Fred Perry Pulled a Polo Shirt From the US Market Due to Association with Proud Boys

Publish date: 2024-06-28

Just a few months after learning that an alt-right, gun-toting group called the Boogaloo Bois had claimed Hawaiian shirts as a symbol of sorts, a polo is being pulled from shelves for similar reasons. Fred Perry's iconic black/yellow/yellow colorway will no longer be sold in the US market, due to the fact that it has become associated with a far-right hate group called the Proud Boys.

Members of the Proud Boys, a far right organization dedicated to fighting with leftists, hold a rally on September 26, 2020 in Delta Park, on the northern edge of Portland, Oregon. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

In a statement released on its site, the brand made it clear that it is in no way associated with the Proud Boys, despite the fact that they use a subverted version of the Fred Perry logo, the Laurel Wreath, as representation. It mentioned that the iconic design has been around since the '70s and that it is now working to lawyers "to pursue any unlawful use of our brand."

"Despite its lineage, we have seen that the Black/Yellow/Yellow twin tipped shirt is taking on a new and very different meaning in North America as a result of its association with the Proud Boys," the statement read. "That association is something we must do our best to end. We therefore made the decision to stop selling the Black/Yellow/Yellow twin tipped shirt in the US from September 2019, and we will not sell it there or in Canada again until we’re satisfied that its association with the Proud Boys has ended."

Proud Boys was established in 2016 during the presidential election by VICE Media co-founder Gavin McInnes. The Southern Poverty Law Center has since designated the Proud Boys a hate group, citing a known love of "white nationalist memes" as well as "anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric" — something the Proud Boys deny, claiming they are actually “anti-political correctness” and “anti-white guilt."

In case you missed it, President Trump was asked during 2020's first Presidential Debate if he would denounce the group and tell them to stand down. He instead said to "stand back and stand by."

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