A 31-year-old woman has set TikTok alight after sharing her painfully awkward run-in with a Gen Z woman at a wedding.
Abby Treece, from the US, captured the moment every woman dreads as she strolled into a wedding with a black tie theme.
The clip begins with Treece showing off her stunning strapless floral maxi dress paired with an elegant scarf detail draped around her neck.
Treece then flips the camera around only to reveal another woman wearing the exact same $129.95 dress, standing just meters away from her.
The video, which has gathered over one million likes, was captioned: “I was embarrassed for a sec until I realized I, a 31-year-old, am matching a COOL YOUNG Gen Z at this wedding.”
She then thanked the Australian brand Peppermayo for keeping her “young and cool”.
Treece told news.com.au that she immediately went up to her Gen Z counterpart after noticing her dress.
“We told each other how good the other looked. I told her I felt cool that I was matching with her,” she said.
Commenters on Treece’s post complimented the woman on her outfit choice, with one saying, “You look amazing!”
“You look beautiful! The colors bring out your eyes,” agreed another.
Some shoppers who had also purchased the frock agreed it was a great buy.
“Most beautiful dress I have ever worn! So comfortable and flattering,” said one satisfied customer on the brand’s website.
“I loved the neck scarf. I got so many compliments,” said another.
While Treece was relieved to find her outfit choice was very much on-trend, many others were divided, with some quick to point out that the attached “neck scarf” bears striking resemblance to a dupatta.
“Nice dupatta; which culture are you appropriating next?,” said one sarcastic commenter.
“Why is our culture the new fashion trend?,” chimed in another.
A dupatta is a long scarf or shawl-like piece of fabric typically worn by women in South Asia.
It’s often draped over the shoulders, head, or waist and can be adorned with embroidery and beading.
It serves as a religious symbol of modesty, respect, and grace with its history dating back to ancient times.
“I am thankful I am able to be educated on such an important cultural matter,” Abby told news.com.au in response to the negativity.
“[But] I think some of [the comments] have gone too far.”
“They’re coming for me individually rather than a large group,” she added.
Despite this, Treece says she is “always happy to learn and grow” and is choosing to focus on the more positive comments.
