Launched in late ‘07, Zypcodes and the zypcodes.com site became an overnight status symbol.
Each zypcodes t-shirt displays the zip code from America’s wealthiest zip codes, such as Fisher Island (where celebs like Oprah and J-Lo keep their pieds-a-terre), and Alpine, NJ (known for high-profile rapper residents like Lil Kim). Consequently, the T-shirts have built-in equity, but only for the truly elite. To make them even more exclusive, the shirts are priced in direct ratio to property values in the zipcodes, so a shirt with the Palo Verdes, CA zip can sell for as much as $320.
Overtly snobbish, the site seems to have spawned a viral search frenzy using key word phrases such as “IRTFW”. This phenomenon seems to follow a trend toward social network elitism in fashion as seen on invite-only fashion portals.
Why oh why oh
why would you ever want to buy such an insanely expensive Tee? Hello! Because it's not just any old Tee, it's a zypcode. It's the one Tee the peons, drones and turistas won't get their grubby little mitts on any time soon. The one Tee that says you're a true native of the ruling class. That you live exactly where your zypcode says you do. That everything is pretty much okay there. And maybe even more than okay.
(zypcodes)
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