Pickle Sweatshirts Are TikTok's Latest Fashion Trend
Pickles appear to be having something of a cultural moment. From pickle-flavored macarons to pickle-flavored wine cocktails, the sour snack appears to have infiltrated all aspects of food culture, even where it doesn't necessarily make sense. However, few probably had pickle sweatshirts on their bingo cards as the latest viral fashion trend. Yet, here we are in 2023 with pickle apparel invading TikTok.
Several different online stores appear to be selling the sweatshirts with prices ranging from $20 to $44 on average. The design varies from shirt to shirt but generally features different jars of pickles. You could also sport a pickle-shaped deer design and a heartbeat that leads to a jar of pickles, among others. Though pickle shirts have been on the market before — including in 2022 – one online retailer, Bad Addiction Boutique, appears to be the source of the current viral craze. This boutique has reached the masses, selling over 23,200 shirts, according to Today.
The online shop appears to have most successfully reached fans by posting videos on TikTok. From there, other influencers have caught on, leading to a viral trend, but why exactly have these tangy threads exploded on the social media platform?
What's behind the pickle shirt trend?
If it seems like everyone on TikTok has a pickle shirt, then there's actually a good reason why. As eagle-eyed fans may have noticed, many of the influencers promoting the pickle sweatshirts have an "eligible for commission" tag in the corner of their screens. According to TikTok's policy, these influencers are eligible for a percentage of sales for the product they're promoting on the TikTok shop. One TikToker, @1800tshirts, theorizes that there may be a larger conspiracy at play. According to the TikToker, the social media platform is likely promoting videos with the pickle shirt as a means of promoting its own shop.
@rachsullivan__ I will be wearing this sweatshirt until further notice 🥒
Nefarious, we know, but as of right now, that rumor hasn't been confirmed. However, another TikToker, Jon Thrifts, who participated in the affiliate program, says they didn't actually buy the shirt themself. Instead, they were given a stipend to purchase the shirt as part of promoting it on their channel. "Why is everyone buying it? They're not," they said. "Well, some people are but the creators showing you the product, they probably got it for free."
So, this could explain why it seems like pickle sweatshirts are becoming popular on the site. As far as the public reception, however, many people seem to love the shirt, which may have also played a part in its popularity. The season of the pickle continues.