What was Topman thinking?

How can T shirts as offensive as these be sold by one of Britain's biggest mainstream stores?

As anyone who's run into a full-flowing stag or hen party will know, slogan T-shirts aren't exactly known for their tact and subtlety ("all you can eat", with a fluorescent arrow pointing crotchwards, must be the nadir). But even by those low standards, the two Topman T-shirts that have today kicked up an internet storm pretty much take the breath away. One, in grey marl, reads "Nice New Girlfriend: What Breed Is She?"; while the other, in violent pillarbox-red, lists a series of excuses for an apparent act of domestic violence, including "You provoked me" and "I was drunk".

A campaign against the blatant sexism began on Twitter, where it was picked up by Tender, a London-based charity that works with young people to tackle the causes of domestic violence. They set up a JustGiving campaign, asking people to donate towards their valuable work instead of buying the shirts; and a Facebook group, sTopman, with the aim of raising awareness and ultimately asking Topman to withdraw the T-shirts from sale. The group quickly picked up 332 members before, just a few hours after the backlash began, Topman announced their decision to stop selling the T-shirts.

A spokeswoman said in a statement: "We have received some negative feedback regarding two of our printed T-shirts. While we would like to stress that these T-shirts were meant to be lighthearted and carried no serious meaning, we have made the decision to remove these (sic) from store and on-line as soon as possible. We would like to apologise to those who may have been offended by these designs."

But how on earth can T-shirts as offensive as these have been designed, manufactured and sold by one of Britain's biggest and most mainstream stores? Unfortunately, the store has refused to expand on the statement, to say when T-shirts first went on sale or how many have been sold.

Doireann Larkin, campaigns manager at Tender, is all too familiar with the sentiments expressed by both shirts. "The 'I'm so sorry' T-shirt," she says, "reflects exactly the kinds of excuses used by perpetrators of domestic violence and their friends – they say, 'maybe the girl nagged him', or 'maybe she'd been cheating'. And as for the 'breed' shirt – that's a classic case of objectifying women; of comparing women to dogs." And there was Topman thinking this could be fashionable.

Trayvon Martin protest T-shirts

Concerned citizens have taken to blogs, Twitter and Facebook to post their concerns about the case of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager slain by a neighborhood watch captain in a Florida townhouse development.

They have also, famously, posted them on their backs.

The Trayvon Martin protest T-shirt has become a staple at rallies across the country, and it's difficult to think of another item of clothing more representative of the nation's twitchy zeitgeist in April 2012. Sometimes it seems as though the old-fashioned medium of cotton has done as much as the Internet to spread the memes associated with the tragedy through the country -- and the world.

Some riff on the imagery of Skittles (the snack Martin was bringing home from a convenience store on the night of his shooting), or decry the perceived persecution of people (such as Martin) who wear hoodie sweatshirts. Others, perhaps borrowing from last year's failed campaign to spare the life of Georgia death-row inmate Troy Davis, simply proclaim, "I am Trayvon."

Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, is seeking to trademark the "I am Trayvon" phrase, along with the phrase "Justice for Trayvon." Meanwhile, a mix of outrage and the entrepreneurial spirit is fueling numerous variants.

The Miami Herald reports that a man named Joseph McCollum was selling a shirt at a Sunday protest with Trayvon's face inside the 2008 Obama campaign logo, featuring the president's comment about the case:

"If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon."

On the Web, the company redbubble.com sells a hoodie with a version of a "Neighborhood Watch" sign, which warns, darkly, "WE IMMEDIATELY MURDER ALL SUSPICIOUS PERSONS."

Over at shirtscope.com, $14.95 buys you a simple design with a simple math-inspired statement: "HOODIE (does not equal) HOODLUM."

An EBay vendor named phototshirts1002012 offers a design featuring a likeness of the shooter, George Zimmerman, who has not been charged with a crime, due to Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law.

The shirt reads: 'STAND YOUR GROUND in the PENITENTIARY."

The Smoking Gun website, meanwhile, reports on the existence of a T-shirt with Zimmerman's image paired with the word "cracker" -- along with a couple of demeaning expletives, in an apparent reference to a song by the rapper Plies.

Zimmerman's mother is Peruvian. The Smoking Gun notes, wryly, that the shirt-makers, if nothing else, are "[e]xpanding the definition of 'cracker,'" a term usually reserved for non-Latino whites.

Not to be outdone, an EBay seller named zissou23 offers a black T-shirt with a big image of a handgun and the phrase: "I AM ZIMMERMAN." Smaller text proclaims: "STAND YOUR GROUND."

Back by popular demand

Back by popular demand. Sun Grunge shirt will be available at our store from April 15th. There will be a limited quantity so get yours before the sun goes down!