Zara Pulls Striped Shirt After Complaints That It Looks Like A Concentration Camp Uniform

No longer sold by Zara.

Zara has been busy apologizing today after shoppers noticed a blue-and-white horizontally striped children’s pajama top with a yellow sheriff’s star reminded them of something else, something a bit more controversial than an officer of the law — the uniform Nazis forced Jewish concentration camp prisoners to wear during the Holocaust.

“The shirt bears a large six-pointed star on the upper-left section, in the exact place where Nazis forced Jews to wear the Star of David,” wrote Israeli newspaper Haaretz, adding that the shirt is “hauntingly reminiscent of a darker era.”

The newspaper ran a photo of Auschwitz prisoners wearing green-and-white vertically striped jackets, bearing the yellow star with the German word “Jude” for Jew in on its sleeve in comparison.

Others joined in to decry the shirt on Twitter, among them, many questioning what in the heck Zara was thinking.

The European retailer says it’s pulled the shirt from its stores, and has issued apologies to those shoppers who might have been offended by it, reports The Guardian:

“The item in question has now been removed from all Zara stores and Zara.com. The garment was inspired by the classic Western films, but we now recognise that the design could be seen as insensitive and apologise sincerely for any offence caused to our customers.”

Zara’s parent company Inditex tells Reuters that the resemblance was unintentional, and that the shirt was for sale online in three countries but not in Israel.

Zara had barely left the hot water it was in from a few days ago, when it reportedly pulled a T-shirt from stores that said “White is the new black.”

This isn’t the first time retailers have found themselves scrambling to apologize over tone-deaf design moves, either. Someday they’ll learn… right?

Keeping Zara company in the halls of Clothing You Shouldn’t Sell:

• H&M Realizes Menacing Skull Emblazoned On A Star Of David Maybe Isn’t Appropriate, Pulls Shirt

• Urban Outfitters Shocks Absolutely No One By Selling, Then Pulling Socks Featuring Hindu Deity

• Urban Outfitters Pulls Shirt That Reminds People Of The Holocaust

• Online Fashion Retailer Apologizes For Holocaust Reference

Striping resemblance: Zara tee looks like Holocaust garb [Haaretz]

Zara removes striped pyjamas with yellow star following online outrage [The Guardian]

Fashion chain Zara withdraws t-shirt likened to concentration camp uniform [Reuters]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist