This is something I wonder about. I would like to think that the clothing from the high-end store is better quality fabric, sewn rather than bonded seams, and perhaps even made in the United States, perhaps even by unionized workers, instead of a sweatshop in Vietnam, Bangladesh or elsewhere in the Third World. As I mentioned upthread, I’ve walked into Nordstrom wearing a knit polo shirt from Lands End and found them selling similar shirts from Lacoste at three times the price. But examining the more expensive alligator-logo shirt, I’m not seeing a substantial difference.
I guess my jeans choice is Levi’s, so I wear some branding on my back pockets.
Other than that, if I have the option, I choose the unbranded one. For me, it is most common in my polo shirts. LL Bean makes ones that bear no logo.
Athletic shoes scream the brand. Don’t care enough to try to find non non-brand alternative.
Many fleeces/winter jackets have names somewhere. I view those as utilitarian, and will tolerate a discrete logo. My wife has gone so far as to pick out some threaded logos.
Some brands I will not wear. I really dislike Tiger Woods, so I do not wear Nike.
Weird flipside - the top to my winter PJs just wore out. They were Polo brand (not an intentional choice.) I replaced the top with an LL Bean long-sleeved t-shirt. More than once I’ve thought the little polo-player was useful for telling me which was the front.
Right! I’ve had inexpensive clothing that lasts for years and years. I buy Walmart’s George jeans (they’re men’s but I love that they have nice pockets). Most of the styles are under $20 and they’re no different than a pair of Levi’s that are at least 3X the price.
Fifteen years ago, The New York Times ran this article (gift link) about a pair of men’s khaki cotton trousers for $550 at Bergdorf Goodman, a high-end retailer, The article explains the fabric cost, union labor cost and so forth. That’s the kind of thing I would appreciate knowing about something that might seem expensive.
I’m a little confused why you bought them then? I mean, I assume most people paid $75 for those jeans so they could show off that they were wearing fashionable CK jeans. Did you just like the quality, or the fit, or what?
Interesting. I would have thought that the top brands were better constructed since (a) they should have more than ample overhead and (b) people dropping $7k on a handbag probably expect it to last the season before showing frayed stitching. But everything else is garbage these days so why not high end luxury goods?
It seems like maybe the best option is to buy your clothes from hipster start-ups too naive to realize that their 100% hand-sewn sustainable old world quality clothes are going to put them out of business in six months.
I’ve never really cared about labels one way or the other. I wouldn’t wear a shirt that’s overtaken by a logo but that’s because I don’t like the look, not a statement about advertising. If there’s a breast logo, eh, who cares.
Sorry, yes, the fit was awesome. I really liked everything about them except the tag thing. So I just bought them and removed it.
And it seemed like a lot of people knew what they were, even without the tag,
I used to buy Brooks Brothers clothes for over 20 years and also Bostonian shoes. The quality of both has plummeted recently. They didn’t have logos on the outside.
And for casual/outdoor clothing, I swore by LL Bean but they have completely gone to hell in terms of durability. REI seems to be headed down the same path.
I remember yet another New York Times article (I read a lot of the paper) about a young man in Brooklyn with the training and expertise to craft a bespoke men’s business suit. The problem was that for a solo operation like his, the time and materials involved meant that this was not a sustainable business. He would have to charge thousands for each suit.
Back in the day. I’m thinking after rationing in WW2, folks bought higher quality hoping to get multiple seasons out of it.
With fast fashion and cheap labor overseas, items are just thrown together, with cheap material. Not meant to last more than a few washings. Not years.
The over logo’d stuff is just another way to brag. IMO.
Real quality can be seen. The way it fits and drapes, without ostentatious logos.
OTOH. It may be that the fashion dictates are large lettering is just a thing on its own. (I’m thinking of Melania Trumps lettered jacket, that caused such a dust up)
I remember reading something about Queen Elizabeth I, had a thing about graphics and certain objects to be embroidered on her gowns for messaging.
I want a t shirt that saysDamn Near Killed Em!
An organization I am in, for awhile gave every one a Bob name. They carefully wrote then all down so there were no duplicates. (yes there was adult beverages involved) Anyway my Bob name is “Be Bob a lula, a Bob Bam Boom.”
I never wear branded clothing. Basically jeans and a flannel shirt all winter and shorts and a T all summer. Some of the Ts do have messages. My son just brought a shirt that has a \pi and an i on it. The \pi is saying to the i, “Get real”, while the i is saying to the \pi, “Be rational”. (I did muse over the question of whether i is rational. I guess I could say it is a Gaussian rational (actually Gaussian integer). I will be happy to wear it even if nobody else gets the joke.
I just bought some Brooks Brothers flannel pajamas. I used to buy lands end and ll bean, but the quality has gone downhill. The fit is awkward, the top doesn’t stay buttoned, and the quality of the fabric is worse than it used to be. And it’s harder to buy a set. I guess I’ve become old-fashioned, and people don’t want matching pajama tops and bottoms any more.
Anyway, Brooks Brothers careers to “old fashioned”, and I’m really happy with my new PJs. Enough that I’ve gotten over the pain of the cost.
I prefer to avoid wearing brand names, though. I recently bought some gloves at a department store. I like to try on gloves and make sure they fit. Anyway, these have the brand name in big gold letters on the cuff. I used pliers to remove the letters from one glove, and I’ll do the other when i am bored enough to get around to it.
But one reason designer clothes have the brand all over them is that they can trademark it. Luis Vuitton doesn’t plaster everything with LV so you can show off your fancy bag. They do it because if they don’t, there will be a cheap knockoff that looks identical on the market in a month. And there’s nothing they can do about it. If a cheap knockoff has their logo on it, they can have the stuff removed from legitimate stores fairly easily, and even have some chance of getting the cops to hassle the street vendors.
There was an a cappella quartet called The Bobs, and every member (there were many over the years) received Bob as an honorary middle name.
They make dupes with an actual lookalike logo. Bags are a favorite to copy.
Some are good enough to fool people, maybe not experts.
My girls wanted Michael Kors bags. (In highschool) Overpriced crap. I pooh pooh’d that real fast.
Then I saw one the other girls were carrying. Turns out they were all carrying duplicate knock offs.
I sprung for those at $30 each. Made a nice Christmas gift.
Aside from Levis, which, despite some incredbly stupid designs aimed at women (twisted seam, WTF?) the only other “branded” clothing I buy comes from a farmers supply store. They are rugged, actual value for money, and similar in price to far shitter “fashion” brands.
That’s true, but it’s also illegal. And not something you have to argue in court (died this look too similar) but just flat out illegal. So the brand name company has some leverage in reducing the copycats.
And that is a major reason why brands use their logos visibly on fashion gear.
I agree. Its illegal.
Doesn’t stop the knock off places from doing it.
I assume big outfits like Hermès, Dolce/Gabbana, Coach just let it happen. For the most part.
They’d be stomping out fires every week.
Either way their brand is recognized.
Walmart is selling a lookalike Birkin right now. It’s really really close to a real Birkin. At $50.
We’ll see if that goes away.