A designer brand is facing backlash after dying a pair of pricey jeans to appear as though the wearer has wet their pants.
"I'm getting too old for this," one weary Redditor wrote in the subreddit community r/awfuleverything, sharing a screenshot of a post from the Instagram account Wasted (@wasted).
According to the Instagram Post, the "pee-stained" jeans are from JordanLuca and retail for around $800. The Stain Stonewash design is already sold out.
"If anyone buys these it proves that you can sell anything to people if you market it as the latest trend," one commenter wrote before realizing that people had already snatched them all up.
Sadly, they may have a point.
The secondhand apparel market in the United States is outpacing the growth of the traditional retail sector, according to ThredUP's 2024 Resale Report, with many consumers scoring deals on high-quality items for a fraction of the original cost.
However, the fast-fashion market is also on the rise. As detailed by PR Newswire, part of the reason for this is the desire for affordable items that have limited style shelf lives.
While JordanLuca doesn't appear to be churning out high volumes of cheap clothes, like popular fast-fashion brands Shein and Brandy Melville, its production of a novelty pair of jeans that will surely be worn only a handful of times seems like a waste of precious resources.
The fashion industry accounts for more than 20% of water pollution worldwide, while dyeing and finishing processes generate around 3% of global carbon pollution. Overall, fashion is the third-most polluting sector.
While fast fashion is a major culprit, decisions by high-end brands also play a role. Balenciaga is another designer that recently received scrutiny for a heavily distressed pair of jeans.
In this case, the ludicrous design by JordanLuca provided plenty of fodder for Redditors.
"Hey everyone, Billy peed his pants," one person quipped, referring to a famous scene from the 1995 film Billy Madison.
Others compared it to the Calico Cut Pants sketch from the show I Think You Should Leave, where a character uses a fake site selling stained jeans to explain away actual pee stains.
"This is what happens when there are no public bathrooms," another user joked.
"It's more of I'm buying it because it's ironic... but sold out it was probably not that many pairs to begin with," someone else wrote.
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