The rearless underwear comes in sizes for girls ages 10 to 16. The smallest size - a medium - appears small enough to fit an even younger girl. Parents say kid's thong is just plain wrong Clothier selling skimpy skivvies for girls 10 and older May 17, 2002 Calling it the "modern-day version of Underoos," a national clothing company is selling thong underwear in children's sizes - with the words "eye candy" and "wink wink" printed on the front. Abercrombie & Fitch, the same retailer that enraged parents last year with a summer catalog of teenage-looking models groping each other and in the nude, now offers several varieties of thongs at its Abercrombie stores, the division of the company for children 7 to 14 years old. "It's cute and fun and sweet," said Hampton Carney, spokesman for the company based in New Albany, Ohio. But some parents are far from tickled. In fact, they're outraged. "I think of myself as fairly hip, and I think it's just disgusting," said Julie McNamara, a 40-year-old mother from Whitefish Bay. The thongs, part of Abercrombie's summer line, sell for $7.50, or 3 for $15. Some have stripes, others are solid pink or blue. The solid-colored thongs have the words "eye candy" printed in a little pink heart and "wink wink" in a small green box. The rearless underwear comes in sizes for girls ages 10 to 16. The smallest size - a medium - appears small enough to fit an even younger girl. McNamara said she was livid when she stumbled upon the thongs while shopping for her three children at Bayshore Mall. She grabbed a pair and confronted a clerk at the register. "I said, 'Will you tell me what this is?' They said, 'I know, I know, you're the fourth one today,' " McNamara said. The flap over the thongs is not the first time that Abercrombie & Fitch has caused controversy for its edgy themes and designs. Last year, the company caught ire from parents over its quarterly catalog, which was filled with models who appeared to be college age or younger in the nude, kissing and fondling each other. The company defended its publication, calling it a celebration of a youthful and spirited yet responsible lifestyle.
