When Did Outrage Become Trendy?

Six days into 2014 and Urban Outfitters already offended its target consumers! On January 6, 2014, the American fashion retailer pulled a cropped women’s t-shirt off its website because the shirt bared the word, Depression, in big bold black letters. As soon as the t-shirt appeared on the Urban Outfitters website, many consumers took to Twitter to express outrage at the company for selling a shirt that mocks a serious mental illness. While the design duo that made the t-shirt explained in an official statement that they were not trying to offend anyone with their merchandise, especially those dealing with depression, the shirt already made the news and the backlash further damaged Urban Outfitters’ reputation. Prior to the cropped shirt fiasco, Urban Outfitters was forced to remove a line of socks from its stores because it featured the image of the Hindu deity Ganesh on the ankles. One would think that they would learn their lesson in exercising a little more forethought into selling possibly insulting items after the 2003 Ghettopoly chaos.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Urban Outfitters, or any clothing retailer, has stepped on the toes of the “Political Correctness” police. In 2012, Adidas had to pull a pair of sneakers from the market because the straps around the ankles closely resembled shackles. In 2013, Abercrombie and Fitch had its share of controversy for its fat-shaming CEO, and J.C. Penney had the nerve to sell this t-shirt to seven year olds. One would think that the executives at these companies would exercise some semblance of tact when choosing their new merchandise. It’s unlikely that the company’s buyer would look at the item and question the statement that it’s making. It’s also unlikely that the same buyer would consider how the consumer will comprehend that statement. Chances are high that these companies’ PR departments have an entire folder full of apology press statements ready for release when their products upset the public.

This kind of controversy raises the issue of whether tact and sensitivity are part of the corporate social responsibility mandate. In the fashion industry, many retailers are often taken to task for using factories with substandard work conditions, wage and labour violations, and other illegalities. Brands make grand promises that they use Eco-friendly fabrics for their garments in order to appeal to and quiet the complaints from the environmentally-conscious demographic. Now shoppers are using social media to reach out to brands that have the nerve to put offensive clothing items on the market. Should it be the shopper’s responsibility to point out the retailer’s lack of tact and sensitivity? No, it shouldn’t and these retailers should know better than to use derogatory, narrow-minded, and distasteful statements to sell their stuff.

Retailers like Urban Outfitters and its underlings, Anthropolgie and Free People, often rely on controversy to make sales and garner free publicity. This brand aims its vintage-style, kitschy, and ironically humourous clothing and household products at youth shoppers, selling them overpriced items in the promise that it would make them look edgy, unique, and rebellious. However, wearing a t-shirt that offends, insults, degrades, mocks, and stereotypes is neither edgy, unique, or even rebellious. It’s tasteless to use clothing to make yourself look cool at the cost of degrading an entire race, religion, mental illness, eating disorder, gender, and so forth. Fashion will always be a tool in making powerful statements but using blatant shock value to sell a shirt will never be in style.