Urban Outfitters T-Shirts Urge You To “Eat Less”
The folks at Urban Outfitters (those owl-pushers) are now selling a shirt with the words “Eat Less” scrawled across the front—modeled, of course, by a very thin model. And it is pissing people off. People like Stephanie Hayes:
It’s just mean, scary and damaging to all the poor innocent girls who ALREADY feel like Shamu incarnate because their legs don’t look like whats-her-nuts on Gossip Girl. Can you imagine? You’re walking through the mall, pulling your ill-advised American Eagle shorties out of your wedge and wishing you hadn’t cut your bangs, all while sizing up the nearby cookie cafe for sweet refuge from inadequacy. All of a sudden, Waif McKnobbleknees strolls out of Urban Outfitters wearing THIS hanging off her collarbone, glaring at you with her sunken eyes. She might as well wear a sandwich board that says, “HEY, FATTIES! Y’ALL LOOK LIKE HELL! LOLZ!”
A couple of points: one, of course, it’s beautiful and normal and lovely to be waif-like or to have knobby knees, and it does not automatically mean you have an eating disorder, but you should still not wear this T-shirt. Two, this shirt is being criticized as “pro-ana.” Is it?
The disingenuous description on the Urban Outfitters website is:
Eat less or more or however much you’d like in this seriously soft knit tee cut long and topped with a v-neck.
And in case you’re curious, they come in extra-small, small, medium, or large. So, what do you think the message of the shirt is? Are you offended by it?
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Advertising, Eating Disorders, Fashion, Fatism, Humor
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How about one that says “Starve Yourself”?
This is disgusting. It’s all about the dollars brought in by the controversy and a lame attempt at covering their arses. If you go by just the description the shirt should have read, Eat Whatever. Instead, it’s Eat Less on their skinniest model. I’m surprised they didn’t add something about it being “green” to eat less to cover their tracks, too. Course, if that were the case the shirt should read, Eat Locally or Eat Homegrown.
I wonder if they’d be willing to put one out that says “Spend Less” – no, probably not.
I’d like one that says ‘eat a lot and then vomit’
The shirt is actually pulling snug around her hips. If this shirt, with this slogan, is too tight for this particular model, who is it supposed to fit?
Urban Outfitters have had racist and degrading tshirts in the past, i’m surprised it took them this long to make a tshirt that is offensive to bigger people. Either way, the tshirt looks silly and bad fitting on the model.
It IS offensive. I recently got a direct mailer from some diet-hawking lady with the headline “I WANT YOU! To lose weight!” And I was bloody well offended. Get the hell out of my business, strangers in t-shirts and direct mail adverts! And, yeah, it’s pro-ana. Because no matter who you are or what you look like, anorexia says you can always eat even *less* than you’re eating now. There’s never a point at which you *don’t* need to lose weight/eat less.
I’m sure MeMe Roth has already bought about 30 of these.
Aside from being a boring T-shirt, I honestly have no qualms with it, finding it no more or less offensive or objectionable than all the other slogan T’s out there. They were obviously trying to get a rise out of people, and lo and behold, they succeeded. Quite frankly, anyone taking dietary advice from a T-shirt already has issues, with or without this.
mo pie writes, “So, what do you think the message of the shirt is? Are you offended by it?”
I think the message is pretty clear, actually. It’s written right on the shirt.
It’s a command, issued by the shirt (and presumably by the wearer) to any and all people who see it. It says “less” and yet doesn’t specify “less than what” which means that whatever you plan on eating (however little that is), you should still be eating less than *that*.
To quote Melissa at Shakesville, I’m not so much offended as contemptuous. And I level that contempt at Urban Outfitters and at anyone who buys and wears the shirt.
Damn! And I LIKED some of the stuff at Urban Outfitters – too bad. They can live without any of MY money now.
…and if that model ate any less, she wouldn’t even be there…
First, let me say that I don’t agree with Stephanie’s very judgmental comment attacking a Gossip Girl or knobby knees in the same post where she criticizes this t-shirt. I mean, really?
Secondly, yeah that shirt is absurd. What were they thinking??? Was this for shock value or is this serious?
I added a few choice “tags” to the shirt on the Urban Outfitters website. I am sure they won’t publish them, but at least someone will see there are people out there who don’t think its cute. This is just ridiculous
As of 12:15pm CST… website says, “We’re sorry. This product is no longer available.” Heh.
I want to see someone come up with a shirt in the same style and font that says ‘Hate Less’. That’s a message I could live with.
I think overall I really just don’t get it. I think people write or say things and they have no idea what they’re saying. But if they’d taken the time to really think – they would realize how many people this would offend. It reminds me of when Abercrombie came out with those super offensive to Asians shirts – I hope this ends up blowing up in their faces too!
Also I agree that Stephanie’s comment was really judgmental. If people don’t want anyone to say “oh gross, she’s fat, that’s nasty” they certainly shouldn’t turn around and say “oh gross, she’s skinny, that’s nasty”
Is it just me or does that model look exhausted?
Peace,
Shannon
How much anyone eats is NO ONE else’s business. This shirt is intentionally controversial just to drive traffic to their store.
La Grande Dame, I couldn’t agree more on both of your points!
Latest news: It appears it is no longer available for purchase, but still waiting for official word. I wrote a letter to them – you can read it here http://www.voiceinrecovery.com
I don’t think I’m offended. I think if someone were wearing it and looking at me and pointing to their shirt, then I’d be offended (I could definitely see this scenario happening). It’s a silly passive aggressive shirt and someone obviously wasn’t thinking of the implications of offering it.
What is Less? does it come covered in chocolate or pecans? Or is it a savory dish? I have not heard of this “Less.” Probably a northern thing.
@Jillian, I posted about this yesterday and wrong them a direct complaint. It’s been all over Tumblr, so I’ll be they were inundated with complaints.
wrong = wrote.
Wow.
I think all of their tees come in XS, S, M, L.
I wrote to them too.
Also, Gina, I love you. That comment was hilarious! If “Less” is tasty, pass it down here, please and thank you!
nah, i’m not offended, just, um, confused. who could wear this shirt and get away with it? if you’re skinny, you look “pro-ana”; if you’re not skinny, you look….what, satirical? i think someone said it – this is just all about the controversy. (which is weird to me. if i owned a clothing chain, this is not the kind i’d want to attach myself to.)
just for conversation sake, would this ad have been less offensive if the model were a size 10 instead?
What I think is sad is not only is the message absolutely pathetic but they took a thin model and photoshopped her to be even thinner- look at the leg on the right side of the photo versus the left. It’s completely unproportionate.
I’m not really offended. I mean, there have been t-shirts from Abercrombie & Fitch over the past 10 years that have been WAY more offensive (http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/tshirts.asp).
I think the purpose of the shirt is to present a kind of dark humor, much like the shirts that say “Please don’t feed the models”.
I think the amount of people who would actually be brave enough to wear this shirt is very slim (pun semi-intended).
Well Abercrombie did this, so I already knew they were evil:
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/03/01/2010-03-01_abercrombie__fitch_co_fires_muslim_employee_for_refusing_to_remove_headscarf.html
That is an absolutely awful T-shirt, surely the health secretary could sue them or something? Fashion needs to stop perpetuating the wrong sort of self image!
Jenine – it probably has been ‘shopped to some extent, but when I stand like that, my thighs look roughly the same way as hers. I think it may just be the way she’s resting her weight on her left leg.
Anyway, this shirt is just obnoxious. Oh, it’s so hilariously edgy to put an “Eat Less” shirt on a really skinny model! The thrill of controversy is so worth the exorbitant price! Yawn. (And Emerald, I’d totally wear a “Hate Less” shirt.)
In my opinion the worst thing about this shirt is that it is potentially extremely triggering and anyone can see it. Someone wearing it could walk by people struggling with eating disorders or beating themselves up over weight gain. Someone could be obsessing over what they are eating, counting calories and points, not letting themselves be “bad” by eating fries, and then they see this shirt. I feel that it’s basically a psychological weapon.
Oh, and also, in response to angela, yes, I think it would be just as offensive no matter what the size of the model. Either we have someone who is waif-like telling everyone around them to “be like me!” or you have someone bigger which to me would feel like they were saying “Do as the shirt says, don’t be like THIS fatty!”.
Hmm. I kinda want to buy one, cross off one of the S’s, stretch it over my fat rolls, then walk around the mall petting my stomach and telling people that Les was deliciousssssss…
I don’t think I’m particularly offended, but I also can’t really imagine who would purchase or wear this shirt. I generally don’t really like the clothes at Urban Outfitters anyway.
I also agree that Emerald has the best comment of the thread and that a “Hate Less” shirt would be awesome.
I think Hot Topic should parody this shirt, with a Emo looking one that says, “Eat Less, Curl Up And Die” At least then, the results are mentioned. Also, I think most Emo and Goth people would love the sarcasm.
I for one will not be ordering a large “Eat less” tshirt. unbelievable.
Not a fan. I would have maybe thought ‘Eat Whatever’ as cute. But really? I already feel like a tub of lard in UO.
I think the best answer to this t-shirt is to wear the one that says “I beat anorexia” (comes in sizes XL, 2XL,… etc.). And yes, I do realize they are both obnoxious. I guess I’d rather be insulting than feel shamed, although I’d much rather do/feel neither.
I’ll bet plenty of people would be offended if I wore a shirt that said, “Eat More”. Some would say I obviously eat too damn much already, and some would accuse me of “promoting obesity”. As if people would look at my obese body and say “Hey! I want to look just like her!”
Mulberry,
I think those “I beat anorexia” shirts that only come in XL+ are worse. It makes a joke of serious issue and is often used in a reverse thinspiration way, sort of “If I tried to recover/eat more I will be that size!”.
I got one from ‘The Onion’ store that says “I wish somebody would do something about how fat I am”. I like to wear it to the gym.
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