The fast fashion clothing giant Zara has pulled a shirt from its store after customers criticized the children's shirt for resembling a Nazi concentration camp uniform.
The item in question is the retailer's $22 "Sheriff" shirt whose blue-and-white stripes and six-pointed gold Sheriff's badge look a lot like the outfits prisoners wore in concentration camps during World War II. Though the yellow badge has the word "SHERIFF" written across it, it has a very similar appearance and placement to the gold "Juden" stars that the Nazis forced Jews to wear.
Zara found itself in a Twitter firestorm on Aug. 27 as more and more people found the shirt offensive. The retailer seems to have responded to many of the complaints with the message, "We honestly apologize, it was inspired by the sheriff's stars from the Classic Western films and is no longer in our stores."
The shirt was only on sale for a few hours, and the "sales have been marginal," according to a statement on the controversy by Zara's parent company Inditex. It has since been removed from Zara stores and its websites.
Zara isn't the only major retailer to find itself in hot water over a piece of merchandise. Here are some of the biggest clothing controversies in recent years.
Swastikas embroidered on handbags at Zara
The latest Zara controversy isn't the first time the clothing chain has been accused of anti-Semitism. Back in 2007, the store removed a handbag that had green swastikas embroidered on it. The company explained that the bags had been made by a supplier in India and was inspired by commonly used ancient Hindu symbols, which resemble the swastika symbol.
J.C. Penney's sexist T-Shirt
In 2011, J.C. Penney sold a girls' T-shirt online that said, "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother has to do it for me." Many found this item sexist and said it promoted the stereotype that women's beauty is prized over their brains. A Change.org petition to get the retailer to pull the controversial shirt received more than 1,600 supporters, and the merchandise was removed soon after.
Adidas' shackle sneakers
The shoe company drew intense criticism for its plans to sell a sneaker with rubber shackles around the ankles in 2012. Many felt the shoes alluded to images of slavery, although the designer of the sneakers, Jeremy Scott, tweeted that his work is always inspired by cartoons, toys and his childhood. Adidas cancelled the release of the shoes.
H&M's feathered headdress
Last year, H&M removed a feathered headdress from its Canadian stores after aboriginal citizens complained that the item made a mockery of their traditions.
Forever 21's "Compton" T-shirt line
Twitter users tore Forever 21 a part for its "Compton" line of T-shirts whose designs read "Ice Cube," "City of Compton" and "N.W.A.: The World's Most Dangerous Group." Many thought the white women modeling the T-shirts knew nothing about the messages on the clothing, and it promoted cultural ignorance. The shirts were eventually pulled from Forever 21's website.
Urban Outfitters' T-shirts glamorize eating disorders and depression
It seems like Urban Outfitters constantly receives criticism that it sells distasteful and offensive merchandise. In recent years, customers have been outraged over graphic tees sold in its stores that have words like "Eat Less" and "Depression" emblazoned across them, which many critics say inappropriately glamorized mental health issues.
Topshop's "Yellowface" necklace
Topshop came under fire about a month ago when a customer tweeted a photo of a charm necklace sold at the store that featured a 19th century depiction of East Asian men with yellow faces. The customer claimed that the store manager said the piece of jewelry was "acceptable, because it was vintage style and not racist."
