Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Banana Republic wants shoppers to know that the Tall Trench Dress no longer costs $175. Now, in a very special offer, it's $225. Writes a baffled Megan McCardle, "This is something I've never seen before—a website advertising a $50 price increase on a dress. (A dress which—foo!—I myself was hoping to own when it went on sale.) I'm trying to figure out what the advantage is of not merely raising the price, but flashing the price increase in red." It's got to be a mistake, right? [Megan McCardle via Joseph Weisenthal]