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From the Annals of Fashion Stupidity

holocaustjammies

  The long sleeved pyjama top for toddlers has been described by the Israeli press having a “fresh-from-the-concentration-camp look” with a strong resemblance to the uniforms worn by the inmates of Nazi death camps.

Following a storm on social media such as Twitter, Zara has withdrawn the clothing, manufactured in Turkey, while insisting that the yellow star was supposed to resemble the golden badge of an American sheriff.

“We honestly apologise, it was inspired by the sheriff’s stars from the Classic Western films and is no longer in our stores,” the store said this morning.

“Nevertheless, we can understand the sensitive context and connotation that was created. We sincerely apologise if, as a result, we have offended the feelings of our customers.”

Bit of a brain fart there, eh?

12 thoughts on “From the Annals of Fashion Stupidity”

  1. Me either. Looks like another version of the “Waaaaacist!!” style of oversensitivity that leads all sorts of people to demand apologies for all sorts of imagined slights. Bloody hell, the world’s becoming a pathetic, nannying place.

  2. It did make me think of concentration camps. Our host, too. It seems reasonable to suppose that would be true for a substantial proportion of people. Since a shop / brand name does not prosper if it offends a substantial proportion of people, it was a sensible move to remove the item from sale.

    Zara was not, I am happy to say, “forced” into this action by anything other than commercial pressure. They were right to apologise, and also right to phrase the apology in the “sorry if we offended” format which in many circumstances is an attempt to dodge responsibility for wrongdoing but in these circumstances is a correct and proportionate description of what actually happened.

  3. Er, made me think of concentration camps within about 5 milliseconds.

    Maybe doesn’t have that instant connotation in Blighty, but I’m pretty sure most people in Germany, not to mention in Israel where they started complaining about it, would see it immediately.

  4. Since a shop / brand name does not prosper if it offends a substantial proportion of people, it was a sensible move to remove the item from sale.

    Zara was not, I am happy to say, “forced” into this action by anything other than commercial pressure. They were right to apologise, and also right to phrase the apology in the “sorry if we offended” format which in many circumstances is an attempt to dodge responsibility for wrongdoing but in these circumstances is a correct and proportionate description of what actually happened.

    Don’t disagree in the slightest other than perhaps to suggest they were well-mannered enough to apologise, as opposed to “right”. However, my point remains.

  5. Another case of overly sensitive types finding an excuse to be a victim. Yes it can remind certain people of concentration camps when the picture is viewed at low resolution. But that was a long time ago and memories are fading. If you looked at the actual garment in real life you wouldn’t think of camps, only the low resolution pic makes you think of it.

    Crap design though. But then all fashion is.

  6. As soon as I saw that pic I thought ‘fucking hell!’. To me it’s clearly reminiscent of a mix of concentration camp stripes and yellow star in the ghetto clothing. Nothing lefty waasssisst about it for me.

    I’m usually one one the first to moan about people getting all hurt about the littlest thing but that, there, is fucking clear to me.

    I don’t think there’s anything racist about it mind. Just an honest mistake dealt with rather well.

  7. Bloke in Costa Rica

    No, not reminiscent of the camps at all. Except horizontal stripes are a healthier way of achieving a slimming effect than eating 600 calories a day.

    Fucking idiots. Anyway, Zara’s stuff is shite. Wash it three times and it’s fit for nothing but dusters.

  8. I first read the story without seeing a picture and concluded that it was probably a stupid hypersensitive overreaction. Then I saw the picture and thought “WTF?” Obviously making the thing was an innocent mistake, but noticing what it looked like was not.

    Also, what Wild West sheriffs wore Breton stripy jumpers? If they’re that mixed up, maybe they should have sold it with some clogs and a turban and a Zulu shield.

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