Sometimes political and social messages are best said on tangible paraphernalia such as a coffee mug, notepad, or T-shirt. Other times, it’s best left out of product development, where it can lead to sensitive matters that evoke a huge issue of offensiveness and doubt. Forever 21 is the latest clothing retailer to come out with something I’d argue as the latter.
The company released a men’s T-shirt to be sold online and in stores, plastered on the front with, “Don’t Say Maybe If You Want to Say No”, clearly referencing the idea that has been circulating heavily around in the media on a women’s right to say no about sex, the sensitive (and many times, dismissed) topic of rape culture, and of course, the touchy subject of consent and if a woman (or man, to be fair) can renege on consent at any time.
Critics have surfaced online, stating that the T-shirt supports or advocates the idea of rape because one shouldn’t have said ‘maybe’ in the first place, or that the shirt pre-blames victims for whatever consequences they are left to face after their ‘maybe’ is used as consent for sexual activity.
While the argument can be understood that perhaps the shirt aims to suggest that if you don’t want sex in the first place, one can merely say no, I think it was insensitive and completely offensive to even make a suggestion that a ‘maybe’ justifies, in any way, shape or form, action that can not be forfeited once someone says no. I also feel it’s a true slap in the face for all victims of rape, who have had something of theirs taken from them unwillingly, and yet, it was okay because they initially agreed to some level or degree.
Forever 21 has since removed the shirt from their inventory, publicly stating that, “Forever 21 strives to exemplify the highest ethical standards and takes feedback and product concerns very seriously,” Forever 21 said in a prepared statement to The Huffington Post. “With regards to the T-shirt in question, upon receiving feedback from our customers, we took immediate action to have it removed from our website. We sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by the product.”
How do YOU feel about a T-shirt that references, subtly or not so subtly, the idea of rape culture that so many women and have men have vocalized in the field of consent and rights? Is the shirt victim-shaming, or is it really not that serious? Sound off!
If you haven’t noticed, we’re getting you prepared for spring! In case you’re looking for a sexy pair of heels to add to your collection, today’s Bomb Product of the Day has you covered. The blush pink, python, Pistol pumps by Twelve AM will have you ready for the season in no time!
The $269 pumps feature six straps that interlock up to the ankle of the shoe. You have the option of tying the remaining straps around your ankle, or you can tie them up your calves.
The pastel colored heels can be worn just about anywhere! Perfect for a wedding, cocktail party or even brunch.
I don’t know about you, but these shoes have me anxious for the spring. You can purchase here. What do you think? Would you purchase these pumps?
In her past life (and current, if she wants to), I’m convinced Michelle Obama was a rapper.
The dynamic First Lady has always been extremely vocal on the idea of education, fitness and female empowerment, spreading those ideas of love, acceptance and support vocally in her endeavors while in and out the White House.
Well, in pure Beyonce fashion, Mrs. Obama dropped a track in the middle of the night: a radio-friendly power anthem by and for women. But of course, she wants other women to chime in as well, so she grabbed other influential women to speak on it with her. Also on the track? Missy Elliot, Janelle Monae, Zendaya, Kelly Rowland, Kelly Clarkson, and Lea Michele. Whoa, that is one fire group.
The song, properly entitled, “This Is For My Girls” was ALSO penned by Grammy-winning legend Diane Warren and is all things female empowerment-related.
Some of the lyrics include, ” This is for my girls, all around the world/ stand up, pull your head up/ don’t take nothing from nobody…”
As a current speaker in SXSW, Mrs. Obama delivered a keynote speech at the Austin festival on her dedication to not only equality for women, but also sharing her message on girls’ empowerment and how the next generation will rise up to continue the legacy and discussion.
While we work on getting our hands on a full track, here’s a short snippet Missy Elliott shared:
Kendall’s boots were paired with an out-of-this-world orb-inspired dress and a “Freak Like Me” clutch at the Fall presentation.
Kendall’s black suede shoulder bag boasts a gold-tone metal chain shoulder strap, the iconic French fashion house’s gold-tone metal monogram, its signature tassel detailing, and a magnetic press-stud front flap fastening.
Kylie’s cherry and white dress features an embroidered front, band collar, and contrast sleeves.
Sometimes you see stories, and you’re just like…are we still doing this? Did these writers not already know this was touchy territory? Are they looking for click bait?
Aktar writes, “The first daughter joins a raft of high-profile beauties sporting a version of the now-ubiquitous boxer braids. Fueled by celebrities and the popularity of UFC fighters, the center-parted reverse French-braid style has surged back into fashion. The woven look, dating back to ancient Africa, has been worn by celebs including the Kardashian clan.” Hmmm, interesting. A UK publication purported the same nonsense a few weeks ago and received the customary backlash.
Black Twitter didn’t hold back on Aktar either. Below, some of their commentary:
The resounding sentiment: braided hairstyles are not trendy or new. They are part of black culture. And Sasha Obama was definitely not inspired by UFC fighters or any Kardashian. She’s been wearing them since she was a kid (as have many black girls).
What do you think of the hubbub and the article?
Read it in full here.
In a recent interview for Time Magazine, President Barack Obama and ballerina Misty Copeland sat down with reporter Maya Rhodan for a discussion on a plethora of hot topics including race and gender. Throughout the meeting, the modern-day icons honestly expressed their thoughts while managing to motivate an entire generation.
It was beyond epic!
See excerpts from the interview below:
TIME: … You both represent the African American community. As the President of the United States, as a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater, do you ever think that – how does race come to play? Do you think that people still treat you differently because of race? Because you’re African American?
COPELAND: You know, my experience has been that a lot of what I’ve experienced has not always been to my face, or it’s been very subtle. But it’s in a way that I know what’s going on and I feel it deep inside of me. And I, being the only African American in almost every environment in terms of classical ballet, it weighs on you and it wears on you after a while.
And I feel like a lot of it as well is what I’m kind of putting on myself. And this just trying to not get too caught up and too wrapped up and too weighed down with being black and trying to just be the best person and the best dancer that I can be. And work, and work harder than, even if I see the person next to me that things may be a little bit easier for them, I’m going to try and push myself even harder than them. But I think that being African American has definitely been a huge obstacle for me. But it’s also allowed me to have this fire inside of me that I don’t know if I would have or have had if I weren’t in this field.
TIME: …I’m curious also what you make of social movements like Black Girl Magic, when there’s like these grassroots level reinforcement of these ideas that black is beautiful, in a sense?
OBAMA: Well social media obviously is the way in which young people are receiving information in general. So the power of young activists to help shape color and politics through things like Black Lives Matter, which I think is hugely important. And when I think about the journey I’ve traveled, there’s no doubt that young African America, Latino, Asian, LGBT youth, they have more role models. They have more folks that they can immediately identify with.
And that, in and of itself is of value. But what we also have to remember is that the barriers that exist for them to pursue their dreams are deep and structural. And so it is wonderful that the potential dancer can see Misty and say, I can do that. But if there’s no dance studio at all in their neighborhood, and if their schools don’t offer any extracurricular activities at all, or if their school is chronically underfunded, then it’s going to be a problem.
I hope that there are young men of color who are looking at me and saying, I can aspire to be the president, or a senator, or a community organizer and make change in my neighborhoods. But if they are locked out of opportunity, and in neighborhoods where even if I’m on television, there are no men in their neighborhoods who’ve got jobs that are able to support a family, then you’ve still got problems.
So I think culture, changing attitudes is hugely important. You know we’re for example trying to get more girls and women to study the stem subjects, math, science, engineering. Because they’re chronically under-represented. And in researching this we found out that for example, since CSI came on, and there are women who are doing forensic investigations, that the number of women who are in this field has skyrocketed, right. So some of it is just okay, I now picture myself as doing that. But I think it’s important for us to remember that it’s not just a matter of providing us a strong image, it’s also making sure that they’ve got good schools, making sure that they’re getting programs that allow them to explore all their talents. Making sure that the economy is working in a way that gives everybody a chance to succeed. It’s a both and rather than an either or proposition.
TIME: Looking back, was there anything that someone told either of you about race, or didn’t tell you about race that you wish they had or that you feel like you had to learn on your own? And how does that impact how you talk to young people today?
COPELAND: I feel like my mom pretty much covered everything with me. Being biracial she made it very clear to me that yes, you’re Italian and you’re German and you are black, but you are going to be viewed by the world and by society as a black woman and you should be prepared for that. I think that I, being very shy going into a setting where I was the only black woman, allowed me to observe more, rather than react.
And I think that saved me a lot. And it taught me a lot. And it has allowed me to, when I’m interacting with my mentees to say to them, you know, there are just ways that you have to approach situations that may be difficult or may not be fair, but it’s how you represent yourself. You may be carrying a responsibility that you don’t want, but it is what it is being African American and being in certain environments. It doesn’t matter if you’re a ballet dancer, if you’re an attorney, whatever it is you’re trying to do, you’re going to be faced with these obstacles.
TIME: And wrapping things up. What do you see as the single greatest fixable obstacle to the success of young people today?
OBAMA: Well, you know, I spend most of my time thinking about institutions. And there’s no doubt, even though it’s a cliché that the single biggest difference we can make is making sure that our kids get a good education. We can do a lot to keep the economy moving forward, we can do a lot to make sure that we’re enforcing our nondiscrimination laws. We can do a lot more to open up people’s perspective about who belongs where. And press to make sure that we have more women CEOs, and more African American film directors. And more Latino police officers. And all those things are important.
But the foundation that all this depends is making sure that on the front end, when these little babies are born and start to get curious about the world and are like sponges, that we are giving them the kind of education and the nurturing that they need. So that they’re off to a good start. And that involves an imaginative leap, a moral leap on the part of the society as a whole that says every kid should get a genuine opportunity and we’re willing to put money behind it, and we’re willing to invest in that to break cycles of poverty. And to reach out and pull kids up, even if they aren’t born into the best of circumstances. And that’s hard to do. Because we’re working off of a legacy of hundreds of years of discrimination that gets passed on generationally. If we could decide tomorrow that there was no discrimination, that we had some new drug that everybody took and suddenly nobody would be racially prejudiced. We still have a whole bunch of really poor kids who need help. And that still requires us making investments in them. And that means that all of us, the government, private sector, nonprofits, have to make some sacrifices so that those kids are getting an opportunity.
This interview was amazing! With the rise of so many controversial topics, it was refreshing to hear such inspirational words.
I highly recommend you check out the conversation in its entirety!
Lupita Nyong’o stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers in New York City rocking a bright orange Balmain three-piece suit from their Spring 2015 collection:
The orange three-piece suit is definitely a play on the infamous ‘power’ suit, paired with a crop top and palazzo pants.
Lupita went with similar-colored shoes and rocked it without the black belt on the runway.
I love everything, EVERYTHING about this. What do you think? Hot or Hmm?
As we continue welcoming Spring in with open arms, we get to see more and more the styles and trends celebrities have been rocking over the months and transitioning as the weather warsm up. Today, we’re taking a look at how celebrities have rocked the 70s trend!
The 70s trend is so versatile, it can seem like literally anything goes! We’ve seen embroidery, paisley prints and a bunch of bell bottoms, platforms, denim and jumpsuits on our favorite celebrities, who have taken the trend and reinvented it 21st-century style!
Aside from the psychedelic prints you may see in a maxi dress or even full gown, you’re also bound to see more celebrities rocking full denim on denim looks, suede, mini-skirts and bright colors. Once again, the 70s trend isn’t just confined to one thing, it’s whatever you want to make it!
Let’s check out how celebrities have tackled the trend, whether in suede, bell-bottom show stoppers, bright colors or funky prints and textures. Go through our gallery to get some style inspiration for this Spring!
So how do you tackle the 70s trend? Let’s choose one in particular….SUEDE! Send your best Suede submissions to submissions@fashionbombdaily.com to possibly be featured in this week’s How Do You Wear It!
The company released a men’s T-shirt to be sold online and in stores, plastered on the front with, “Don’t Say Maybe If You Want to Say No”, clearly referencing the idea that has been circulating heavily around in the media on a women’s right to say no about sex, the sensitive (and many times, dismissed) topic of rape culture, and of course, the touchy subject of consent and if a woman (or man, to be fair) can renege on consent at any time.
