Urban Outfitters’ T-shirt Faux-Pas

How would you feel if your daughter came home wearing a shirt announcing, “I Vote for Vodka”? or “Misery Loves Alcohol”?

As someone with two teenage daughters, I must say I would not be happy. When my kids were little, I avoided buying the once popular Gap sweatshirts with the giant letters G-A-P across the chest–I didn’t like the idea of paying for my kids to be a walking billboard.

My girls have grown. Now 16 and almost 19, they often head into NYC to shop, stopping at Urban Outfitters, a store whose largest demographic is between 18 and 24. Urban is cool and edgy, and its printed t-shirts are often eye-catching. But this takes the cake. “I Drink. You’re Cute.” Really? Not with my dime.

While most people are unlikely to seek booze because they spot slogans on a t-shirt, it’s simply in bad taste and almost seems like a senseless form of provocation. There are stories and studies often publicizing the negative effects of alcohol, particularly on younger generations. A recent study linked alcohol and unsafe sex (covered in a prior Drinking Diaries post), and another, reported by Yahoo, revealed that almost 1 in 5 teens smokes or uses drugs at school.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some schools end up banning the drinking promo t-shirts. Many already ban crop tops–bare skin being a serious no-no. But turning young women into  a marketing vehicle to promote drinking to their peers. That may be the epitome of bad taste.