The Pursuit of Radical Fashion

This week another scandal broke in the world of fashion. A couple of weeks ago the retailer Zara was under fire for selling a shirt  that resembles the striped pajamas that Jewish prisoners had to wear during the Holocaust. This week a faded, bloodstained Kent State sweatshirt was for sale on Urban Outfitter's website referencing the National Guard's shooting at the school. The issue of controversial fashion was discussed in Meghan Daum's column for the LA Times.

She did a good job discussing the recent controversy. Daum used the balancing act by at first making her opposition to the selling of the sweatshirt obvious but then gives Urban Outfitters the benefit of the doubt. She acknowledges the sweatshirt was not manufactured by Urban just sold on the site.

Daum choses to open up the conversation into something wider about how far is too far when dressing with the idea of freedom of expression. She poses the question of how far is too far when it comes to being in public and offending others but leaves it hanging. I would have liked her to speak on that subject a little more. Urban Outfitters has manufactured a shirt before that said "Eat Less" is it okay to wear in freedom of expression or is it just promoting eating disorders? I would say it is completely tasteless but technically people can wear and make what they want.

Daum makes the point that we have been desensitized due to racy advertisement, "clickbait headlines", and unbelieveable fashion. I have to disagree. I believe that people can generally decide right from wrong or tasteful from tasteless. It is through the rallying of the internet community that Zara and Urban Outfitters have taken down their offensive clothing from their sites. People have been able to answer the call to social justice for the most part and I disagree with her idea that we wage battles we know we can win.