UPDATE [January 8, 2016]: WWD reports that H&M has since pulled the scarf from stores in Israel after the response and issued an official apology you can read below.
It’s no secret that H&M has had its fair share of controversies. Remember when it received backlash for selling a headdress in its Canadian stores? Or how about that time it had to pull a graphic tank after complaints of it being anti-Semitic? Well, it looks like the fast-fashion retailer is catching heat once again—this time for hawking a women’s striped scarf that resembles a Jewish prayer shawl.
Listed on H&M’s website for $17.99, the accessory has angered a good amount of people who think it looks too much like a Tallit. Compare the two images above and below: Both feature the same color scheme, cream fabric with black stripes, as well as knotted fringe.
Of course, people quickly called out the design on Twitter:
H&M has since apologized for the design: "We are truly sorry if we have offended anyone with this piece," an H&M spokesperson told Seventeen in a statement. "Everyone is welcome at H&M and we never take a religious or political stand. Stripes is one of the trends for this season and something we were inspired by. Our intention was never to upset anyone."
