The notion that labels are overrated Options

[DoubleJ]

True or False?

Thoughts?

[brooklyneast05]

what kinda labels

[DoubleJ]

Well it depends really. Alright let's take polo shirts for instance. My coworker told me that a ralph lauren polo is the same type as an american eagle. The difference is the label that is put on it. I beg to differ though.

[Simba]

i meant to vote "It depends"

but labels only start to matter in situations when you start dealing with fashion elitists imo


fashion designers make aesthetically pleasing clothes, not labels

dang at y'all being anonymous and ish

[DoubleJ]

Well for me certain items I like to wear classic labels.


For polos I only wear ralph lauren or nautica. I think that express and all of that other bullshit is for the young wanna be crowd.

[queen]

ralph lauren polos are better quality than american eagle, but it depends on the person if that difference in quality matches the difference in the pricetag.

personally, i think if you can afford to buy an expensive polo, might as well buy from the polo master.

[superstitious]

"depends"

Ok, labels. I'm going with this scenario:

Levi's versus Target jeans (Xhilaration)

Typically, Levi's have bitter fit options. I'm a short chick with birthin' hips. Xhileration rarely has something that will work for me. On the other hand, the Levi's brand has many very specific options that will work for someone of my shape and size.

So in that scenario, label is important but not because of a name, because of reliability.

[DoubleJ]

There is a quote that is very big in the fashion world: A well dressed man should rather have one or two quality suits than have 5 or 6 shitty ones.

[brooklyneast05]

i put it depends, cause of this pretty much:

So in that scenario, label is important but not because of a name, because of reliability.

i don't care so much about the label, but just the fact that some more "popular" labels work better sometimes. i'd take a 14.99 polo over a 59.99 polo any day if it fit right and felt "sturdy".

[DoubleJ]

I think it also depends on the occasion as well and your reputation.

[brooklyneast05]

I think it also depends on the occasion as well and your reputation.

i duno, i mean i don't even really wanna be around people that feel how much my polo costs has a big effect on my reputation.

[Simba]

There is a quote that is very big in the fashion world: A well dressed man should rather have one or two quality suits than have 5 or 6 shitty ones.

this is true and i agree, but the mindset should be "i'm gonna buy some quality suits" not "i'm gonna go in and buy nothing other than calvin klein suits" or whatever

So in that scenario, label is important but not because of a name, because of reliability.

pretty much

designer goods connotes quality goods, but not necessarily denotes

and I agree w/ broYe on being around people like that haha, only very particular scenarios

[DoubleJ]

i duno, i mean i don't even really wanna be around people that feel how much my polo costs has a big effect on my reputation.

I think I worded it wrong. I meant that if you have a reputation for dressing a certain way or you have a certain umph about you then of course you want to maintain that.

this is true and i agree, but the mindset should be "i'm gonna buy some quality suits" not "i'm gonna go in and buy nothing other than calvin klein suits" or whatever
designer goods connotes quality goods, but not necessarily denotes

Yes true but for someone like me who wears suits everyday, I would of course go for the higher quality content for my everyday wear. I also think the quote had something to do with how certain pieces in a wardrobe should last you years...like a grey calvin klein suit.

[Simba]

Yes true but for someone like me who wears suits everyday, I would of course go for the higher quality content for my everyday wear. I also think the quote had something to do with how certain pieces in a wardrobe should last you years...like a grey calvin klein suit.

yeah I actually agree that certain pieces should last a considerable amount of time if they're truly quality work

I also agree w/ quality over quantity and etc.

at least for me when I'm feeling thrifty, it's not about shopping for the lowest price, but for the best value

[superstitious]

at least for me when I'm feeling thrifty, it's not about shopping for the lowest price, but for the best value

That's exactly where bargain hunters detour towards the wrong direction.

They're looking at numbers only. The mystical power of "-.99" is proof of that.

[Simba]

lol .99 always bothered me I'm just like c'mon you beezies

[superstitious]

Yeah but people fall for that shit ALL THE TIME. It cracks me up.

[DoubleJ]

This store is now selling 800 dollar suits for 300. Can you say spree!!!

[Simba]

i kinda wanna cop too :X

[Tung]

how you dress is how you are seen by others.

[redpeony]

I can't stand people who flash labels. Be understated but confident, dress well, find things that fit you well. I think that warrants much more respect than someone who looks to labels for identity.

There are labels which are known for excellence in certain goods (e.g. Ferragamo for shoes, Hermes for scarves, Burberry for trenches) and those, in my opinion, are worth the money. It's pretty obvious, though, that a lot of brands are now lacking in the quality that they used to have because they've already established a name for themselves and use that as their selling point. Case in point: Rock & Republic. I have several pairs of jeans from about 3-4 years ago and they are all still fine. I know many people who have gotten jeans in recent years that have already had them rip. I also know that a lot of contemporary designers actually have crap quality clothing but it still has a high price tag because of the brand behind it. I've purchased pieces from Rebecca Beeson, James Perse etc. who claim to be the "low maintenance high fashion" in staples like t-shirts but to be honest, the quality is comparable to Gap, or even Forever 21 (gasp). I've worn a F21 shirt more times than a Rebecca Beeson t and the latter has formed a hole upon the second wearing. Even some of the classics are cheaping it out nowadays and producing items in China instead of Europe... or worse, manufacturing 99% of the product in Asia and then shipping it over to Italy for the final touch, earning it a "made in Italy" label. Things that were initially created for a niche market are now mass produced for the North American/Asian consumer but the pricing still remains.

So... after that extremely long rant... I think my answer to your question is a big "it depends".

[Just_Dream]

This store is now selling 800 dollar suits for 300. Can you say spree!!!

WTF WHAT STORE?! LINX NAO.

[illriginal]

Label is over rated. But I will admit that some labels... such as Polo and even Tommy, are good because of the material quality. Shit like Fubu (lol) and Ecko is a waste of money.

[synapse]

With clothes, I'd say that labels are overrated. A lot of people will dress in certain clothes because that's what is popular. I've shopped at ae for years now. I wear the clothes because they are within budget, and they are comfortable.

But I'd say that labels are not overrated when it comes to other things, such as computers for example. Most people say that dell and Compaq make cheap computers. And I'd agree I've had both, and the dell laptop I had, I had to replace 2 times, within bestbuy's return policy time, the first on the second day I had it, due to a hard drive malfunction, and later because the wrist rest was made of cheap malleable plastic when heated. whereas, my macbook, hasn't had a single problem since I bought it. And I'd rather spend more if I'm going to get something that's reliable.

[DoubleJ]

Agreed Thomas, that's why I tend to only get certain brands for my classic pieces.