A simple pink wool sweater from J.Crew ignited a social media firestorm this week after conservative commentator Juanita Broaddrick questioned whether any man would wear it, touching off a flood of outrage, mockery, and memes across X.
“Are you kidding me?? Men, would you wear this $168 sweater?” Broaddrick posted Monday, showcasing the bubblegum-pink knit that J.Crew advertises as “a cold-weather classic.”
The question quickly escalated into a broader culture-war debate over fashion and gender norms, drawing in lawmakers, right-wing influencers, and thousands of commenters.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) amplified Broaddrick’s post, joking that the sweater looked like “something a Sorority girl would wear in the 80’s.” Others took a more comedic tack, photoshopping the garment onto Democratic politicians such as Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA) or inventing fake “collections” supposedly inspired by them.
Gunther Eagleman, an X influencer, quipped, “Be careful, you may offend Eric Swalwell,” after Burchett’s dig at the design.
The criticism wasn’t limited to public figures. Everyday users on X blasted the sweater as part of a broader trend they see as undermining masculinity.
“A man should never wear this. There’s no debate. It’s just a simple no,” one woman wrote on X.
“More feminization of men. Stop it, @jcrew,” another person blasted.
“Please no, make it stop,” conservative commentator Mary Vought said.
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Lt. Col. Robert “Buzz” Patterson added: “I bet [former Illinois Republican Rep.] @AdamKinzinger would.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to J.Crew for comment.