Nicknaming it the “Wirkin” bag – a portmanteau of “Walmart” and “Birkin” that also evokes “working class” – TikTok users have championed the bag as a symbol of working- and middle-class solidarity. Sociologists use the concept of “ symbolic interactionism ” to describe how people deploy symbols to understand and communicate social realities.

An inexpensive knockoff of the Birkin bag, an exclusive, extremely sought-after leather handbag by luxury brand Hermès that can sell for more than $400,000 US has launched a rousing debate online about fashion accessibility and copycat ethics.

Fashionistas who’ve long lusted after Hermès exclusive and ultra-expensive Birkin handbag got a pre-holiday treat thanks to Walmart.com. It offered a reasonably close Birkin facsimile bag – dubbed a “Wirkin” on social media for the “working class Birkin” or “Walmart Birkin” – priced around $100, compared to the $10,000 and up for the real thing.

Walmart has the fashion world talking due to some new merchandise. Lisa Kudrow revealed during an interview on “The Drew Barrymore Show” (via People) that she recently discovered a note the late Matthew Perry left for her inside the “Friends” cookie jar,

The Hermès Birkin bag is famously one of the most coveted handbags in the world — mainly because of its massive price tag and limited availability. A Birkin can run anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000,

Last week we told you about the crazy hype surrounding the “Wirkin” bag, Walmart’s less expensive version of the Birkin, the classic Hermès tote that has been beloved by the rich and famous for decades.

Why would you want a certified fake when you can afford a great array of pricey-appearing bags with the same limited budget?