I’ve seen a lot of crazy things in the past two years–Swedish glaciers in the Grand Palais, Courtney Love performing in a gas station, Karl Lagerfeld drinking Diet Coke out of a crystal goblet in Madison Square Park–but nothing’s so completely insane as this Balmain t-shirt.
It’s $1,625. That’s one thousand, six hundred and twenty-five dollars. That’s $65 more than this Balmain leather bag. And it’s cotton. A cotton t-shirt with holes.
I get the ripped t-shirt thing, I actually think it can look great, but I also think anyone can rip holes in the right place, and the fact that this cotton t-shirt costs as much as a Chanel bag, more than a month of Manhattan rent, enough to cover almost two years of unlimited Metro cards is beyond absurd, with all due respect to Monsieur Decarnin.
Unless the inside of it’s coated in gold leaf, whoever buys it is a wackadoo.
Tags: Balmain, Net-a-Porter
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THANK YOU–I thought I was some hyper-practical wacko for thinking the same thing. And isn't it also “costume-y” as opposed to style-ish?
what a piss-take. the high end version of topshop.
That t-shirt was priced that way expressly for someone to write about it. That's the marker of Balmain. For all the talk of couture-like construction and impeccable materials, the stuff is priced for women who pay no attention to price. Balmain is like a religion, it would collectively disappear if we all just stopped talking about it.
I think Balmain makes some great stuff, but I'll rip my own T-shirts, thank you ver much.
The reality is, no one is actually going to buy this T-shirt. They will be given away to editors, stylists, etc. And the one person that is stupid enough to buy it will cover the costs of all the shirts. Brills.
http://www.speakfemme.blogspot.com
Amen to that!
this is embarrassing !
So what if I bought it? Why must I be judged by society? Why!
i totally agreed with everything you said & was nodding along until i got to the last sentences. 'with all due respect' to decarnin & then 'whoever buys it…'
so. we can't be disrespectful of those who create it, but can totally judge those who purchase it? ummm.
it's their money. let them spend it on whatever they see fit. you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but making such judgmental remarks is really frustrating.
oneporktaco.tumblr.com
The best part is, some sizes are already sold out!
Thank you for saying what's been on my mind for awhile now. I think people are a little too slavishly devoted to Decarnin and his work at Balmain. To me, it's repetitive and overpriced. I can see a big price tag for something smothered in sequins that makes you look amazing (or at least did a few seasons ago, the first time it was down the runway), but this shirt and its exorbitant price are just laughable.
http://lastnightslipstick.tumblr.com/
I haz the extra extra large.
maybe it was 16.25?
On the bright side, it would be really easy to sport a knock-off of this thing. :o)
Whoever buys this shirt has a serious passion for fashion!
http://asliceofretailheaven.wordpress.com
I already received mine and another girl in the office wore hers today.
FAIR ENOUGH.
… and always refreshing to see the courage to call out even the most of-the-moment design houses when absurdity ensues.
Ha! I blogged about this a couple of weeks ago because my grandmother came to meet me in Paris after the shows for her 80th birthday. I wanted to show her 'my world' so took her to that new concept store L'Eclaireur and she almost FAINTED when she saw the price of that tshirt – she wanted to walk out!! Lanvin and Dries on the other hand, she had no issues with the prices…
http://layersandswathes.wordpress.com/2010/03/1…
How about this for judgment? I think both whoever purchases this and the designer need a reality check. Sure it's your money and time, spend it how you wish. But perhaps if some people were to consider 1. real artists who struggle to see good work get noticed and 2. real people with normal budgets they might get a clue. There is no real design nor quality to speak of regarding this shirt– I do believe the grunge look from over 20 years ago pretty much covered all this ground. It is one thing to pay a grand for a real work of art or design, but THIS?! And more so, what is someone with enviable training, connections and resume doing making what amounts to a rag purchased from an army surplus store?! Why is this getting all the attention when there are young, talented designers with fresh ideas and sensibilities? melina bee
I have one mostly the same from Mango….and it was only $25 :))
got a gun sweetheart? http://www.iscariotteh.wordpress.com
perhaps this is more to your liking…
http://www.openingceremony.us/products.asp?menu…
If you look at that picture, with the sleeves placed just so, it looks like a dog face. Albeit, a very shocked dog face (I hear Scooby's voice going “roir?” at the price).
Woof.
I'm all for beautiful fashion and paying for quality, but this makes me sick to my stomach.
What the hell is wrong with this world when some misguided fashion-wannabe can spend this hideous sum on a hideous shirt while millions of children starve to death*?
If you're lucky and fortunate enough to have this kind of money to throw away, do something useful and productive with your wealth.
* insert your charity of choice.
My rant is why do we need another website like this when there are countless others?
I agree to what ALL other people have said and expressed here. BUT. If I had the money I would buy the t-shirt. I like it, it is great and I totally want it. It is AS EASY as that.
And by the way I work in a store that have sold LOTS of these tees. I too was sceptical as to if it would sell at this price. But it did without any effort. So stop wining about this already. What sells. Sells. And we should have no opinion of that whatsoever. Do we comment on why hugely expensive cars sell? Houses? Furniture? Food? Wines? Why is expensive clothes and bags such a stigma?
Too cute and love that it’s in keeping with the theme of the guest blog.