New Look forced to withdraw ‘sexist’ t-shirts
High street fashion chain New Look has been forced to remove a range of men’s t-shirts featuring a young woman sucking a whistle and clutching a football between her thighs under the words “Fantasy football….starting XI….let the kick-off begin”.
The t-shirts were removed after customers took to blogs, twitter and a newly created Facebook group dedicated to campaigning against the tops to declare their outrage and intention to boycott the retailer.
The retailer’s PR team issued a statement to the campaign leaders saying the men’s ‘fantasy football’ clothing been removed from sale.
“It was never our intention to cause upset to our valued customers and for that we apologise,” the statement said.
According to one blogger Sarah Anderson, writing on ‘shoutingoutthewindow.wordpress’, the range was in a prominent place in the store they visited, “visible as you travelled up the escalator from womenswear to accessories and the youth range aimed at ages 9 to 15.”
Many of the complaints had focused on the retailer’s Corporate Social Responsibility commitment to helping young people deal with issues, including ‘body image’, and “eating disorders.’
The retailer’s support of B-eat, a charity which helps adults and young people overcome eating disorders, was also highlighted.
