Remember that scene in F.R.I.E.N.D.S where Joey is standing on the pavement dressed in Porsche apparel from head-to-toe and Ross asks him, "Did a Porsche throw up on you?" ?
Why do people like flaunting the brands or labels they're wearing? They think it's so 'cool' to be dressed head-to-toe in designer labels that they can't even pronounce. (Which was, of course, not the same in Joey's case). Now I'm not completely against designer, high-end brands. Not at all. I only despise the idea of showing off what label you're wearing.
I'm not a cow. I don't like being 'branded'. (Although in all fairness I do know women who ARE cows, and I wish I really could 'brand' them, but that's another story.) When I see a woman wearing an Aigner pendant, a Tag Heuer watch, carrying a Fendi bag, with the logos of all these brands displayed in-your-face, all I can think is- these fashion houses are getting free advertising for their label. I hate that. I would wear all these logos on my body only if they paid me. Why should I walk around like a walking, talking fashion advert drowning in a cocktail of logos, and that too pay heavily from my own pocket for them? These fashion houses should be paying ME for displaying their logos.
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| Very soon people will wear such signs. |
For instance, take the Louis Vuitton bags that have 'LV' all over. If I paid that much for a handbag, I'd rather have my own initials brandished all over it, thank you very much. I don't want people being able to guess where I bought my shoes, or any of my clothes that easily. (Though that can happen with high street brands also, I agree, but it's much easier to spot a Loub than a shoe from Aldo.) I like having an air of mystery around me that extends to what I wear too. I love women gushing, "Wow! Those shoes are amazing! Where are they from?".
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| Mr. Louis Vuitton obviously thinks very highly of himself. |
I hate displaying the label so much that I don't even like picking up sportswear from Nike because they have their trademark swoosh on everything. If I wore their clothes I'd feel like I just got out of a Nike class where a professor ticked all my clothes as if to validate me.
What surprises and alarms me is how normal it has become for a brand to have it's logo or brandmark on each and everything it sells. The other day, I bought bangles from MANGO and was surprised to see a small steel-plated MNG on them. Brands may defend themselves saying they find doing this necessary to stand out amongst other brands, but they need to understand that not all of us like to reveal where we got that denim jacket/ pendant from.
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| Don't pick one just because it says Dior. |
Another nuisance about these designer labels is that they become too common. Take the quilted Chanel bag for example. Almost every 5th person is carrying one. The annoying thing is many people feel that they don't need any sense of style if they're wearing a designer label. Many people can't carry off pieces from a designer label, yet insist on wearing only that.
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| I am so sick of these! |
I've seen teenagers walking in malls wearing Loubs that are 6 inches high, looking like they're about to topple backwards. These Brand Victims only care about wearing designer labels, whether or not it suits their body shape, personality or wallet. Where is the creativity in just picking all clothes from one designer label and wearing it? What I like to see are women who can mix 'n' match high street and high fashion, and carry them off glamorously.
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| Olivia mixes high street and high fashion for an elegant, polished look. |
And until I reach the stage where I can afford high fashion, I will keep mixing my fave high street brands, but will never, ever, look like a brand threw up on me.
