Woman goes to designer stores in SoHo for work bag. She gets laughed out of every single one except Balenciaga
If you’re out on a shopping spree, the last thing you want is to be belittled by workers who don’t think you’re fancy enough to shop in their stores. Unfortunately, it can be tough to find a high-fashion space that’s also a judgment-free zone.
Considering fashion is an industry rife with elitism and classism, is it any surprise that some non-wealthy shoppers have bad experiences in the higher-end fashion retailers? This phenomenon is so well-known that it was immortalized in the iconic ’90s romcom Pretty Woman, in which Julia Roberts’ character gets snubbed at an expensive boutique for not looking like their customary, rich clientele. This “Pretty Woman effect” sometimes even boosts sales in real life.
But while being classist might be a custom for some, it sure doesn’t win the hearts of customers long-term. One woman has even gone viral for sharing her experience of the Pretty Woman effect during a shopping trip.
‘Every designer store in Soho laughed at me’
In a video first posted in Dec. 2025, which has since gotten well over 500,000 views, Maya Johnston (@missingpinkytoenail on TikTok) takes us through her not-so-fun journey of searching for a designer backpack.
“Every designer store in Soho laughed at me before I bought this,” Johnston begins in the video, holding an unopened Balenciaga bag. “So let me tell you a little bit about it while we unbox it.”
Johnston then says she’s been walking to work daily—”about a 30 minute walk each way”—and has started experiencing back pain from the tote bag she wears on one shoulder.
“So I was like, OK, new fancy job, let’s treat myself to a new fancy bag,” Johnston continues. “But I have to get a backpack, and I’ve been so anti-backpack for the longest time.”
Johnston decided that if she was “gonna wear something every day,” that something needed to be good quality. So, it seemed worth splurging on a pricier product from a nice, high-quality brand—especially now that she had a “big girl job.”
“So I was going to all the designer stores asking if they had backpacks, and I got like, laughed out of most stores,” Johnston says. “They’d be like, ‘Do you want a tote? We do totes or mini backpacks.’ I guess like, backpacks are gauche.”
Johnston says designer employees continued to pressure her to get a tote even though she clearly didn’t want one. Finally, after much frustration, she finally got what she was looking for at Balenciaga.
“Eric at Balenciaga, Soho was amazing,” Johnston says, shouting out the employee who helped her. “I found the perfect backpack.”
Johnston then pulls out her hard-earned backpack at last, revealing a good-sized black leather backpack to the camera.
“It’s obviously a men’s backpack, somehow less expensive than the pure nylon Prada backpacks,
but this is leather,” she details. “Balenciaga City backpack. It’s huge, it’ll fit my laptop, but it still has personality. And I’ll probably put Some charms on it. So, yeah, I’m super excited.”
A pro-backpack comments section
Whatever Johnston’s experience may have been, backpacks are hardly “gauche” these days—there’s a way to wear them so that they’re cooler than ever. And her comment section reinforced how necessary backpacks can be.
“I have a backpack from @Loewe and I’m obsessed and love not having a hurt back/ shoulders,” one viewer commented. “Yours is so cute, good choice.”
“My back hurts too!” affirmed another viewer. “This is so great!! Elegant and edgy AND functional! Ok queen.”
“I’m so pro backpack and I feel like I got shamed out of it,” confessed another. “I gotta bring it back.”
Other viewers were confused by the condescension Johnston allegedly experienced, considering virtually all designer houses sell backpacks—and have for a while.
“I can’t think of one design brand that dosent have or had one backpack in their inventory,” wrote one commenter.
“Coach has back packs , Prada has back packs,Marc Jacobs had back packs…” commented another with a “confused” emoji.
“Which is funny because all those brands made backpacks in the 2010’s,” a third pointed out.
Make it make sense.
@missingpinkytoenail Luxury shopping SoHo except it’s for a backpack and Balenciaga city bag it is as my new chic work bag #balenciaga #workbag #luxuryworkbag ♬ original sound – MJ
Which designer brands sell backpacks?
Obviously, Balenciaga has backpacks for all the more practical-minded fashionistas out there—and they’re not prohibitive re. who buys them! But plenty of other fashion houses sell backpacks, even if Johnston didn’t have any luck getting her hands on them.
Since Johnston found herself a nice black leather backpack, let’s take a look at similar ones across fashion brands. Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Burberry, and Dolce&Gabbana all have options similar to the Balenciaga one Johnston snagged.
On the more affordable end of the spectrum, Michael Kors, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, and Valentino all have similar backpack selections as well.
While these backpacks can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands, there are definitely options for people who are looking for a backpack made with the premium quality of a luxury brand.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Johnston and Balenciaga via email.
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