What exactly is ‘smart casual’? It’s a baffling term, and one that many have tried to answer. But really, who knows exactly what it means. The Cambridge dictionary defines it as a look that’s “neat and stylish, but not too formal” (yeah, that wasn’t very helpful).
Perhaps the biggest issue is the fact that ‘smart casual’ is an oxymoron—two seemingly opposing ideas that can’t quite reconcile. How can one look prim and proper, yet laid-back and chill?
Well, we think we might have found the answer: Balenciaga’s T-shirt Shirt.
It’s exactly as its name suggest. It’s a t-shirt, with a shirt attached to the front. It comes in a casual, relaxed blue attached to a collared, striped shirt. It also cost USD$1,290, or approximately $1,726. But hey, you are essentially getting two tops for the price of one!
Here are some situations where we think a t-shirt -shirt hybrid might come in handy (and also make perfect sense):
– It’s hot out. You want to look like you put in the effort in dressing up without packing on the layers.
– It’s cold out. You want a layered look that’s unique.
– You need more pockets.
– You work in a front-facing job and it’s dress-down Friday.
If you’re as onboard as we are on this very extra outfit, here’s how you can cop the look for significantly lesser. Grab a t-shirt. Grab a shirt. Attach them with tape or safety pins—something easily reversible in case you realise how stupid avant-garde you look.
Five minutes later and we created a look that’s fresh off the catalog. We’re sorry Balenciaga, meme-worthy aesthetics aside, there’s no way we’re going to fork out thousands on what seems like a DIY craft project.
In fact, this is not the first time the brand has created such outlandish pieces in the name of fashion. They were the brains behind the platform crocs and IKEA-inspired tote bags, and each item sparked a public outcry.
Yes, they might be absurd. But so are we and the rest of the Internet for falling for their marketing tactic. For what it fails in style, it certainly makes up for it in its virality and ability to get people talking. And that certainly counts as a win for them.
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