Forever 21 Maternity Line Debuts in States With High Teen Pregnancy Rates

NEW YORK (CBS) Fashion retailer Forever 21 has expanded its empire of inexpensive apparel by adding a maternity line.

The Los Angeles-based company's decision to sell stylish and affordable pregnancy wear may actually make sense for some, since most expecting mothers don't want to shed loads of cash on clothes they will wear for only a few months.

But the idea of selling maternity clothes in a store with a young target market is raising a few eyebrows.

The line, called Love 21 Maternity, includes moderately priced items like $8.80 jeans and $19.80 cardigans, and is currently available in Arizona, Alaska, California, Utah and Texas - five states with high rates of teen pregnancy, according to a January 2010 report prepared by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

The company's executive vice president, Larry Meyer, said in a statement, obtained by CNN, Monday that the maternity line is not marketed specifically to pregnant teenagers.

"Forever 21 did not create, design or distribute Love 21 Maternity to target, or appeal specifically to pregnant teens. Any relationship between teen pregnancy rates and the locations of our stores is unintentional," the statement said

Originally called Fashion 21, Forever 21 was founded in 1984 by South Korean immigrant Don Chang. His fast-growing, moderately priced clothing chain is known for replenishing merchandise quickly to keep up with ever-changing fashion trends. It attracts many under-21 customers.

So what do you, the parents of teens, think about this? Is it appropriate for Forever 21 to sell maternity clothes? You can keep the didscussion going in our comments section.