SKIMS revealed its Advent Calendar for 2026, but it seems more like SKAMS than SKIMS
It all started with a TikTok video posted by one customer, who was apparently too impatient to wait until December and decided to give everyone a sneak peek before they considered purchasing it. She opened all 12 windows at the beginning of November, only to find out that the €188 calendar might not be worth its price. The video went viral, and people were not particularly impressed. Some even started calling it the SKAMS calendar.
So, what was inside?
First of all, not 24 or 25 windows, but 12. Fair enough, we’ve got used to it by now. Advent calendars aren’t just about tiny chocolates anymore; fashion houses and more expensive brands are expected to fill them with more valuable gifts. At least, that’s the idea.
We got a teddy bear keychain, multiple sets of hair ties spread across different windows, SKIMS-logo bobby pins, a tiny SKIMS-shaped squishy (the new generation of slime), logo hair clips, a bra strap turned into a hair tie (still not entirely sure what this is supposed to be), some more bobby pins, a comb keychain (not particularly useful, but at least it screams SKIMS), ONE MORE KEYCHAIN, all wrapped in an impressive amount of tissue paper. And last but not least, ANOTHER keychain: a furry double mirror one.
The reactions tell it all
The comment section is hilarious, considering the situation itself isn’t. Here are some of my favourites:
“So basically everything that falls between my car seats”
“Girl, I feel like we are cleaning out Kim’s nightstand”
“And what if I were bald like-”
“I wouldn’t pay $15 for that.”
SKIMS answered
Of course, the marketing team quickly became aware of the situation and responded to customers who had purchased the calendar via email.
They offered two options: return the item for a full refund, or keep it and receive the purchase price back in store credit.
“We understand the product did not meet customers’ expectations, and we are truly sorry.”
But how did it happen?
Last year’s calendar was an underwear calendar, priced at more than $500, with 25 doors. This year’s edition was marketed as an accessories calendar, priced at €188, with just 12 windows.
Perhaps SKIMS wanted to open up the market to a younger audience, who might appreciate a squishy more than a pair of thongs. Although, clearly, nobody was quite prepared for this. SKIMS built its reputation as an underwear brand, so people were expecting at least a pair of socks or something that felt a little more valuable for the price.
Some people think the whole thing could have been a planned marketing strategy. Release a product that doesn’t meet expectations, generate a huge amount of free press, then offer customers their money back or store credit. And, if we’re playing along with that theory, perhaps the brand is setting the stage for a new calendar in 2027, one that’s genuinely good and everyone will want.
Guess we’ll never know the truth. And if this is exactly what you were looking for in an Advent calendar, I have to disappoint you: it’s currently sold out, so you’ll have to join the waiting list, though you’ll have to wait for a while. We believe the brand has decided to stop selling it.