Worth it? Do Icons/Logos influence your shopping habits?

April 11, 2012
Do interlocking CCs or GGs make your heart flutter?
Or are you a lady that longs for fleur de lis?
Are little animals on your polo shirts the perfect touch?

We are surrounded by brand logos from a very early age (true story: I once attended a baby shower and one of the gifts was a tiny pair of Air Jordans – talk about starting them young!)
I’ve never been a huge fan of being a walking advertisement myself (brands should pay me right?), but do admit I have a few things with logos (my vintage Chanel bag does have a logo in the front).

But I am a bigger fan of subtle signs of a luxurious brand – the mademoiselle lock on a reissue bag to a signature bow from another Italian house are icons that make me swoon without fully announcing the name of the designer.  I do find it fascinating that people pay a premium for brands with certain icons.  For some, it can indeed be a sign of “I made it!” to flash a famous icon.  If you can afford it, why not flaunt it right?  Is carrying around an iconic bag the same as flaunting an outright logo (all people in the know will know that bag’s shape or style right?)

When I started earning more money, I started to increase my spending little by little as well.  I have started to realize that some things, like Hermès scarves (the painstaking process of design and creation is detailed here), have materials or details that are worth the money.  But am I just being influenced by the brand itself in other cases (again going back to a Chanel classic flap bag)?
So what do you think about icons and logos?  Are brands and logos worth it?
little luxury list

All posts
  • The Dainty Dolls House April 11, 2012 at 09:16

    To be honest, labels mean nothing to me. I will pick something because I like it, not because of what label it comes from. And if the label is all over the clothes, I despise that. I don’t want to see it. And I’m none too impressed with people that name drop labels or designers they are wearing. Because I feel designers don’t make people look good, creativity makes people look good. So, it could come from a charity shop and still be awesome on someone :))) xx

  • Lisa April 11, 2012 at 10:27

    haha i don’t know if i’m a label whore.. i do love a good chanel bag.. but i’m very particular about my chanel bags too.. i’ve sold off majority of my LV bags cept for the one my husband gave me as a wedding present.. for obvious reasons.. but i don’t really wear it anymore.. and i still have a gucci bag.. but it’s made out of leather.. and it’s black.. so the gucci monogram is really hard to see. i do love a good designer bag (and shoe for that matter) but only if it’s gorgeous.. just because it’s a designer piece does NOT mean that it’s beautiful!!

  • Jessica April 11, 2012 at 11:40

    Well I do love a name brand as much as anyone else but being a college student about to graduate and work as a nurse I don’t think that career will help me afford Chanel and Coach. I just look for great peices and make a list of the things I want each season and try to divide out my money between bills and gas to buy the items. Also I wait for sales and sometimes get lucky that the items is still there. If not then it wasen’t meant for me to have. http://www.fashionatabargain.blogspot.com/

  • FashionJazz April 11, 2012 at 12:35

    I love name brands, but they are not a huge thing for me I would rather wear vintage or cheaper unique items and mix them with one designer garment. I choose style and comfort over designer wear most times.. 🙂

  • Kim April 11, 2012 at 14:10

    Hmmm . . . this is a good question! I think I’m more in the camp of “people in the know will know.” When I was in college, I thought it was “cool” to buy Coach purse with the “Cs” splashed prominently all over them. These days, I wouldn’t think of purchasing a handbag like that. I also think there are far too many people (especially where I grew up) who can barely pay their rent but nonetheless have a huge Louis Vuitton bag on their arm, so that has tainted the logo-brandishing experience for me. I would carry a Chanel bag because the interlocking Cs are an iconic part of the design as opposed to just blatant logo-brandishing. But generally speaking, I go for designer pieces without the logos, and trust that people in the know, just know!

  • Nat April 11, 2012 at 14:32

    I go back and forth. I have some handbags where the logo is blatant and others where it is not. For myself personally I’m carrying the bag because I love it, not because I’m trying to fit into some special “label club”. I do think however that a lot of emphasis has is placed on labels and unfortunately some people go broke trying to keep up with the ever changing designer item of the moment.

  • Sam April 11, 2012 at 15:16

    Interesting post hun. I don’t necessary buy things because of the brand or logo, if I like something I’ll purchase it without thinking about the label. I also find some logos are too blatantly pasted onto their products, and that becomes too conspicious.

  • Kim (A Very Sweet Blog) April 11, 2012 at 16:01

    I love logo signatures in very small amounts. You can really be overkill with too much of it. I purchase items because I love it. Not the brand :)Excellent post girl.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

  • Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird April 11, 2012 at 17:17

    Labels don’t mean a whole lot to me, I’d rather find something that looks good on me, label be damned.

  • Cheryl van den Berg April 11, 2012 at 18:15

    Of course, I have no problem wearing brands, but like you, I prefer subtlety. I don’t like shirts that have the logo written all over it (whether it’s high end or low end). That leaves no room for your own creativity–now you’re just a walking advertisement.

    I prefer the brand logo or name–if it has to be seen on the clothes–to be off to a corner on the side or something like that. Or just on the tag where it belongs, lol.

  • little t April 11, 2012 at 18:58

    Great post- I think they have to influence us all even if we don’t like to admit it. Or sometimes I’m influenced but not necessarily in a good way- like I have it in my head that Guess or D&G is too flashy/ borderline tacky so I’m disappointed if I discover that something I like carries that label. Does that make sense?

  • Elle Sees April 11, 2012 at 19:54

    Not a big logo person, but I do appreciate craftsmanship..lsomething that doesn’t exist as much today.

  • Johanna April 12, 2012 at 01:55

    Chanel is so classic to me however I tend to agree…I don’t like to be a walking advertisement. The more subtle the branding…the more appealing it is to me! Fun post!

  • Fashion Tales.... April 12, 2012 at 04:03

    It would be a lie if I said that I personally did not like brands in general. But, I don’t wear or acquire something solely because of it (unless it’s Chanel obviously the well branded & timeless DNA is the reason one wants it). I don’t like “logos” all over my items … I’m more of an eclectic shopper, I like wearing labels, vintage, thrift, and designs that I make myself. Great post.

  • Pratishtha Durga April 12, 2012 at 04:09

    I have nothing against labels, but I wouldn’t consciously go looking for something that dons a conspicuous label. In fact, blatant labeling of a fashion item can put me off. I love the subtly embossed items of yesteryear. Brands understood back then, that luxury comes before marketing. To each their own, i guess.

  • FRANKIE HEARTS FASHION April 12, 2012 at 05:44

    some of my vintage bags have logos but its definitely not the first thing I go for…if something moves me then that’s what attracts me more than what it is! xo
    http://www.frankieheartsfashion.com

  • honey my heart April 13, 2012 at 03:15

    when i was younger i cared about labels/logos, but now i’m more into subtly. the smaller details make wearing labels more fun!

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