Over the past few years, the “cottagecore” aesthetic has become widespread, with features about the movement appearing in such august publications as the New York Times and the Guardian.
“In the cottagecore universe, there are no phones pinging constantly with updates, no urgent work emails, no evenings spent responding to the onerous demands of a tyrannical boss,” wrote the New York Times’ Isabel Slone. “In fact, there is no labor beyond domestic, and workaday tasks are completed with a gauzy sense of fulfillment.”
But with every trend comes the inevitable capitalization of it. Now, Zara is getting criticism on TikTok for its take on the phenomenon.
While numerous straw brooms are available on Amazon for anywhere from $10 to $20, TikTok user Dalım (@dalimdansofraya) says they discovered that a Zara Home in Berlin was selling its own straw broom for 29.99€, which is around $32.
“I am [speechless],” she writes in the caption. The video currently has over 1.7 million views.
In the comment section, many users lambasted Zara for the product.
“Zara home is always a good place to make you laugh,” offered a user.
“Zara gonna label it like eco-friendly, recyclable, 100% natural materials, vintage, cottage core manual cleaning device,” shared another.
Several users from outside of the U.S. were also quick to joke about the topic, as straw brooms are still commonly used around the world both in and outside of the home.
“I am shocked at this price from zara. We in Slovak Republic can buy it for 3€,” claimed a commenter.
“Not in this Balkan household,” stated a second.
“In Croatia u can find the same at some street market for 2€,” claimed a third.
“Those are like $3 dollars in Mexico,” noted a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dalım via Instagram DM and Zara Home Germany via its website contact form.
