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Surely, it is appropriate for a parent to guide and channel that desire. But Yoffe does not condemn parents for buying clothing that they deem inappropriate for their children; she condemns clothiers for selling clothing that she deems inappropriate for her daughter and, therefore, for all girls in her daughter's age range. I don't question whether or not parents should have the leeway to raise their daughters with their own standards of acceptable clothing; instead, I question whether or not it is fair to take the clothing industry to task for not self-censoring - despite obvious demand that just so happens to correspond to proven physiological phenomenon - based on Yoffe's personal opinion of what constitutes appropriate clothing for a "tween" girl.

And as a short, flat-chested, narrow-hipped but large-stomached twenty-six year old woman, I would argue that the fashion industry frequently ignores variations in the body shape and tastes of its customer base. Not all grown women like low-cut shirts, not all women like to bare their midriffs, not all grown women like low-rise pants, not all grown women like tight clothing, not all of us look good in those styles. There are many grown women out there who hate that it's so difficult to find shirts that hide their stomachs, or pants that don't reveal their underwear.

So why should it be that way for twelve year old girls? Sure, puberty might be occurring sooner now than it was fifty years ago, but that doesn't mean that all adolescent girls want to look like Britney Spears. Yoffe's daughter sure didn't. When I was going through puberty, I certainly did not want to draw any male attention towards myself. I was the nerdy kid who had no interest in fashion. Underwired bras and high heeled shoes seemed like torture devices to me, and to this day I shun them both.

Is it too much to ask for the fashion industry to recognize that everyone isn't the same? You'd think they'd clue in after all these years of customers complaining that they don't want their underpants hanging out of their trousers.