News outlets and social media erupted in criticism on Sept. 15 when people discovered that Urban Outfitters released a bloodstained Kent State sweatshirt in stores, which was a distasteful reference to the Kent State University shootings in 1970.

But the bloodstained “vintage” sweater isn’t the only disrespectful merchandise Urban Outfitters has tried to sell.  The store, which sells high-price clothing, furniture, and accessories, caters most of its merchandise to young millennials. And more recently, is known for its reputation with controversial products.

Urban Outfitters is trying to appeal to the Generation Y in the wrong way. There’s a fine line between edgy clothing and selling insensitive merchandise. Although the company has a right to sell whatever it wants, if Urban Outfitters wants to continue to be a popular store among our generation, it needs to stop producing merchandise our generation would be ashamed to buy.

For example, in April 2012, the store sold a shirt with what looked like the Star of David, resembling the star Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

Back in 2010, Urban Outfitters also sold a shirt with the words “Eat Less” on it.  Anorexia is an extremely serious eating disorder, especially among adolescents, where according to National Eating Disorders Association, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a diagnosed eating disorder at some point in their lives. Selling a shirt that says, “Eat Less,” is not only extremely insensitive, but it also glamorizes a disease that affects millions of people.

The company tried to glamorize another disorder when it sold a crop top with the word “depression” printed multiple times on it this past January. Urban Outfitters received criticism for glorifying depression and trying to make mental illness into a fashion statement.

And in 2010, Urban Outfitters had a T-shirt available in the color “Obama/Black.”

The only item Urban Outfitters seemed to regret was a shirt that said “I support same-sex marriage”, which it pulled from shelves after only a week in 2008, according to a Sept. 15 The Week article.

So far, Urban Outfitters has succeeded in offending a lot of people. How many more news coverages on the company’s controversial and insensitive products will it take for it to realize something is not right?  The hipster-styled clothing may reflect the trends of our generation, but the company’s actions certainly do not. If Urban Outfitters continues to illustrate its true offensive colors, millennials may no longer want to shop at the store.  This is especially the case since, according to a Crain’s Chicago Business March 25 article, four out of five young adults said they are more inclined to buy from a company that supports a cause they care about.

Urban Outfitters may be selling fashionable and trendy clothing most of the time, but if the store continues to disregard its customers’ values and sell offensive products, millennials may take this store off of their shopping list.

Tamara Rasamny is an international relations and newspaper and online journalism dual major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at twrasamn@syr.edu.

Published on October 1, 2014 at 12:23 am