It's been another weird week in retail. Banana Republic brought back its iconic "Dissent Collar," shearling is now covering everything imaginable and Arby's launched a subscription box that sold out in less than an hour.
This, and more, in this week's retail therapy.
The decision is unanimous: Everyone wants RBG's 'dissent necklace'
To many, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is both an inspiration and an icon. And while we may not all be able to conquer all of the great things she has in her lifetime, at least we can look the part.
Banana Republic first released the necklace back in 2012, which was made famous by Ginsburg, who told Katie Couric in an interview that it was "fitting for dissents." The retailer promised to donate 50% of the purchase price of each necklace sold (priced at $98) to ACLU's Women's Rights Project, which was co-founded by Ginsburg herself in 1972.
And although the necklaces for pre-order have since sold out (for obvious reasons), those interested can sign up to be notified when they're restocked.
Whether it's BIG or RBG, we all like to feel a little "notorious" sometimes.
I missed out on getting a Dissent Collar, and my whole week is ruined. Darn day job getting in the way of my online shopping... pic.twitter.com/3RTjpCaGrP
— Carrie Lomax is on deadline (@Carrie_Lomax) January 9, 2019
Arby's no longer has the meats. It has subscription boxes
It feels as if subscription boxes have cropped up in every facet of our lives — everything from meal kits to clothing. And now, apparently, fast-food chains want in on the action.
Arby's announced its own subscription service, "Arby's of the Month." For a one-time fee of $25, fans receive a curated box monthly for six consecutive months. Fans hungering for some mediocre meat can expect an Arby's-branded beanie, a bacon-print scarf, temporary tattoos and a vintage Arby's sled tray in the first box.
"'Arby's of the Month' is our way of giving back to our fans in a fun and unique way by providing them with the Arby's branded merchandise they didn't even know they wanted," Arby's Chief Marketing Officer Jim Taylor said in a statement.
Maybe they didn't know they wanted it because they don't actually want it. Oh how we wish that was true. The boxes (unfortunately) sold out in under an hour, according to AdWeek.
However, if Arby's past marketing tactics (like its release of meat sweats in 2017) have given us any indication of the company's future plans, this likely won't be the last time it puts meat imagery where it doesn't need to be.
No amount of counting will put these sheep to bed
As the temperature continues to drop, people look for anything to help prevent frostbite and the formation of icicles out of their noses, which are arguably inevitable. A sleeping bag-like coat? Sure. A scarf so puffy it could probably double as a life vest? Why not? This Fendi scarf that resembles what we spend our lives trying to avoid talking about.
"I’m here for a scarf that recalls my emergence from my mother’s body.”
— Highsnobiety (@highsnobiety) October 16, 2018
Twitter just can't handle Fendi's $990 "vulva scarf": https://t.co/4YeDdejwH4 pic.twitter.com/QaT35wRcXs
But retailers have apparently taken this to mean one thing: Find the warmest material and put it on everything. And we mean everything.
Remember when it seemed like everyone was walking around in UGGS? Sure, they were warm, but at what cost? Well, despite our best efforts, the shoes apparently sprouted shearling babies in every form imaginable.
Barneys New York carries a slew of shearling handbags ranging from $450 to $3,025, and Chaos has several sheep-inspired accessories to ensure everything we own is wrapped in a warm hug that only slightly reminds us of a summer on the farm (like this $321 phone case). But it doesn't stop there. Our houses can also now be the coziest places on Earth with this arm chair and ottoman from Serena & Lily. But remember, we said it would be the coziest, not the chicest.
Brace yourselves, the forecast calls for lots and lots of fuzz this season.
Soon, everything will be Uggified. pic.twitter.com/930cMSCd7O
— Kim Bhasin (@KimBhasin) January 8, 2019
Beyoncé shops at Target, too
Some find their Target trips to be quite therapeutic. I mean, who wouldn't feel some type of way about socks and hats and wine and shoes and popcorn and — what were we talking about? But we digress. The point is: Who would've thought that one of the biggest pop stars would be joining the rest of us peasants at the store?
But that's just what Beyoncé did. The superstar was seen at a Los Angeles Target on Monday, and naturally, people took to Twitter to document this major moment in history.
Beyoncé continues to love Target! The star was once again spotted shopping at a Target store in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/LEryfiKkC5
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 8, 2019
????????????I WAS JUST INFORMED BEYONCÈ WAS AT MY LOCAL TARGET TODAY I WAS THINKING OF GOING BECAUSE I NEED NEW SONICARE BRUSH HEADS BUT THEN I GOT TOO BUSY GODDAMNIT THIS IS DEVASTATING????????????
— Leslie Grossman (@MissLeslieG) January 8, 2019
Even Chrissy Teigen chimed in with a reference to her Cravings line at the store.
Beyonce you are so silly, I can just send you my new knives!! https://t.co/J5KDaHtOSc
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 7, 2019
However, this isn't the first time we've seen a celebrity outside of their natural habitat. Over the summer Ludacris was seen buying random people's groceries at Whole Foods on various occasions. And, Martha Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel can't seem to get enough of Costco and its free samples, according to AOL.
No matter how mundane the visit is, people will continue to be amazed by celebrities wandering around our simple world.
