May 29, 2018
Designer Shirt Gives New Meaning to Idea of Layering
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga just launched some Franken-fashion that’s befuddling the Twittersphere and beyond. The $1,290 “T-shirt Shirt,” as Balenciaga calls it, can be donned in two ways: Either wear it as a T-shirt, or switch into the long-sleeve button-down that’s inexplicably draped across the front of the tee.
For $200 more, you can show off a more formal version of the look: Balenciaga’s “Double Shirt,” a striped, collared short-sleeve shirt with a long-sleeve top layered across the front.
As you can imagine, the unusual garb has attracted mockery and snark online.
Hey @BALENCIAGA,
— Mike (@AH_Mike) May 28, 2018
I just made my own Double Shirt and it didn't cost thousands of dollars! pic.twitter.com/8daWqAGy7C
When the dress code says “business casual” & you have no idea what that means https://t.co/gkOn3mUdBy
— Bailey Sarian (@BaileySarian) May 28, 2018
Believe it or not, this isn't the first time a Balenciaga piece became the object of online ridicule. Last year, the fashion company released a tote with a striking resemblance to Ikea’s shopping bag.
Balenciaga is selling a $2,145 leather version of the Ikea tote: https://t.co/Cu8DgJ1amv pic.twitter.com/wiWgkUx6uZ
— Glamour (@glamourmag) May 3, 2017
More recently, Balenciaga debuted an $895 New York City sweatshirt that one can probably buy for less then $20 on the streets of Times Square.
This is *almost* funny, but not. pic.twitter.com/ToHm5r26p7
— Miss Suber (@misssuber) April 4, 2018
What's the lesson for promotional products professionals amid all this mockery? The perceived value of an item is truly dependent on public perception, and even high-end designers miss the mark now and again.
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