It looks like a designer mistake.
Balenciaga has been mocked for selling exorbitantly priced multi-coloured tank tops that evoke the casual style of the early 2000s that continues to plague millennial fashionistas.
The design combines multiple materials sewn together to create the impression of multiple layered tank tops in pink, blue print and white lace trim.
The stretchy tank top is being sold by the brand for a whopping $1,150, and is already being sold on third-party sites for $1,490.
The style was popular in the early 2000s and was often seen on the Disney Channel red carpet, and was usually made up of inexpensive tops from popular retailers like Abercombie & Fitch and the now-defunct Limited Too.
Lately, styles from this era have been making a comeback: skinny jeans are back, and, whether millennials are ready for it or not, it seems layered tank tops are making a comeback, too.
“What the hell is this in Laguna Beach?” content creator Erin Miller joked in a TikTok video of the expensive shirt, referencing the iconic 2004 reality show.
“My culture is not your costume, Balenciaga,” someone joked.
Avid stylists also pointed out that Balenciaga’s layering technique was all wrong.
“Never wear a white tank top over the top!? That’s an accent underneath and everyone knows it!” one person commented.
“Choosing white for the top tier is diabolical!” another agreed. “It just screams millennial misery.”
While the shirt may evoke nostalgia for some, the price is likely prohibitive for most.
“I have all three of these undershirts in my drawer from 2002. Total value is $6,” someone commented.
“I love it but I’d rather make it myself for $10. Is it legal to charge that much?” another user echoed the comment.
The shirt is currently only available for pre-order with shipping scheduled for the end of October, so we’ll only find out come fall who actually splurges.
The top was released as part of the Winter 2024 collection, along with other similar layered styles.
The luxe look is the latest in a series of collections from the fashion house that offer pricey takes on inexpensive, nostalgic pieces.
They received a lot of flak when “Raver Used Bracelets” – fake “used” wristbands from a fictitious festival – were sold for $3,800.
“Apparently, the days of a festival gaining credibility through hands-on experience are over,” snorted one critic.
Other surprises included a Balenciaga lunchbox and an $1,800 handbag that resembled a plastic potato chip bag.
