A woman recently went viral on TikTok for calling out what she sees as an outrageous price on a Levi’s cropped shirt at Target.
TikTok user Emily Covington (@emilyncovington) posted a video of herself shopping at a Target store when she spotted a simple, cropped long-sleeved red shirt by Levi’s.
Initially, Covington thought she’d found a great piece, captioning it with, “Oh look a cute red shirt.”
But then, she flipped the price tag and saw that the shirt cost $89.99. “Ummmm, absolutely not,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.
“I can find something almost exact at TJ Maxx for $9.99 this is CRAZY!” Covington wrote in the video’s caption. “@Levi’s have y’all lost your minds????”
The video quickly racked up views, reaching 1.3 million people.
Why are clothes getting more expensive?
Rising clothing costs have many contributing factors, and inflation is just one of them. According to Vogue, the main drivers are increasing costs in shipping, materials, and manufacturing.
In January, Newsweek also highlighted another factor: Escalating tensions in the Red Sea, which they predict will make clothing in the United States even more expensive.
With much of the apparel, sneakers, and electronics sold in the U.S. shipped from Asia, these tensions could mean higher shipping costs that ultimately get passed on to consumers.
As with many other brands, Levi’s sources materials from multiple suppliers, including those in China, which could make them especially susceptible to these price hikes.
Viewers react
In the comments, some users were astonished at the price, while others shared their own shopping horror stories.
“At TARGET???” asked one surprised user.
“It’s crazy when ‘basics’ are hella expensive,” remarked another.
“Saw a flannel shirt yesterday at OLD NAVY for $89.99. OLD NAVY!” exclaimed a third. “Absurd.”
Another user questioned the authenticity of the video. “That HAS to be a joke… I work at Levi’s, and that is not the price we have that shirt for,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot found a similar shirt listed on the official Levi’s site, priced at $34.50, on sale for $24.15.
Covington responded, “All of the tags on the others said it too! I wish I would’ve gotten a video of that too!” It’s unclear if this pricing was an error on Target’s part.
@emilyncovington i can find something almost exact at tjmaxx for $9.99. this is CRAZY! @Levi’s have yall lost your minds???? #levis #target #shoppinghaul #christmas2024 #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #tiktok ♬ original sound – Emily Covington
The Daily Dot reached out to Emily Covington (@emilyncovington) via TikTok and Instagram direct message. We’ve also contacted Levi’s and Target via email.
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The post ‘I can find something almost exact at TJ Maxx for $9.99’: Shopper finds red Levi’s top at Target. Then she checks the price tag appeared first on The Daily Dot.