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Louise Thomas
Editor
People are mocking Balenciaga for its $1,490 layered tank top, with some comparing the style to the early 2000s fashions circulated by Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Though the fashion house is often applauded for its avant-garde techniques, reimagining basics in exaggerated shapes, style enthusiasts believe one item missed the mark. Rather than presenting a fresh design, some fans seemed to think Balenciaga brought back a 2003 style they never wanted to see again.
For $1,490, the brand, helmed by creative director Demna Gvasalia, created a layered top for its winter 2024 collection. The design combines several stretchy materials sewed together to give the illusion of multiple tank tops stacked on top of one another. A white camisole with a little bow and lace trim is the top layer followed by a printed blue one and a hot pink material.
On the Balenciaga website, the tank top extends far past the model’s hips. The top is paired with baggy gray denim, flip-flops, and a shoulder bag – very Y2K-esque. However, internet users weren’t impressed.
“Balenciaga is selling a $1,500 layered lacy tank top straight out of 2003 Abercrombie & Fitch,” one stunned X, formerly known as Twitter, user said.
A frustrated fashion fan exclaimed: “WE ARE NOT GOING BAAAACK!!!”
One TikToker had a bit more to say about the style resurgence. In a video posted on August 21, Erin Miller (@overthemoonfaraway) said: “What in the Laguna beach is this?”
Next to a screenshot of the item listing on Balenciaga’s site, Miller gave her unfiltered opinion. “This should only be allowed to be sold in a dark, dark Hollister in 2004 while you almost die from inhaling too much cologne,” she said.
“It’s described as a mini dress, so thankfully they paired it over jeans,” Miller continued. “Pretty sure Ashley Tisdale already wore that on the red carpet in 2003. Where’s your chunky belt? Where’s your bolero?”
With over 217,000 views on TikTok, Miller’s followers couldn’t help but make jokes about the design being a pillar of 2003 fashion.
One person quipped: “The second this reached my field of vision, voices started telling me to release my inhibitions.”
“I could just easily buy three cheap dresses and layer them the same way I did back in 2008-2009. $1,490 for what?!” a second questioned.
Another noted: “I had six of those. They were $18 at Urban Outfitters in 2002.”
“Someone on here said we are seeing our first cycle of fashion come back as millennials and they were right,” one woman proclaimed.
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