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Mum defends daughter's Kmart overalls amid outrage

A mum from Adelaide has jumped to her eight-year-old daughter’s defence after a Facebook user said that she was ‘too young’ to be ‘baring her body’ in an off-the-shoulder top and denim overalls from Kmart.

Jessica tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the woman’s comments on a photo she shared of her girl’s ‘fabulous’ outfit rattled her and made her question her parenting choices.

A mum has been forced to defend her daughter's clothing choices amid outrage online. Photo: supplied.
A mum has been forced to defend her daughter's clothing choices amid outrage online. Photo: supplied.

“I personally was offended as she made me feel like I was making my child dress provocatively which I wasn’t,” she says.

“My daughter is nine tomorrow and loves to pick her own clothes which I think is great,” she adds.

Jessica explains that both of the items her daughter was wearing were in her size and were intended for children her age.

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One Facebook user said that the girl was 'too young' to be dressed in the outfit. Photo: supplied.
One Facebook user said that the girl was 'too young' to be dressed in the outfit. Photo: supplied.

Backlash over overalls

The backlash occurred after Jessica posted a sweet photo of her daughter to a Facebook group for Kmart fans.

“How a pair of Kmart overalls can just make a outfit look fabulous. Loving these on my 8 year old,” the proud mum wrote.

While many of the comments from fellow group members were complimentary, one woman was moved to share her disapproval of the young girl’s wardrobe choices.

“This sweet girl is way to [sic] young to be dressed like this,” she wrote.

Her opinion sparked a flurry of fiery responses from other Facebook users who challenged her conservative view, arguing that the girl ‘shouldn’t be judged’ on the basis of what she chose to wear or how much skin she had on show.

Other Facebook users leapt to the mum's defence. Photo: supplied.
Other Facebook users leapt to the mum's defence. Photo: supplied.

“Omg you are kidding right? She looks great and it is not inappropriate at all. You need to pull your head out of the dark ages,” replied one.

“Her mum has dressed her very lovely. She shouldn’t be judged because you can see her arms and legs,” added another.

‘Too young’

The woman, who claimed to be a youth worker, defended her position by saying that the eight-year-old would have the opportunity to ‘bare her body’ when she grows up.

“I am a youth worker and I have seen it all with kids. Just let her be a little girl she will have plenty of time in her adult life to bear [sic] her body,” she wrote.

She doubled down on her comment by writing elsewhere, “She is too young to be bearing [sic] any part of her little body.”

One commenter said they'd 'seen babies in similar outfits'. Photo: supplied.
One commenter said they'd 'seen babies in similar outfits'. Photo: supplied.

One Facebook user argued that overalls or dungarees are considered acceptable for children far younger than Jessica’s daughter.

“What? In overalls? Hahah I’ve seen BABIES in similar outfits to this! I don’t understand...” they wrote.

Jessica tells Yahoo Lifestyle that finding out that the woman was supposedly a youth worker made her ‘second guess’ her decision to allow her daughter to wear the outfit in the first place.

“As a youth worker, her comment made me feel even worse because it made me second guess myself.

“I thought that if that’s a professional saying that then it must not be ok.”

The response from the remainder of the Facebook community, however, made Jessica ‘feel a lot better’ and reassured her that the clothing was not ‘sexually provocative’.

“Another youth worker commented and said there isn’t anything wrong with the outfit,” she says.

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