The Spin @ dailypennsylvanian.com

Keffieh faux-pas

Posted: Wednesday January 17, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Keywords: Stephen Morse

Last week when my friend brought home a reusable ice luge from Urban Outfitters, I couldn't stop singing the praises the company founded by Penn alums that opened its doors for the first time in at 43rd and Locust in the 1970s.

But, only days after I was the store's biggest fan, I began to question their agenda. Yesterday, I learned that the chain store was selling keffiehs as anti-war symbols.

But I, don't see these Arab scarves as anti-war symbols. What possessed Urban Outfitters to use the keffieh as an anti-war symbol is beyond me.

So today, I went into Urban Outfitters to find out what patrons and store management at our local 36th and Sansom branch felt about the issue. And quite quickly, I learned from the managers (who would not speak with me officially) that the offensive scarves have been removed from the store.

My calls to Urbanďż˝s corporate PR department were not returned.

And this isnďż˝t Urbanďż˝s first social faux-pas . Last Christmas, Urban Outfitters sold gun shaped Christmas ornament.

Do I think a boycott of the store is an answer? Not really, based on the success of the ice luge this weekend. But do I think Urban Outfitters needs to think a little more about the impact of their design, marketing, and sales decisions.

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"Due to the sensitive nature of this item, we will no longer offer it for sale. We apologize if we offended anyone, this was by no means our intention." Urban Outfitters has stopped selling it! If only they had used better judgement without prompting.

- AP

"I couldn’t stop singing the praises of the Penn-alum founded company founded by Penn alums that opened its doors for the first time in at 43rd and Locust 43rd and Locustin the 1970s." This could not have been read through. You are blogging, but you are still contributing (or in this case detracting) from the credibility of the DP.

- W. Furman

This was unreadable and unnecessary.

- mike

Keffiyehs are a popular fashion item in many countries far from the Arab conflict, and can be seen regularly on the streets of Paris and London. Much like beauty, offense seems to be in the eye of the beholder. You really think every woman in a burqa supports Al Quaeda, or that kid in a German army jacket used to be in the German army?? Let hipsters be hipsters and loosen up Stephen.

- MM

Stephen Morse