When it comes to clothing, is it really worth shelling out hundreds for designer labels? For one shopper, the answer is no—and he’s making his case with a $28 Polo sweater from Walmart.
TikTok user @mustard517 shared his discovery of a U.S. Polo Assn. quarter-zip sweater in a viral video that’s racked up over 631,800 views since being posted on Nov. 14. While inspecting the sweater in-store, he casually endorsed the item and its price tag.
“You know, as I get older, man,” he says while filming a display rack in Walmart. Grabbing the sweater, he adds, “This [expletive] don’t look too bad. That U.S. Polo assassin don’t look too bad, you feel me?”
The sweater, which features U.S. Polo Assn.’s logo of two polo players, bears an uncanny resemblance to Ralph Lauren’s iconic Polo brand—though it costs a lot less.
Commenters chime in on Walmart’s Polo sweaters
Commenters on the video were quick to chime in with their thoughts.
“In this economy? Absolutely,” one user wrote.
Another said, “Polo for real charging $120 for a pull over. That $28 look right.”
“As you get older you realize it’s all made in the same factory, just different logos,” a third commenter claimed.
“It don’t look bad at all. People just obsessed with brands,” one more added.
The comparisons also extended to jeans brands: “Those Wranglers the new Levi’s”
Are luxury brands worth it?
While quality clothing can be found at nearly any price point, higher-end brands often justify their cost with a focus on details, higher quality materials, and meticulous stitching.
Pricing categories generally fall into fast fashion (budget-friendly but lower quality), mid-tier brands (offering better fabrics and construction), “affordable luxury” brands, which combine higher quality with a more reasonable price tag, and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace and others.
Fashion vlogger Tim Dessaint has pointed out, however, that the correlation between price and quality tends to plateau at the “accessible luxury” level. Beyond that, he says, you’re often paying more for the prestige of the brand name than for tangible improvements in quality.
@mustard517 ♬ original sound – mustard517
The Daily Dot has reached out to @mustard517 via TikTok comment.
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