Kiddie thongs trigger protest against retailer

Associated Press

NEW ALBANY, Ohio — Abercrombie &Fitch, frequently criticized for its sexually suggestive catalog, is under attack for selling children’s thong underwear with the words "eye candy" and "wink wink" printed on the front.

The group behind the latest protest against the company says its members are being told the underwear has been pulled from shelves. The company says that isn’t true.

"I spoke to them and they told me they pulled it," Randy Sharp, a spokesman for the American Family Association in Tupelo, Miss., said Thursday.

Members of OneMillionMoms.com and OneMillionDads.com, a project of the association, were asked to send e-mails to the company on Tuesday to protest the sale of the underwear. Sharp said 7,000 e-mails were sent within two hours and members then began to call the company.

Lorenzo Demiranda, a spokesman for Abercrombie in New York, said he had no information that the stores had pulled the thongs from their shelves.

Meanwhile, American Decency Association, a nonprofit Christian organization, said it sent an e-mail to its supporters informing them of the retailer’s latest marketing campaign, and called for a boycott of the company’s merchandise.

Abercrombie &Fitch, based in this suburb of Columbus, has defended the sale of the underwear, designed for girls age 10 and older. The underwear was part of the spring and summer line.

"The underwear for young girls was created with the intent to be lighthearted and cute," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "Any misrepresentation of that is purely in the eye of the beholder."

Sharp disagreed.

"They’re using perversion to put money in their pockets, and that is wrong," he said.

It is the latest controversy involving the company.

Its quarterly catalog has come under fire from women’s organizations, politicians and family groups because of young, barely clad models in sexually suggestive poses and some of its stories, which have included an interview with a porn star.

Abercrombie &Fitch recalled a 1998 catalog after anti-drunken driving groups objected to a two-page article called "Drinking 101" that gave directions for "creative drinking."

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

Lake Stevens Sewer District wastewater treatment plant. (Lake Stevens Sewer District)
Lake Stevens sewer district trial delayed until April

The dispute began in 2021 and centers around when the city can take over the district.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

A salmon carcass lays across willow branches in Edgecomb Creek on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tribes: State fish passage projects knock down barriers for local efforts

Court-ordered projects have sparked collaboration for salmon habitat restoration

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council approves $111 million construction of sewer project

The Port Gardner Storage Facility, in the works for more than a decade, will help prevent overflows of the city sewer system.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.