The “Little Red Shirt” - Did Urban Outfitters Know About This?
Now this is a serious matter that truly took some time to even write about! I think that I had almost two months of nerve racking thoughts of “what if this happen” or “what if that had happen” in regards to a $10 purchase that I had made at a 14th Street Urban Outfitters last November. For those who have seen me trekking around 14th street, you guys already know that I have an obsession with the retail giant, thanks in part to their over-priced & yet very commercial street savvy apparel. But I often find myself lurking around in the junk piles - which they call clearance…simply because I refuse to flip a dollar for some of the inventory they have on hand! So there it was….a little red T-shirt with a crazy hand sign emblazoned on the front. Now I had no common knowledge of what it had meant, but I am a serious collector of T-shirts….and well for $10 I felt that I couldn’t go wrong…right? WRONG! So after pacing around the second floor clearance aisle for a good 15 minutes, I didn’t know if I wanted to put back the T-shirt or purchase it……and seeing as though I can’t let a good bargain pass me by - I took it upon myself to purchase this “Little Red T-shirt”….hoping to pair it up with something good in my closet!
Like everything else…this “Little Red T-shirt” found itself in my T-shirt collection hidden in my closet. It wasn’t until a recent visit for my sister - that my whole mind set changed in regards to this past Urban Outfitters purchase. My younger sibling had informed me that this “Little Red Shirt” that I had recently purchased [last November] featured the infamous Blood Gang insignia….which obviously left me baffled! Now I have worn this shirt of many of occasions…and around parts of NYC which are known for violence. What makes matters worse…is that I had NO common knowledge that I was sporting a very dangerous article of clothing - that may have caused some serious drama or better yet have taken my life! Now some would say that I should have known better….but let’s be real - I am NO GANGSTER….I am an CONSUMER! Who found a red T-shirt for sale! We are all quite aware that Urban Outfitters as well as many retail giants find themselves marketing towards the subculture….but do you think that the blame should fully go to Urban Outfitters or perhaps the designer Kereru Richter? I totally doubt that Urban Outfitters promotes gang activity…and wouldn’t want their reputable name mingled around in the notion. So why is it that Urban Outfitters let such a T-shirt go on sale?
I can’t front and say that I am cool with the fact that I have purchased something that could have done me a lot of harm, but I also thought about who else purchased a shirt like mine…..and what happen when they walked around town sporting a shirt such as this! Sorry folks…but this matter is definitely a serious one….so what would you do if you were in my shoes?
wow that’s crazy….and don’t wear the shirt anymore that’s one thing to look cute….but don’t wear something that can get you killed
If you have the means and motives, then make some noise T! Get Brenda Blackmon n em’ involved cause the fact that the shirt is “red” makes me think that a designer may have been tryna reach out to a underdog culture and push a envelope, not thinking that your evryday law-abiding citizen may have been a taker instead. That hand configuration is too complex to be random. Get the word out, get the media involved.
Yeah, i would mos definetely not where this shirt in any hood in LA. And for the simple fact that the shirt is red, the designer had to have known that it was a symbol of the Blood gang formally of the Bloods/Crips gang war! Its a very bold and blatent statement. So don’t wear it;If for no other reason but to Not advocate GANG Activity and the recognition of their nonsense. Im surprise their Head Master Chief ( or whatever they call them)didnt try to sue the designer for using their Gang sign.
Bottom line though, if you live in any big metropolitan city you should be aware of the gangs that call it home to try and avoid dangerous situations. Did you honestly think that “Blood” spelled out that way was just a cheeky way of saying “blood, the word,” is cool just because UO sells it? Come on! Maybe the head designer or buyer was ignorant of unaware of these things but UO is known for selling anti-sematic shirts around the holidays and etc. You have to have good judgment when you buy anywhere, and not just buy something because it looks “cool”. Know the knowledge behind it. Educate yourself.
By the way, this shirt has been out for an extremely long time. Why do you think it’s not sold out like the rest of their tees? It’s not popular because people know what that means!
Anon…I had NO CLUE! Like I said..I am NO GANGSTER, and had no idea about that hand sign! I have seen other Gang signs…so this one in particular never dawned on me! Especially in regards to the Bloods - there are so many hand signs…who has the time to know all of them? I was a customer who purchased an item on CLEARANCE! $10….never blinking twice - just purchasing a red T-shirt to add into my collection, and thankfully my sister let me know what it meant. Bottom line is UO should know a little bit better! Point blank….
Hey just stumbled on this. I can’t believe you didn’t know what that stood for! I’m no gangsta AT ALL and I know that that spells out BLOOD (as in the gang) I mean I believe you didn’t know but I just find that crazy since you talk about the “hood” at lot. Well at least now you know.
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