Furious shoppers have slammed Zara over a children’s Halloween costume they claim resembles uniforms worn by Auschwitz prisoners.
The high-street giant was selling its Kids’ Halloween Groom Costume for £39.99 in grey and blue.
But critics said its vertical stripes, faded finish and cut bore an uncomfortable resemblance to uniforms worn by concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust.
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Some also claimed parts of the pattern appeared to resemble barbed wire, as reported by Need To Know.
Zara described the outfit as “a children’s costume with vertical stripe design, decorative topstitching, lapel flower and distressed effect”.
The two-piece outfit, which includes a cardigan and shorts, is made from cotton and polyester.
Shoppers hit out at the design online, with one person asking: “How do you think this is going, Zara?”
Another shopper wrote: “If this is true, I hope nobody, and I mean NOBODY, ever buys anything from Zara again.”
A third person said that if the chain wanted to “finish” a costume a grandfather had worn in Auschwitz, “only a number still needs to be added”.
However, others argued the outfit looked more like the famous black-and-white striped suit worn in Beetlejuice.
Naomi Mestrum, director of the Centre for Information and Documentation Israel, said the Holocaust association “remains” and is “painful”.
She said: “I have a lot of understanding for the people reacting with indignation.
“Let this be a lesson for Zara.”
Ms Mestrum did not call for the costume to be withdrawn and said she did not assume there was any malicious intent behind its design.
She added: “If you yourself do not carry that painful history, you make the association less quickly.
“I think the average person walking through Zara will not notice this so quickly.”
It is not the first time the retailer has faced criticism over similar comparisons.
In 2014, Zara withdrew a children’s striped top featuring a star badge after shoppers compared it to uniforms worn by concentration camp prisoners, as reported by Need To Know.
And in 2007, the retailer pulled a handbag over embroidery that critics said resembled swastikas.
A customer who complained about the latest costume was reportedly told: “Sincere apologies for the inconvenience. We are aware and have passed this on internally to address as quickly as possible.”
As of this morning, the costume could no longer be found on Zara’s UK website.
The company has not yet issued a public statement.
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