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. Ā I do find it fascinating that people pay a premium for brands with certain icons. Ā For some, it can indeed be a sign of “I made it!” to flash a famous icon. Ā If you can afford it, why not flaunt it right? Ā 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. Ā I have started to realize that some things, likeĀ HermĆØsĀ scarves (the painstaking process of design and creation is detailedĀ here), have materials or details that are worth the money. Ā 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? Ā 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.. šŸ™‚

  • 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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