Zara pulls children's costume resembling Auschwitz uniform

Spanish retail chain Zara Home has withdrawn a children's Halloween costume from sale after social media users spotted a resemblance between its striped pattern and the uniforms worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz.

The costume, called the Kid's Halloween Groom Costume, consisted of a cardigan and shorts with vertical blue-grey stripes. In the product description, the chain billed it as a children's costume with decorative stitching, a flower in the buttonhole and a “worn” look — apparently intended as a stylized ghost or dead groom.

Critics, however, pointed out that it was precisely the stripes, the cut and the faded look of the garment that resembled the camp uniforms worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration and extermination camps. According to Britain's The Independent, some users also spotted a pattern resembling barbed wire on the sleeve, along with a light-coloured stripe. The costume triggered a wave of criticism on social media, though some argued it looked more like the black-and-white striped suit worn by the title character in the film Beetlejuice.

Reaction and Zara's response

Naomi Mestrum, director of the Netherlands' Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), called the association with the Holocaust painful. “I have a lot of understanding for people who react with outrage,” she told a German outlet. At the same time, Mestrum added: “Let this be a lesson for Zara,” noting that she did not believe malicious intent was behind the costume's design and that she herself had not called for it to be pulled from sale.

A company spokesperson confirmed to the German newspaper Bild on Thursday that the costume had been removed from stores' assortment. “Zara Home apologizes if this Halloween costume for children caused any misunderstanding. It is no longer available in our stores or online store,” the company representative said.

This is not the first such controversy for Zara. In 2014, the chain pulled a striped children's T-shirt featuring a yellow star after shoppers noted its resemblance to clothing worn by concentration camp prisoners. And in 2007, a handbag with embroidery that critics considered similar to a swastika disappeared from sale.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz

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