even kidding, but I'm having to buy the boys' shorts just to make them decent for a child."

"It's a tricky problem because firstly, I'm shopping a lot of the time for clothing that my toddlers will wear to daycare," Elli told Yahoo Lifestyle. "So the cost is important because those clothes easily go missing and you need lots of spare changes. There are lots of retailers with excellent options for kids, but it's not at an affordable price point for many people. As much as I love Kmart, I've had to shift to other retailers like Big W, who often have better options. I do still have to buy from the 'boys' section for my daughter often."

Elli's videos on TikTok and Instagram were met with hundreds of comments, with the majority of parents agreeing with her.

Shoppers ask Kmart to do better

"Kmart really needs to do better. Each spring/summer the shorts seem to just get shorter🤮 they at least had some longer bike shorts this season but the quality isn’t great," one person wrote.

"How on earth can a baby in nappies even wear that?! @kmartaus do better! Our girls deserve it!" said another.

"@kmartaus please show better corporate and social responsibility than this. This sort of clothing for small girls is just gross. Please stop," yet another shopper added.

However, there were some who accused Elli of making a big deal out of nothing and even suggested that SHE was the one sexualising the clothing.

"Every parent is free to make their own decisions," Elli says in response to the criticism. "The few images of those shorts on an actual child model were of an older child who was not in a nappy. This range is size 1-4 and most kids in that size would likely still be in a nappy, and the nappy would absolutely be visible at that length."

About more than just one pair of shorts

"However, this conversation goes beyond that one pair of shorts," she continues. "The shorter lengths and tighter fit of the clothing in the toddler girl section has been problematic for a while."

Aside from being inappropriate, Elli points out there are other issues with the clothing available for toddler girls.

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"Comfort is so important!" she says. "My daughter is 2, and I want her to be able to walk, run, jump and move freely in clothing that allows her to do so. Two-year-olds have similar body shapes, regardless of gender - so why is the clothing cut so different?"

Elli says that she has not yet had a response from the budget retailer about her issues.

"I haven't heard anything from Kmart directly or seen them respond to any of the videos," she told us. "I don't anticipate a response either as many people have commented that this issue has been going on for a really long time."

Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to Kmart Australia for comment.

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