I hate Urban Outfitters. Hate it, with a big H-A-T-E. I know that comes off really strong, but I think it's warranted.
I remember the first time I saw an Urban Outfitters. I was probably 15 or 16 and I was still in high school. I saw the store in the mall and I remember thinking how unique and odd it looked. This was circa 2006 or 2007 so this was before the hipster movement began. Which might I add, I've never been a part of. I actually think that pre-teens walk into Urban Outfitters in normal clothes and come out as hipsters. But that's just my theory.
When I went into UO for the first time I just remember thinking that everything looked so grungy. I'm not going to lie, there were a few pieces I wanted and I was definitely intrigued. But $65 for a v-neck tee!? At 16, I was paying my own cell phone bill. Now, what's more important? I decided that communications with friends and family was more important than this cheap t-shirt.
Out of respect for my bank account, I've never shopped at Urban Outfitters. Sidenote: I shop at places like J.Crew, Nordstrom, Loft, and Ann Taylor often, as an adult. They are just as expensive, but their products are much better quality and I don't question my morals and ethics when I shop there.
Let me explain where all of this is coming from. This post has been in the works for several months. Today, I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed and I came across this article. After reading yet another story about Urban Outfitters and their lack thereof morals, I knew it was time to write about it.
I'm aware that this specific story is not new news. Somehow I didn't come across it when it was, so it is new news to me.
I'm aware that this specific story is not new news. Somehow I didn't come across it when it was, so it is new news to me.
#shocked #disgusted
If you haven't read this article yet, let me sum it up for you. Urban Outfitters made a gray V-neck shirt with the phrase, "Eat Less" in cursive on the front. Yep you read that right. Urban Outfitters is promoting eating disorders.
I am so shocked at this situation! I truly believe that fashion should promote a healthy body image. I know the fashion world isn't quite there yet, but we are moving forward. We should not be encouraging women (or men) to be forcing themselves to get skinnier by eating less. We should be encouraging beauty and confidence across the globe.
All women deserve to feel beautiful, because they are. All women deserve to eat that darn cupcake and STILL feel beautiful. I know I do...
This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Urban Outfitters has been in the spotlight for having racist items/descriptions on their website, for creating non-clothing products that are offensive to specific groups of people, and they have retracted many items from their website because of bad press. At this point, I'm just really wondering WHO Urban Outfitter's thinks they are. Who is their PR team and what exactly are they trying to accomplish? I mean this stuff keeps happening over and over. What are they thinking? Haven't you learned yet? This is poor, poor public relations people. This is a poor, tasteless company entirely. I'm just curious... did the team who created this shirt actually think this was a good idea!? Were they like, "Hey- let's tell our teenage girl consumers to eat less. Let's put it on a t-shirt." Were they drunk!? I just don't understand what made them think this was a good idea for a t-shirt. But I'm even more confused if they thought they could actually get away with this.
I didn't boycott Urban Outfitters recently. It was more like 3 or 4 years ago. I don't honestly remember what specifically made me boycott them but after so many things happening, I was just done with them.
Some people have asked me how I can say that I've boycotted UO if I have never actually shopped there. Well, I can do so because I never WILL shop there in the future. It's all the same. I simply refuse to ever be a part of their business.
Some people have asked me how I can say that I've boycotted UO if I have never actually shopped there. Well, I can do so because I never WILL shop there in the future. It's all the same. I simply refuse to ever be a part of their business.
Here are some other things that they did that didn't sit well with me.
1. In 2013, Urban Outfitters stole an independent designer's necklace design. She was a local and small business owner. She poured her heart and soul into the jewelry that she made and sold. And Urban Outfitters stole her idea and sold it in their stores. When people started complaining to them, UO told the press that they would look into it... and then they very discreetly pulled the collection from stores. If you know me, you know I am a big supporter of handmade goods over large corporate produced goods. This was just handled so poorly and unethically.
2. A few years back, they made a color option on their website: "Black/Obama" What!? And they said it was a typo. Oh yea, you know now that I think about it, sometimes I too accidentally type our president's name in totally inappropriate and out-of-context places. I totally get it. NO.
3. Urban Outfitters also made a shirt that had some very risky writing on it. It was a black crop top with the word, "depression" printed in different sizes all over the shirt. This is so shocking to me. A mental illness is NOT a fashion statement. I can't believe that they would even let that be sold in their stores.
4. They have many products that promote underage drinking to marijuana to other drug paraphernalia. Need I say more?
5. UO created a shirt that had basic pornography on it. In 2011, one of their models who was only 16 at the time sued UO because they printed a very racy photo of her on a t-shirt, without her permission. I'm not going to get into the details of the photo, but in my opinion it can be passed as pornography. This girl was only 16 and 15 when the photo was taken! Can you imagine how vulnerable this made her? Again I ask, why on earth did UO think this was okay?
3. Urban Outfitters also made a shirt that had some very risky writing on it. It was a black crop top with the word, "depression" printed in different sizes all over the shirt. This is so shocking to me. A mental illness is NOT a fashion statement. I can't believe that they would even let that be sold in their stores.
4. They have many products that promote underage drinking to marijuana to other drug paraphernalia. Need I say more?
5. UO created a shirt that had basic pornography on it. In 2011, one of their models who was only 16 at the time sued UO because they printed a very racy photo of her on a t-shirt, without her permission. I'm not going to get into the details of the photo, but in my opinion it can be passed as pornography. This girl was only 16 and 15 when the photo was taken! Can you imagine how vulnerable this made her? Again I ask, why on earth did UO think this was okay?
Here's a fun fact: Urban Outfitters, Inc. also owns Anthropologie and Free People. So I don't shop at those places either.
I love the Anthropologie style. I think it's very unique and absolutely gorgeous. It seems like most of this beef has occurred only with UO products. However, if they are a part of Urban Outfitters, I'm not going to shop there.
I love the Anthropologie style. I think it's very unique and absolutely gorgeous. It seems like most of this beef has occurred only with UO products. However, if they are a part of Urban Outfitters, I'm not going to shop there.
This is their mission statement:
Urban Outfitters is an eclectic lifestyle retailer dedicated to inspiring our customers through a unique combination of product, creativity and cultural understanding. Our mission is to help our customers express and their individuality and connect with their interests, needs, passions and each other. We do this by creating experiential retail environments and curated product assortments. We embrace music, fashion, art, architecture, design and technology as integral to our business and infuse each with our individualistic, nonconformist approach to life.
As far as I'm concerned, this is a very poor mission statement. Urban Outfitters has zero cultural understanding. This is very clear by how they fail to observe and respect cultures' standards and by the fact that they fail to include any non-white models from other cultures.
So there you have it, that's why I refuse to shop at Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Anthropologie.
If you shop at these stores, please reconsider your choice. I personally believe that Urban Outfitters, Inc. needs to be put out of business. And if you ever want to discuss this hot topic with me, perhaps we can do so over dessert. I would love to eat a cupcake- or 3 while discussing why it's not okay for these stores to be operating.
PS I'd also like to petition to have a t-shirt created that says: "Eat More" in a pretty calligraphy cursive font across the front. Anyone else with me on this one? I would totally rock this while eating some chocolate cake. I'm not being sarcastic at all.
What do you think about this issue?
EDIT: Since publishing this article, it was brought to my attention that there were ads below the post of Free People clothing items. I am terribly sorry about this and I was to thank the blogger who brought it to my attention. That was an automated widget that is supposed to show readers items that relate to the specific post. Since this has come to my attention, I have taken the widget down and chosen to not work with that affiliate company anymore. Although I do display affiliate links on this blog, I want them to remain credible, related, and ethical. You can read my Terms & Conditions here.
EDIT: Since publishing this article, it was brought to my attention that there were ads below the post of Free People clothing items. I am terribly sorry about this and I was to thank the blogger who brought it to my attention. That was an automated widget that is supposed to show readers items that relate to the specific post. Since this has come to my attention, I have taken the widget down and chosen to not work with that affiliate company anymore. Although I do display affiliate links on this blog, I want them to remain credible, related, and ethical. You can read my Terms & Conditions here.