Thanks to TikTok, Gap Is Bringing Back Its Brown Logo Hoodie
Gap is in the midst of a very big, very viral year. Just a couple of weeks after debuting the inaugural product from its buzzy new line with Kanye West, the American mall mainstay is capitalizing on a spate of free PR courtesy of a surprising source: TikTok.
Earlier this year, users on Gen-Z’s platform of choice started sharing videos of themselves wearing Gap’s instantly recognizable logo hoodie, a staple of the brand’s core offering since the style was introduced in the late ‘90s. In January, TikTok star Barbara Kristoffersen raised the stakes when she uploaded a video of herself wearing the hoodie in a brown colorway that the brand hasn’t made since the early aughts—and racked up close to two million views in the process. (On TikTok, #gaphoodie has more than 6 million views and counting.)
Now, inevitably, Gap is bringing the brown hoodie back. Starting today, you can preorder your own reissued pullover at Gap’s website for $60. The sweatshirts are set to deliver later this summer, which means you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your body roll before it arrives. (If you’re looking to cop one in a non-brown color, you can do that right now—they’re on sale!)
The style’s newfound popularity reflects a perfect storm of internet catnip—it simultaneously harnesses a younger generation’s nostalgia for Y2K-era fashion and taps into demand for overlooked objects of desire of years bygone. It is, in some ways, a tale as old as time. But it also marks a new milestone for TikTok’s growing influence in the fashion sphere, an official acknowledgment of an impact devoted fashion fans already understood.
TikTok has long been a breeding ground for new trends. Designers have taken to mining the platform for inspiration (with varying degrees of success), and the platform serves as a valuable gauge of consumer sentiment among an age group that retailers are eager to please. But the upcoming release might be the first time a brand as big as Gap has responded so explicitly to the clamoring of the ring light set. And it sure looks like a win-win for all parties. For Gap, it’s a lay-up. It’s a good-looking hoodie! It makes sense to sell it. For the teens on TikTok, the promise of internet fame—or at least, like, a solid fit pic—is one purchase closer.
Published at Sat, 26 Jun 2021 17:53:26 +0000