An Open Letter To Urban Outfitters

Dear Urban Outfitters,

My thirteen-year-old self thanks you for having provided trendy, vintage looking clothing at an affordable price. You are cheaper than Aritzia, edgier than American Apparel, and were undoubtedly my favorite clothing store. Were.

I am now a legal adult. I can vote, buy cigarettes and decide my own bedtime. I was raised with the ability to distinguish between “right” and “wrong” and I would like to believe that I’m a good person. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not perfect and the line between good and bad became a little blurry when I was a younger teen. But as I’ve matured, I’m confident that I’ve become adept at judging when something is just not right.

How dare you make shirts baring the words “Eat Less.” Did you know that eating disorders lead to the most deaths out of any mental disorder? Not a lot of people do. The reality is that most teenagers are dieting right now. They truly believe that they are not thin or beautiful enough. They believe this for a variety of reasons, but companies that promote slogans like these certainly contribute to the idea that “eating less” is ideal. How messed up is that? It’s almost as messed up as the idea that promoting anorexia is trendy and profitable.

But this is not the first time you’ve faced controversy regarding your apparel. I’ve repeatedly seen your name in the tabloids or on social media, and every time it’s the same thing: people get angry so you say it was an honest mistake and then the issue is dropped.

Not this time.

I have witnessed too many girls, myself included, get sucked into the idea that the only way we can be accepted as beautiful in society is to lose weight, to constantly diet. Did you know that it takes an average of seven years to completely recover from an eating disorder? That’s one of the first things they taught me when I was treated for mine. So congratulations, you just contributed to seven years of hell for thousands of teenagers.

We live in a messed up world and shit we cannot control happens all the time. I can’t control whether or not companies that make such distasteful products show remorse for what they've done (which I don't believe Urban Outfitters has). I can't control the fact that there are apparently people who believe that encouraging anorexia is witty, edgy or cool. But I can control my response as a consumer. I am proud to say that I will never be caught dead in one of your stores ever again and I encourage others to do the same.

I appreciate your understanding and wish you the best of luck in the future.

Sincerely,

Kinder L.

P.S. Just kidding. You're the worst.