• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Conspicious consumption

LabelKing

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
25,421
Reaction score
268
What are all of your opinions of conspicious consumption? What I mean are logo laden clothing and flamboyant displays of things like gold pens, Hermes scarves Louis Vuitton luggage, and such. Just a thought.
 

Greg Weinstein

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
i like products that are a little more flashy and eye-catching. For example the Gucci Big G Belt, which in my opinion isnt conspicious but more noticable than other belts. How are people suspose to know what name brand you are wearing unless it cleary has the logo n e ways?
confused.gif
??
 

pstoller

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
669
Reaction score
11
I like products that are a little more flashy and eye-catching...How are people supposed to know what name brand you are wearing unless it clearly has the logo n e ways?

I like things that are eye-catching, as well. (Sometimes painfully so.) However, there's more than one way for a personal item to catch someone's eye. To me, the main point of buying something by a given designer is the quality of the design, not the name-brand recognition. The cut and fit of an item, its construction, the hand, pattern and color of the material...those are the things to which I respond. It just so happens that many "name" designers make such things. If, after that, a logo also figures into the design, that's cool. If the logo is essentially the whole design, that's not.

People aren't supposed to know what brand I'm wearing, necessarily. If they do, fine, but I don't need my clothes to scream, "Prada. Gucci. Fendi." That's like keeping the price tag on so people can see how much I spent. Besides, if I'm going to be a walking billboard, the company should pay me for the ad space, not the other way around.

Ask yourself this: would you rather people who check you out conclude, "he looks great," or, "he wears Versace"? The former requires style; the latter just takes money.
 

Greg Weinstein

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
To me, the main point of buying something by a given designer is the quality of the design, not the name-brand recognition.
for me its the exact opposite.......i look for the name brand recognition. In my opinion if it is a name brand and is expensive it has good quality. I also do have some cheaper no name clothes, but i prefer to stick to the brand names.

Ask yourself this: would you rather people who check you out conclude, "he looks great," or, "he wears Versace"?
i rather someone say "he wears Versace" because it conveys an image of money and style.
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
83
Reaction score
1
I don't think there's anything wrong with logos if you can carry them off with style. Not flaunt them, basically. Wearing logos in order to make sure others know what brands you're wearing is simply tacky, I'm sorry.

Coco Chanel said something like "Luxury should be treated like trash and trash like luxury." A great philosophy IMO.
 

Renwick

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
172
Reaction score
1
i rather someone say "he wears Versace" because it conveys an image of money and style.
Then there really is no point in buying Versace at all if ALL you want is the label. Just buy knock-offs and people will think it's Versace anyway. I'd rather have a good piece of clothing from an unknown label than a poorly made suit that has a nice label. Although I really do like the Versace medusa logo belts and my Gucci G watch just because I like the design. I also but prada shoes because I know that they last and can take a beating.
 

pstoller

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
669
Reaction score
11
I look for the name brand recognition. In my opinion if it is a name brand and is expensive it has good quality. I also do have some cheaper no name clothes, but I prefer to stick to the brand names.
You can spend gobs of money on a big-name designer item and get poor quality. People here have noted, for example, that much of what is produced by Prada and Prada Group labels, or by Armani in the bridge lines, is not very well made. This is not to say that you might as well wear "no-name" clothes"”although some are as good as designer items selling for exponentially more"”but rather that you can get far better quality for the same money from designers who are not as well known. There are also some great things from Prada and Armani, but you have to shop for the item, rather than just the label, to find them.
would you rather people who check you out conclude, "he looks great," or, "he wears Versace"?
I'd rather someone say "he wears Versace" because it conveys an image of money and style.
To an extent, it's true that a designer label can convey an image of wealth, and even style. Some people pull it off great. When someone notes primarily what label(s) you wear, however, the clothes are overshadowing the man. Then, you don't look rich"”you look like your credit is overextended.
 

DSKent

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
What I think is the most tacky is the logowear that makes fun of logowear, specifically the Dolce and Gabbana stuff ("I am wearing a FAKE Dolce and Gabbana Shirt", spray-painted "X" over D&G logo, etc.). Do people who wear this think it's clever? Well, it's not. And at $125 for a t-shirt, I think these sort of items do nothing except show the wearer's lack of both originality and taste.
 

pstoller

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
669
Reaction score
11
What I think is the most tacky is the logowear that makes fun of logowear, specifically the Dolce and Gabbana stuff ("I am wearing a FAKE Dolce and Gabbana Shirt", spray-painted "X" over D&G logo, etc.). Do people who wear this think it's clever? Well, it's not. And at $125 for a t-shirt, I think these sort of items do nothing except show the wearer's lack of both originality and taste.

I sort of like those, although I prefer that the joke be just a tad more sophisticated (such as the Stussy riffs on the Louis Vuitton logo). I have to agree, though, that, at $125 a tee-shirt, the joke is on the guy who bought it.
 

LA Guy

Opposite Santa
Admin
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
57,377
Reaction score
36,218
I'm not sure if this is a troll or not, but nevertheless...

i rather someone say "he wears Versace" because it conveys an image of money and style.

Actually, if it is designer cachet you are seeking, I think that you would be actually better to wear "insider labels" like Margiela, designers that get kudos from fashion editors, other designers, and people with real interest and knowledge of fashion, or tailoring houses like Kiton and Attolini, which are respected for their workmanship and long-lasting traditions.  After all, I imagine that you would like to impress your peers and betters for your taste and intelligence, and a coherent personal style would be just one expresson of that.  I think that someone who would be impressed that you are wearing a Gucci belt because that would show that you are rich is not someone who's regard is worth having.

Personally, I don't dislike logos, but I wouldn't buy something just because it has a blatant logo.  But if the logo has a legitimate design reason to be on a garment, or if the logo is itself an example of attractive design, I don't begrudge it's presence.  For example, I think that the Ferragamo Omega symbol is really quite beautiful, and that the Helmut Lang F/W 2002-2003 t-shirts, designed to look like those worn by workers at fashion shows, and "ground" the shirt in a certain time and place, are quite clever, though not really my thing.
 

DSKent

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
I sort of like those, although I prefer that the joke be just a tad more sophisticated (such as the Stussy riffs on the Louis Vuitton logo). I have to agree, though, that, at $125 a tee-shirt, the joke is on the guy who bought it.
Don't get me wrong here. I think the shirts are funny and it's nice that D&G has a sense of humor, but those who actually wear these shirts thinking they're 'fashionable' are rather pathetic.
 

Greg Weinstein

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
In my opinion, clothes really do make the man. In a world of first impressions (at least where I'm from), the intial thing someones sees is what you look like and what you are wearing. Now what would a person think if they seen you wearing designer brands? They would think that you must be succesfull therefore have good money. I believe that by wearing such clothes that clearly display the brand logo, you are saying that not only do you have money, but you also have style. This is just me, but I like standing out in a crowd (in a good way of course), and by wearing designer clothes that are a little more flashy than regular clothes, I think it works.
 

LA Guy

Opposite Santa
Admin
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
57,377
Reaction score
36,218
Greg,

I am going to assume that you are not a troll, and that your comments are being made in good faith.

Where are you from?  I know many places where the first impression of a guy who wears designer clothing would be that he's effeminate, especially if he wears the flashier, more obvious labels like Prada Sport or Gucci.  Where I originally come from (small town Canada), a man who wears Versace may as well be Elton John's boyfriend.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with being gay, but a lot of guys are rather concerned that they are never, ever perceived as being such.  

Some people would immediately discount a man who was wearing obvious designer labels as frivolous and of no account, and yet others would discount the same man as "ghetto trash", a coarse pretender to the company of his betters.  

I know many affluent, well-educated women who would list flashy clothing as one of the biggest turn-offs, in the same league as greasy hair, poor grammar, and pencil mustaches.  And why don't you bring up how rich and successful you are, and how much money you make, when you talk to a woman?  Women love guys who talk about how much money they have.

Personally, I wear high quality clothing because it makes *me* feel good.  Of course, I am gratified when someone (especially attractive women) notice that I have a good sense of personal style and an eye for quality.  As for first impressions, I think that people are generally more impressed by the fact that you show respect by dressing appropriately for the occasion than by anything else.  

I don't know anyone who associates designer clothing exclusively with style and class.  In fact, Elton John (again.) is purportedly the world's biggest fashion consumer, but, oddly enough, he is not considered the world's most stylish.  And as I wrote before, anyone who needs to see a large, glaring logo to tell that someone has "style", or would conclude that a man wearing a Gucci belt is rich and successful is not someone whose regard is worth having.
 

Timothy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
137
Reaction score
0
I would like to add another factor to this equation, and that would be the environment in which one lives. Personally I live in the Harrisburg Lancaster area of PA. Here most people may know of Gucci and Prada, but very few wear those labels let alone more discreet designers like Jil Sanders and ilk. If you're talking about logowear here it's the style G.H.A.P of Gap, Hilfiger, Abercrombie, and Polo. For the most part I don't care about having a huge tag emblazoned on my chest, but there are a few times I dress in a "conspicuous consumption" manner for fun. This is two parts, first to indulge in my skill at finding designer clothes cheap (like for example a logoed Versace t-shirt for $25, what I'm sure most pay retail for their dime-a-dozen shirts), and also to set myself apart from all the "˜clones' wearing those same shirts from the local mall. My fashion philosophy as of right now is that if I'm going to spend any considerable amount of money on (more) clothes (I don't need) I want it to look like it. This doesn't mean a big logo on it though, but it should have some flare (subtle or garish) to it to set it apart and give it some style. In the end this is not just an issue about flaunting a logo, but also an issue of access for me. Now if I lived in an area where everybody had equal access to the same clothes then I'm sure my shopping habits would be different, or then again more so the same with me either buying clothes from lesser known designers of other countries or just designing my own. There is also the factor of age, or better yet maturity, involved in this. In truth one dominant motivation for buying such items is that it's easier to catch the eye of a young lady in a club, and then seduce her (or at least make an attempt to
smile.gif
). The thing around here is that I have yet to find anyone who even knows what Zegna, or Canali, or any other similar label is. People seem not to appreciate the finer aspects of anything around these parts, whether it's fashion, or fine dining, or whatever so the effort is wasted. Case in point is that I have a pair of Tod's Ferrari driving loafers, but rarely wear them since sadly people have no understanding of what Tod's is (that and the fact that they're also suede on the bottom, so I want them to last for a while). I've met a local gal that had the same complaint when it came to her Tiffany bracelet. At least she appreciated the Tod's. One last note is that you don't need a logo on the front for it to be "conspicuous consumption" item, just look at the Burberry plaid fad. Even the argument against wearing a Kiton suit to an interview is also on a similar tangent of flaunting the image of prosperity through fashion. Fashion by its very nature is conspicuous. Now style, that's a bigger issue. . .
 

happydog

Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2002
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
I personally find the idea of logo clothing rather cynical: designers exact a premium for the goods, which in turn serve as roaming advertisements so they can sell more goods to more people at more premiums. It's a marketing scam that often preys on peoples' insecurities or designer-created wants. (No offense meant to anyone on this forum -- that's a general statement and not a comment on any particular poster.) I saw a quotation somewhere attributed to Beau Brummel that seems pertinent:  "If you noticed me, I was not well dressed."  Some might consider this an old-fashioned theory of dressing, but I think it's valuable.  In business, or in certain social circles, one is better off not calling attention directly to one's clothes (the point of the whole Kiton-suit-to-interviews debate).  That does not mean that one cannot seek or attain style in such settings, but style then becomes a question of (1) choosing and wearing elegant clothing that works more subliminally to convey one's taste, and (2) within those limits, finding more subtle ways to be individual, especially with carefuly chosen accessories.   Relying on logos to convey style is often a sign of consumer-culture pathology.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,158
Messages
10,578,901
Members
223,882
Latest member
anykadaimeni
Top