The rocky worlds of the TRAPPIST solar system have captivated scientists. Until recently, these Earth-sized

People can’t decide whether Balenciaga’s new $925 bath towel skirt is an example of clever marketing or just a ploy to wipe wallets. The unparalleled high fashion house, piloted by long-time creative director Demna Gvasalia, regularly releases peculiar designs, made to look beaten down and wrecked, with purposeful outlandish price tags – see its $1,850 fully destroyed sneakers or $1,800 trash bag tote. But this particular pick from the brand’s Spring 2024 collection sparked widespread debate online as soon it became available for pre-order on 14 November. A $927 terry-cloth towel, fashioned to be a wrap skirt, comes after the Georgian designer faced backlash for a controversial 2022 holiday ad featuring children holding teddy bears in leather bondage. Following the extensive criticism, Demna said he planned on tapping into his “roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes – not making image or buzz”. He told Vogue his plan in February a few weeks ahead of his fall 2023 debut. But while the designer intended to find motivation from Balenciaga founder Cristóbal moving forward, this quirky bathroom garment prompted further conversation about the brand’s continued desire to offer “absurd” luxury items. One riled up fashion enthusiast took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to make a larger generalisation. “This is absurd, These brands will sell anything and everything at such ridiculously high prices,” they wrote. “Balenciaga is so unserious,” another critic commented, while someone else said: “I’ll say it again... Balenciaga is conducting an experiment. It’s a behavioral science study. You can’t convince me otherwise.” Amid the flock of immediate criticism, brand supporters pointed out the platform and intended buyers Balenciaga targets. “In economics we’d say they are discovering the true demand curve. They are checking their customer base to see how elastic they are. If it’s a fairly inelastic demand curve of which it’s very likely to be. They won’t lose anything by being selling s*** like this, in actual fact…” one person wrote. “I need customers like theirs,” another fan proclaimed. One candid reviewer wrote: “What kind of madness is this? At least I’m not their target market.” Other X users added remarks about how they could make their own towel skirt with their fluffy fabric at home. “I already got a towel skirt, it cost $10 and it’s from Walmart,” one individual commented. Playing off the high-end fashion brand’s current visibility, Ikea, the Swedish homewares and furniture brand, dropped a similar advertisement, highlighting its $10 VINARN bath towel. In promotional photos, a model could be seen with the towel wrapped around his waist, layered over a pair of construction pants. On top, the man donned a common Balenciaga identifier with a black hoodie and wrap-around moto sunglasses. Read More Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse Women’s scarves and crocheted ties - what is Robert Peston wearing now? McDonald’s and Crocs collaborate on new Grimace shoes Jacob Elordi reveals why he always carries a purse

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1. Lakeland This smart-looking rubberwood block comes complete with five knives – paring, cook's, all-purpose, carving and bread, which covers what most kitchens need. Each is made from a single piece of hardened stainless steel and there's good handling balance. £59.99, lakeland.co.uk 2. Robert Welch This award-winning set contains six high-quality knives and a stylish knife-block with a handy in-built knife sharpener. Each knife slot has a clever integral magnet mechanism, so that when you slide the knife in or out, the sharp edge is protected. £280, robertwelch.com 3. Maxwell & Williams This five-piece slice-and-dice knife set features knives constructed with stainless steel with a non-stick overcoat for the blade. The coloured handles make them clearly distinguishable from the blade during use and cleaning and they're currently reduced from £59.96. £29.95, maxwellandwilliams.co.uk 4. IKEA Slipad This entry-level knife block, which includes five multi-coloured knives ranging from a paring knife to a carving knife, is perfect for those setting up home on a budget, students going off to college, or the occasional cook. £11, ikea.com 5. Pampered Chef Pampered Chef's knives are the business. They are finely crafted from fully forged, high-carbon German steel for a perfect edge and sharpness, stain and corrosion resistance and durability. Too expensive? There's a less comprehensive set at £127. £390, pamperedchef.co.uk 6. Zwilling This company has been making knives since 1731 and its latest range is hard to fault. The blades are perfectly balanced and all the knives are all forged from a single piece of stainless steel, which goes through six different stages of heat production followed by an ice-hardening process, for optimum durability and stain resistance. £169.99, lakeland.co.uk 7. Judge This eye-catching set makes it easy to find the right knife for the task in hand. The five Sabatier blades with contoured anti-slip handles are clearly displayed in their acrylic stand and if you don't like the red, there's a black version, too. £48, judgecookware.co.uk 8. Stellar James Martin Designed in conjunction with TV chef James Martin, these high-specification stainless-steel blades have a high level of Molybdenum (a type of metal) for lasting quality and come with a lifetime guarantee. Additional knives are also available. £72, stellarcookware.co.uk 9. Raymond Blanc Knives Each blade in this six-piece knife collection is ice-hardened Japanese steel and they run the entire length of the handle to ensure perfect balance, precision and durability. The Suregrip handle is ergonomically countoured, too, enabling a really firm grip. £125, raymondblanc.com 10. Robert Welch Here's another set featuring the multi-award winning Robert Welch Signature kitchen knives. This time, the base – a bamboo drawer unit – is designed for those who like to keep their worktops tidy while cooking. It's also ultra-safe for households with children. £110, robertwelch.com

A designer dress apparently worth US$1,300 has been criticised as looking “cheap” after a woman posted a video of herself styling it on Instagram. Marjan Tabibzada, a fashion influencer whose Instagram account @youngcouture_ has more than 1.2m followers, shared the clip featuring a pink sheer dress by Jacquemus that currently retails for £970. The silk chiffon maxi dress features a cowl neck and strap detailing, as well as a flowing skirt with a train. Viewers, however, were unimpressed by how the dress looked and criticised it for appearing “cheap” and “not worth” the price tag. In her video, Tabibzada said she purchased a pink slip dress from Amazon to wear underneath the Jacquemus dress because it was “way too see-through”. She accessorised with flowery pink earrings, strappy heels from Zara, and a pearl clutch from Los Angeles brand Cult Gaia. In her caption, Tabibzada wrote: “Is this dress worth US$1,300?” Many of her viewers did not think so, with some saying that the influencer “got scammed” into buying the garment. “Definitely not worth the price… US$13 sure but I wouldn’t even spend US$20 on that,” one person said. A disappointed follower wrote: “Why is it so bad though? I had high hopes.” Explaining why they didn’t like the dress, one person said: “Not in love with the dress, especially with the tag showing through due to the sheerness. I don’t get the concept they were going for.” Another said the dress was “giving Shein”, comparing the designer garment to those sold on the fast fashion online retailer. Others defended the dress and its price, highlighting that it is made with luxury fabrics. One person wrote: “People in the comments are foolish, ‘Looks like it’s from Shein’, OK, great, enjoy your $9 (£7) dress. Expensive fabrics typically feel so incomparable on the body. “It won’t be staticky, it probably doesn’t stain as easily or snag… Y’all really think Shein dresses lok like real clothes… I think it’s very elegant. I’ll never understand the fascination with cheap clothes and shoes for some, they don’t feel the same.” Read More Mother reveals the sweet meaning behind viral graduation gift for her daughter Influencer hospitalised for traumatic brain injury after horse falls on her at Arizona ranch Beyoncé’s Renaissance mirror-ball cowboy hat has sold out – but we’ve found some similar styles Exposed bras are the newest fashion trend, but not everyone is convinced All the best-dressed stars at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Italian designer launches scathing attack on Shein over ‘stolen ideas’

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A Mississippi federal judge denied a motion Friday, filed by the family of a transgender high school student requesting she be allowed to wear a dress and heels under her robe at her Gulfport high school graduation.

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