Forever 21 put out a jaw-droppingly terrible shirt for men that is guaranteed to make you shake your head. The shirt reads, “DON’T SAY MAYBE IF YOU WANT TO SAY NO.” Hm…Doesn’t that sound like a guy trying to make an excuse for why he sexually assaulted someone? It’s messages like this that are feeding the confusion about consent in our culture. The “yes means yes” definition of consent can be muddled when shirts like this are on the market.
Of course, a Forever 21 representative apologized for the shirt, saying that the clothing retailer “strives to exemplify the highest ethical standards and takes feedback and product concerns very seriously,” according to Refinery29.
According to the rep, Forever 21 has now removed the shirt from their website. “With regards to the T-shirt in question, upon receiving feedback from our customers, we took immediate action to have it removed from our website. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by the product,” the rep said.
Forever 21 certainly isn’t the first fast fashion store to put out an offensive product. Dolce & Gabbana released a pair of “slave sandals” just a couple weeks ago, and Urban Outfitters has a loooong history of pissing people off with seemingly completely thoughtless designs. It really makes you wonder who is giving all these products the green light. For now, let’s be thankful that this shirt is no longer for sale.