Urban Outfitters Controversy:
Rona Horowitz
The well know store Urban Outfitter’s is yet again in another controversy. While in the past they have printed t-shirts, which became a public concern, like the “Eat Less” t-shirt it seems to be becoming a reoccurring problem and escalating to new heights.
One shirt that is currently on the market is called “Auschwitz Chic”. Auschwitz, for those of you who do not know, was the largest concentration camp used during the Holocaust to imprison and kill the Jewish people. During this time the Natzis forced any Jewish person to wear a yellow star pined to their clothing. Many were also forced to have a number tattooed onto their forearm. By doing these things the Natzis and everyone else could easily identify if you as Jew. By doing these things it took away people’s identity. By doing these things Jewish people were labeled as less than everyone else.
Approximately six million Jewish people and five million others died in the Holocaust.
Now, Urban Outfitters is trying to make a profit from the acts that occurred during that time.
The “Auschwitz Chic” t-shirt is a mustard yellow color, almost identical to the color of the original star that was worn during the Holocaust. A blue, six-point star is printed on the left breast pocket and the shirt is priced at $100.
While Urban Outfitters has had controversies like this before, they continue to shock society and not in a good way. It makes you think twice about buying their clothing and contributing to the outrageous and potentially harmful messages the company is sending out into the public.
A petition was made in order to have the t-shirt taken down, and can be found here: http://www.change.org/petitions/urban-outfitters-remove-auschwitz-chic-t-shirt-from-stores-online
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Quinnipiac chapter.