Look, I’m not saying I discovered it first. I’m really not. I’m actually embarrassingly late to this particular party, which is a special kind of shame for someone who literally gets paid to be ahead of trends. But three weeks ago, I was doing my usual Target run for laundry detergent and dog food (thrilling, I know), when I noticed this woman in the home goods section wearing what looked like a really good silk button-down. Like, really good. The kind of perfect oversized silk shirt that usually costs about $400 from some minimalist brand whose Instagram is all beige everything.
I did that creepy thing fashion people do where we stare a little too long at strangers’ outfits, trying to figure out where something is from without having to actually ask and reveal ourselves as the style stalkers we are. But she caught me looking, and instead of giving me the New York “mind your business” death stare, she grinned and said, “It’s from here. Women’s section. Twenty-nine bucks. You’re welcome.”
And that, friends, is how I discovered the Target button-down that has apparently broken TikTok while I was busy watching dog videos like the elder millennial I am.
After thanking her profusely (and abandoning my shopping cart to make a beeline for the women’s section), I found the holy grail: the A New Day Satin Button-Down that comes in seven colors and costs—I still can’t believe this—$29.99. I bought it in cream because I have approximately zero self-control, and also because the fabric had this perfect weight to it that draped exactly how you want an oversized shirt to drape.
When I got home and actually tried it on, I had that rare moment of retail satisfaction where something is actually even better than it looked on the rack. The cut is somehow both relaxed and flattering. The fabric has this subtle sheen that looks expensive without veering into cheesy territory. The buttons don’t look cheap (the downfall of many an affordable button-down). I immediately went online and ordered two more colors (the black and this gorgeous olive green that’s giving me serious Row vibes).
It wasn’t until I posted a mirror selfie wearing it tucked into my favorite vintage Levi’s that my phone exploded with messages. “YOU GOT THE SHIRT!” texted Emma, like I’d managed to score Taylor Swift tickets or something. “Omg welcome to the club,” wrote my cousin in LA. “I have three.” And then came the DMs from followers: “Is that THE Target shirt?” “How are you styling the Target button-down?” “Did you size up or get your normal size?”
Apparently, while I was blissfully unaware, this shirt had become TikTok famous. Like, 54-million-views famous. Like, selling-out-nationwide famous. I’d accidentally stumbled upon the unicorn of affordable fashion—something that looks expensive, feels good quality, comes in inclusive sizing (XXS to 4X!), and costs less than a fancy lunch.
So I did what any self-respecting fashion editor would do: I went down the rabbit hole. Three hours and approximately 200 TikTok videos later, I emerged with an encyclopedic knowledge of how people are styling this damn shirt and a weird crick in my neck from holding my phone at the same angle for too long. You’re welcome.
The most popular styling approach—and the one I immediately copied, if I’m being honest—is the classic French tuck into rigid denim. The contrast between the fluid satin and structured jeans just works, especially if you add a slim belt and leave a few buttons undone at the top. TikTok user @stylebymaeve has a whole series with this shirt and different jeans styles that’s oddly mesmerizing. She swears by sizing up two sizes for the perfect oversized fit, but I found my regular medium worked fine for that slightly slouchy look without veering into “wearing my dad’s clothes” territory.
But where things get really interesting is how creative people are getting with this basic piece. I’ve seen it tied at the waist over slip dresses (genius for transitional weather, filing that away for future use). Buttoned all the way up with a statement necklace for a more polished look. Worn open over tank tops as a light jacket. One woman even cut hers cropped and sewed the bottom hem, which feels like a criminal offense against a $30 shirt that already looks this good, but she seemed happy with her life choices.
The most unexpected styling trick I’ve seen—and subsequently tried myself—comes from creator @emilyelizabeth, who wore the white version buttoned only at the very top, tucked into a maxi skirt, and belted to create a kind of makeshift waistcoat situation. It should have looked like a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen, but somehow gave off major 90s minimalist vibes. I tried it for dinner with friends last weekend and got three compliments before the appetizers arrived.
What’s fascinating about this particular viral item is that it crosses age groups in a way most TikTok fashion trends don’t. I’ve seen college students styling it with low-rise puddle pants and chunky loafers, giving major “cool TA who everyone has a crush on” energy. I’ve seen women in their 40s pairing it with tailored trousers and heels for office wear. My 62-year-old mother now owns it in three colors after I texted her about it (though she insists on calling it her “TikTak shirt,” which makes me want to die a little).
Even fashion industry people—who are typically allergic to anything too accessible—are getting in on it. A stylist friend who regularly works with luxury brands admitted to me over drinks that she bought it in every color and has been passing it off as “vintage Jil Sander” on shoots. “No one can tell the difference,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder like the fashion police might burst in and confiscate her Target card. “I just remove the tag and add better buttons if it’s for a close-up shot.”
Of course, as with any viral fashion item, there’s a dark side to this story. The shirt has been perpetually selling out online and in stores. Target’s restocking algorithm remains one of life’s great mysteries, up there with how planes stay in the air and why my hair always looks better on day three of not washing it. I’ve heard tales of people driving to multiple Targets in a single day trying to hunt down specific colors and sizes. There’s even a Discord group—yes, really—dedicated to tracking restocks across the country. Fashion has never been more feral than in the comments of a TikTok announcing that the olive shade is back in stock in regular and plus sizes.
This isn’t the first time Target has struck affordable fashion gold, of course. The retail giant has a history of creating pieces that somehow cut through the noise and become must-haves. Remember the wild prairie dress craze of 2019? Those leopard midi skirts that reproduced like rabbits across America that same year? Target has mastered the art of creating pieces with enough trend relevance to feel current, but enough classic appeal to act as wardrobe workhorses.
What makes this particular shirt different is its chameleon-like ability to look completely different depending on how it’s styled. In the roughly 72 hours of my life I’ve spent scrolling through #TargetButtonDown content, I’ve seen it look preppy, minimalist, vintage-inspired, office-appropriate, weekend-casual, and even slightly edgy when paired with leather pants and chunky boots.
“It’s like the perfect blank canvas,” explained fashion TikToker Marissa when I DM’d her about her viral series showcasing ten different ways to style the shirt. “Everyone sees something different in it. Some people want it to look like The Row, others are going for that oversized 90s vibe, some want a classic button-down for work. It manages to be all those things without really being any of them, if that makes sense.”
It makes perfect sense, actually. In a fashion landscape that increasingly demands versatility from our clothes, finding something that can work across different aesthetics, occasions, and seasons feels like striking gold—especially at a price point that doesn’t induce immediate buyer’s remorse.
Of course, there’s a conversation to be had about sustainability and fast fashion here. I’m generally an advocate for investing in quality pieces rather than accumulating quantities of cheaper items. But even I can recognize that a $30 shirt that gets worn dozens of ways over multiple seasons ultimately has a better cost-per-wear ratio than many pricier items that sit unworn after their initial novelty wears off.
The true test of any viral fashion item is its staying power beyond the initial hype cycle. Will we all be embarrassed about our Target button-down collections six months from now, the way some of us (definitely not me, nope) feel about those Amazon nightgown dresses from 2020? Maybe. But something about the classic nature of a good button-down suggests this might have more longevity than your average TikTok fashion sensation.
As Nina, a fashion buyer friend, pointed out when I texted her about my new obsession: “A good button-down never really goes out of style. The fact that it’s from Target is just a bonus for your bank account.”
For now, I’m fully embracing my late-to-the-party status with this shirt. I’ve worn the cream one four times in the past two weeks, styled differently each time. I’ve evangelized about it to random women in elevators. I’ve started automatically checking the women’s section every time I go to Target for household essentials, just in case there’s been a restock of the light blue shade that continues to elude me.
Last weekend, I wore the black version to a fashion week party, paired with vintage Levi’s, strappy heels, and a ridiculous amount of gold jewelry. A well-known street style photographer actually stopped me to take my picture, which resulted in me awkwardly blurting out, “It’s from Target!” before he even asked.
He just shrugged and said, “Cool. The lighting here is great.”
And that, perhaps, is the ultimate success story of any affordable fashion find—when it stops being “good for the price” and just becomes “good,” full stop. When nobody questions where it’s from because it simply looks right. When you stop thinking about the tag and just enjoy wearing something that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.
So if you need me, I’ll be refreshing the Target app every morning at 6 AM, trying to snag that elusive light blue satin button-down. And if you spot me in line at your local store, clutching one like I’ve found the last bottle of water in the apocalypse, no you didn’t. Mind your business and get your own shirt. But also, doesn’t it look amazing with these vintage Levi’s?