I have a love/hate relationship with logos. To a point I think they serve a purpose. However, with hyper consumerism being king, labels and logos blare while the wearers remain silent. Don't misunderstand me, I have no problem with a small man being astride a horse on the left of my shirts (I endorse the horse), but I don't think that resembling a walking billboard is necessary.
A few years ago when I was in college, I was at a party waiting in line for the bathroom, and three girls ahead of me were chatting. My attention was drawn to the one girl's pretty white handbag.
"Excuse me, I like your purse," I said.
"It's Fendi," the girl said with an annoyed eye roll and resumed her conversation.
I was unnerved on two fronts: The first being that it was a pretty handbag. Why would the designer make a difference? Secondly, I was working Neiman Marcus at the time and was well aware of who made her handbag. As I stated earlier, I like Ralph Lauren, but I would never think to tell someone who complemented my shirt, " It's Polo."
It just seems to me that these days the clothes wear the man more so than the other way around. What happened to the days of quiet luxury? The whisper of Gucci's horse bit, the iconic double "C" of Chanel, and the all American craftsmanship of an original Coach handbag are all luxurious, but most importantly speak to a quiet affluence and dare I say, good taste? Even Fendi's classic interlocking "F" is beautiful when done properly as is the legendary Louis Vuitton monogram when the wearer uses discretion.
Wearing multiple contrasting logos at once, not only looks cluttered in my opinion, but makes it seem as though you are unable to dress yourself without a logo attached. Not to mention gaudy and tacky. A strategically placed logo can add spice to a well wardrobe. It's just in how it's done. An overabundance of logos is no substitute for personal style and panache.
I agree. There's only a few people that can wear logos with good taste. Preps know how to do it. I personally like wearing logos but must be small as I don't wanna look like a "walking billboard".
ReplyDeleteOH my goodness...this reminds me of a time I was in T&Co and there was a girl in there who was head to toe 'Return to'. It was painful to look at. I think it really goes beyond logos...I try not to wear more than one distinct piece...say a Burberry scarf does not need to be worn with any other logos.
ReplyDeleteI find tho the people who want logos tend to be aspirational shoppers. People who have made some money and want the world to know how they spent it!
It is definitely a sign of someone trying to get others to see that they belong, but they end up standing out for all the wrong reasons.
DeleteI agree with Suburban Princess that it's very aspirational! In my teenage years, living off a strict allowance from my parents, I loved logos everywhere! I had the Coach bags covered in C's, Louis bags covered with the iconic LV, shirts that loudly announced they were from Abercrombie, etc. I was a middle class kid in a middle class school with little opportunity to purchase such things outside of birthday and Christmas, so when I did, I wanted everyone to know it. As I've gotten older, I've been become fortunate enough that buying designer items is a still a splurge, but no longer a remarkable event. As such, the need to broadcast my choice of label to everybody within a 300 ft. radius has greatly diminished! Blatant logos tell me that a person is new to buying nice things.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is that you realized your error and corrected it. There are so many who continue this way well into their lives.
Delete