Gloomy 2022: Hotx Original Top

Because clothing is armor. And in 2022, the armor required was not shiny or optimistic. It was soft, dark, and forgiving. The "Gloomy Hotx Original Top" allows the wearer to say, "I am not okay, and I am not pretending to be." That honesty is rare in fashion, which usually sells a fantasy of perfection.

Through TikTok micro-influencers in the "dark academia" and "weird girl" niches, the top went viral. A video titled "POV: You finally find the Hotx Original on Depop" shows a person crying into a half-empty mug of cold coffee. The caption: "it fits like a hug from someone who is also sad." The video got 2.3 million likes. gloomy 2022 hotx original top

Whether you find the original Hotx or a dupe that captures its spirit, wearing this top is an act of solidarity with every other person who has scrolled through their phone at 2 AM, felt the weight of the world, and thought: At least my shirt understands. Because clothing is armor

Likely a boxy, elongated silhouette that hits below the hip, or conversely, a deconstructed corset that laces up the back in a deliberately uneven way. The "Hotx Original" variation often features asymmetrical hems—longer in the back, shorter in the front—mimicking the feeling of a curtain falling down. The "Gloomy Hotx Original Top" allows the wearer

Here are three contemporary ways to style it:

Soon, counterfeits appeared. Which is why "Original" remains a critical search modifier. The real Hotx top has a specific drape—it pools at the elbows in a way replicas cannot replicate. Fashion is fleeting, but anemoia (nostalgia for a time you never lived through) is forever. The gloomy top transcends its 2022 origin because it addresses a permanent human mood: melancholy.

By 2025, the world is still gloomy. The wars continue. The climate wavers. The economy sputters. And so, the gloomy top remains relevant—not as a nostalgia piece, but as a current uniform.