It's been almost a whole year since controversy spurred Urban Outfitters execs to pull Keffiyehs from their catalog and stores, citing the 'sensitive nature' of the scarves. Surprisingly, the chain has decided to re-introduce the political accessory for Spring 2008. Racked checked in on the selection at the Urban Outfitters at 526 Sixth Ave in Greenwich Village and saw it there in black and white: the "Houndstooth Desert Scarf", out in full force. Previously labeled with the more Anglo term “shemagh,” the Urban Outfitters’ keffiyehs ring in at $18, despite their availability for $5 at sundry shops on the same block.

An added bonus: choosing the keffiyeh on the UO website brings up a 2 for $20 "Renassaince Rosary" (sp) with the tip to “get all Father Guido Sarducci.” That’s our Urban Outfitters, always folding obscure pop culture in with dubious moral responsibility.
· You Say Keffiyeh, I Say Shemagh [Canadian National Post]
· Marketing Gone Awry: Urbans Hasn't Really Figured Out This Whole Brooklyn Thing. [Racked]

Filed under Manhattan: Greenwich Village, Houndstooth Desert Scarf, Keffiyeh, Online Shopping, Rosary, Shemagh, Urban Outfitters

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