Charlize Theron has come under fire for letting her son wear a dress.

The youngster walked beside his mother in a red striped dress, a pair of flip flops and a blue cap with a blonde braided wig poking out the bottom.

Just minutes after the pictures hit the internet, fans took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at the star's decision to let her son wear a wig out in public.

One user, who goes by the handle MadamSophie88, said: "Why did Charlize Theron have her little 5 year old boy in a dress and wig? He's too young to know what a transgender is. She's confusing him."

Another - lesboja1978 - screen grabbed the picture from another website and posted it to her social networking site alongside the comment: "Who think this is ok?? Why?? What kind of mother are you??@CharlizeAfrica."

And Brendan Liam wrote: "@CharlizeAfrica treating your son like some object to make a political sign with.... narcissism at its finest. (sic)"

However, not everyone was against Charlize's decision as some people jumped to the blonde beauty's defence and praised her for letting the little one wear what he wants.

Fan_zolarmoon wrote: "Everyone's upset wit Charlize Theron for letting her adopted son wear wigs/dresses.. let them live. (sic)"

Charlize also has adopted daughter August.