Are people who are really into designer labels snobby or just fashion forward ?

There is another possibility. They can be individuals who follow like sheep.
Possessing money does not necessarily mean possessing brains.

Personally, snobbyism is my guess. Most of the “designer” stuff does not even look that good.
It is most likely just about prestige.

More money than brains comes to mind. I have known several people that could have bought the store (cash in their bank), they were in but would not buy the “new fashion” at the store.
“Stuck up” is too judgmental a term.
But a person that buys because it is “new fashion” is buying advertising not clothes. Advertising themselves to show off.

I usually think that very fashion-conscious people are slightly shallow. Which is probably quite shallow of me…

Sometimes you want a quality made item and when you get something with a label as opposed to generic they stand by the product made.

If I make an exact copy and you refuse to wear it because it is an imitation, it’s snobbery. If not, then maybe you just like the look.

By the time it’s got a label on it, it’s not much forward from mainstream IMHO.
On the other hand @creative1 has a point that usually a fancy label will at least get you superior quality, and you pay dearly for it.
@poisonedantidote if you make clothes (“copy” or otherwise) to wear them yourself I’d consider that pretty cool, and fashion forward whether or not they stick out in a crowd.

I think it’s tacky to have the items where the label or the logo is part of the pattern or design. And after a while, doing this makes that particular pattern look cheap and tacky, like Burberry’s affiliation with chavs.

I’ve always thought it was rude and snobby in itself to assume that anyone with a designer label is automatically snobby or shallow and it’s most certainly ridiculous to make one big generalization about them. People have different reasons for doing different things and having a problem specifically with how someone chooses to spend their own money isn’t their problem. It’s yours. If you got the money, do what you want with it. People who buy designer are keeping tons of people in America employed. That’s what I think and that’s where it stops until I really get to know them better.

You can get designer names at the outlets at alot less and still get the quality. You may trade being at the height of fashion but if clothes of more classic style they will not go out of style and you can wear them for a long time and get good wear and tear out of them.

Obsessed anything is usually not good. But whether someone likes to invest their time and efforts into a designer wardrobe is no big deal really. I like nice clothes and good designers do know what they are doing and the clothes feel amazing compared to no names cheapies.

I think it’s just sheep following a trend. Everyone, regardless of socio economic status seems to love coach crap, for example.

I agree with @Cruiser.

Also, I wanted to point out being into designer labels and always being on trend is two different things. Some who shop until they drop, always worried about having new clothes and being on trend, can be annoying and obsessive. It is no different than someone obsessed with working out, and having muscles.

Buying designer many times does mean higher quality. Sometimes it is not worth the money, but many times it is. Also, buying desinger does not necessarily mean the name is on the garment, it many times is just on the tag inside.

Having the money does influence these things also. If you have the money and get accustomed to the fabrics, fit, and construction of better made clothes, plus shop in the better stores for the service, you just wind up in designer clothes, because that is where your shopping habits take you. If you live in an affluent area most of the shops near you are higher end, so it is convenient.

In the case of ‘big brands’ it is almost certainly a prestige thing. Loads of ‘designer’ stuff is completely, garishly disgusting. However, some labels do stand for quality (I won’t go into cars), and though you might pay disproportionately more for them, you are guaranteed a certain level of quality.

For example, Ray Ban sunglasses might last 20x as long as the cheap rip-offs, but they do cost 50x the price.

On the other hand, if I’m looking for some designer sunglasses, I will start off with a brand I have previously owned, because they are more likely to have more styles to my tastes.

But then you also have things like your Rolex, Rolls-Royce, Savile Row suit, which ‘send a message’.

in the case, of the ‘latest trends’ in what I would call pop-commercial-fashion, that’s just people with little imagination and a strong desire to ‘fit in’ See: most teenage girls. Even those that are anti-fashion seem to subscribe to some kind of ‘anti-fashion’ (Hey, I was most certainly guilty at 13)

Now I am still anti-fashion, I only ever acquire my clothes from ‘thrift’ or vintage or second-hand or charity stores/stalls, preferable in a foreign country, preferably thousands of miles away, and preferably for a ridiculously low price. Imagine my fury when those ‘hipsters’ suddenly made ‘vintage’ somehow kind of pretentious and sought-after! The average price of my shirts has gone from £1 to £10!! =P

And yes, this makes me a guy who might be wearing a £4 pair of shoes, a £1 pair of trousers, a 50p shirt and £80 sunglasses, but hey, a great shirt can still be great 40 years on, so for 50p that’s, well… great. Sunglasses, on the other hand…

It’s neither, why the hell are people so obsessed with labelling (pun intended) anything & everything anyway? People are diverse, in more ways than one. Accept & move on.

My opinion is that designer labels do not equate with ‘fashion forward.’ The best clotheshorses I know are the ones who are willing to shop anywhere from Goodwill to Wal Mart to JcPenney’s to Chico’s to Macy’s—as long as they find a good deal. They buy clothes that supplement the look and style they are aiming for and buy clothes that look good for their body type. It doesn’t matter how expensive or label-conscious or fashion forward the outfit is if it doesn’t fit right. Muffintops and tummy hang-overs look equally nasty in $10 and $200 jeans (or $50 basketball shorts), and these people were trying to be “fashion forward.”
I got several compliments this morning on the outfit I have on right now- and I got it for $7 total from Savers (thrift store).

I think they are snobbs. I mean really if you look at some of these so called “designer items” they are the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. Its ridiculous.
I personally think most people who follow trends are wear everything new in fashion don’t really understand what they are doing, they think spending loads of money on one item is fashionable then they can brag and brag about it being by Marc Jacobs or blah.

If I had a lot of money I wouldn’t spend it on designer stuff. Maybe a huge luis vuitton bag wouldn’t hurt. But other than that I think I would rather have good quality clothes but affordable ones.

Maybe a Louis Vutton bag, that just cracks me up.

@nailpolishfanatic

How ‘huge’ are we talking?
If I ‘had a lot of money’, I gotta admit, I’d too be thus tempted….

The truth is the really expensive stuff the average person who thinks labels are snobby would not even recognize most of those labels. Hermes bag for $20k or Armani Black Label clothing. The people who live in these circles, everyone has the higher end garments and they are not snobs among themselves it is just normal. It is in the middle classes that this is probably more of a dynamic. And the Nouveau riche to some extent. Especially if someone who really cannot afford the items, then it is just stupid.

they are shallow.

but then again if you have loads of money it is difficult to see buying designer labels as being a waste of money.

however, there are a few designers that do indeed have very nice designs and high quality clothing.

Most designer clothing however I think is cheaply made and a rip off and the only reason these people don’t notice is because they change them every season.

I remember i had a gucci hand bag and it barely lasted me 1 year.

most people crazy about labels are shallow. because they are just interested in putting on a show of being affluent. because there are many cheaper labels that you can get the same design.

@The_Idler Garrgh! I can’t open the link :
But I guess you are referring to the ‘huge bag?’ I am talking HUGE.

@nailpolishfanatic Huge like luggage? Or, a pocket book/purse?

@nailpolishfanatic Is it going to have the LV and typical LV symbols all over it? Still too funny. Of all bags, that and Coach are probably the most name advertising bags of any.

@JLeslie No not like luggage. More like this

I honestly think fashion foward. They do have good taste, most of the time.

@JLeslie No I don’t want all the LV symbols all over. It could be just somewhere on the buckles… It could be like this the black one… a little bigger though.

Damn, broken link ruined it =P

@nailpolishfanatic That last black one does have LV and symbols all over it. Don’t get me wrong, buy whatever you want, I am one of the people defending designer products, but you went ahead and called those people snobs and then you are buying one of the bags that the average person who cannot afford a lot of designer buys. I just find it ironic. You might be wealthy and can afford anything, and just choose to only buy the LV bag as the one desiner thing, of course I have no idea about your financial situation.

I have never been much of a desinger name all over a garment or bag type person, just me.

I am curious what brands do you think are good quality and affordable and not designer? I buy a lot of INC which is basically Federated’s private label brand, I don’t consider it designer, and the quality is eh. Ok, but I find bad sewing all of the time, and the fabric is mediocre. Places like Express amd the limited are similar, the quality is nothing like Tahari, Armani, Ann Klein, Burberry. Old Navy is absolute junk for the most part and so it much of clothing at Walmart and Target, athough I do sometimes buy things there, but I know the quality isn’t great. Fabric is thin, cut poorly, a lot of rayon.

@The_Idler LOL! Yes I would want one bag like that ;) I could carry the whole fluther community with me wherever I go ;)

@JLeslie It does have them but it doesn’t show as much as their other coloured bags. That’s why I would prefer that one. I am not saying that I am rich or anything to afford it, even if I did I would rather buy different styles of bags from local stores that a Luis.
By good quality bags I am talking about brands like Accessorize. They have quite good bags, they can be a little pricey but if you know how to use your money you would be able to afford it. I have never owned anything from Walmart or any of the stores that you mentioned so I know nothing abut their quality.

@nailpolishfanatic So you are only talking handbags right now. Not clothing or fashion in general. Do you think if you had lots of money you would likely buy more designer things? Like @The_Idler basically spoke to. If the quality is much better? I think the friends you talk about probably are boasting about their bags because they talk about it; brag as you say, they are probably a little insecure and have a touch of mean girl. I think their behavior is the problem not what they buy.

I just realized you don’t live in America, so some of the stores and brands I mentioned might not be familiar.

Buying something simply because of the label is, to me, snobbishness.

Buying a well known brand because of the quality is not. I like Patagonia clothing because it fits well and it last a long time. I like most Brooks Brothers clothes for the same reasons. But Brooks Brothers polo shirts are awful in my opinion, and I will never by again. Same with La Coste shirts. Too thin and wear out too quickly. But Polo Ralph Lauren shirts are well made and comfy.

I think Burberry has overplayed its plaid to the point where its a joke. A man at work that nobody really liked (he was an authoritative jerk) wore Burberry polos every day, with the plaid showing on the placket. Now no one can wear that type of shirt to work without half a dozen people asking you if you’re “going to act like Joe today?”

@JLeslie Well yes I am mostly talking about Handbags. As to your question Do you think if you had lots of money you would likely buy more designer things the answer is no. Only a handbag that I have been eye-ing my whole teenage years and couldn’t afford it. If I had lots of money then I would buy that one and only bag.

I’ve never been a designer/label chaser.

I prefer unique boutiques for my nicer clothing, and have one shop I love in my area that caters to belly dancing and bohemian/gypsy apparel. Gorgeous import clothes, fabrics, colors, designs. I cannot stand most of the womens fashions the last few years. I HATE all the pointy toed shoes and boots, and the hip hugging banded at the bottom tops. Ick!

My ‘style’ is unique unto me, and I have often been told that ” I am in a league of my own”. haha

In a good way. ;-)

I’ve gotta be me, and ‘me’ is not a sheep. lol

It drove me crazy traveling with friends in Asia last year. These women were all about finding designer purses and clothing at extreme discounts in Taiwan.
Taipei city is the equivilent of the asian San francisco and there is an abundance of boutiques and street vendors.

All the women are dressed very stylishly.

I just couldn’t do the ‘shop til you drop’ scene, so, after a few days of chasing after my shop-aholic travelings pals, I just started taking off on my own. lol

I was more interested in finding some unique art works and sculpture.

I didn’t travel around the world to go to the asian equivilent of Walmart, although, I did find some great ‘engrish’ tee-shirts for the kids. haha

@Coloma Yeah, I have never been a big shopper while on vacation. But, in America we have so much already. My husband’s family, Mexican, travel to shop. Or, they used to when they had more money.

A lot of you sound judgmental. Maybe they like the quality. Maybe they like the style. Just because it’s not what you’d chose to spend your money on doesn’t mean people who like a particular brand are snobby or shallow.

Wearing designer clothing use to be somewhat of a status symbol and was flaunted by those who could afford it. Today, so-called designer clothing is not made any better then generic brands. You should look for quality made clothing and goods regardless. It seems any celebrity that start a clothing line and put their name on it, it will sale, and for big bucks. IMO they are just lining their pockets and to hell with the American worker. @Vunessuh ‘People who buy designer are keeping tons of people in America employed.’, I beg the differ as most clothing manufactures are overseas (China) and are not American made. To many products that would keep Americans working are made elsewhere. My shopping experience now consist of searching for products that are consistant with whatever country of origin associated with said product….such as shoes made in Italy, a watch made in Switzerland, etc.

@AmWiser I know where these items are manufactured, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Regardless of where they’re made, these designer brands and the people who buy them allow thousands of people (and I said Americans because of how prominent those brands are here) to keep roofs over their heads by having a job. That may not matter to you, but it matters a great deal to them. This applies to anything you spend your money on, so telling people how to spend their money or assuming why they have the things they have, is rather snobbish in itself. In the end, every home will have something that an outsider couldn’t possibly understand the need for, the want for or why it would be purchased. Even yours.

@AmWiser Designer clothing is not made any better than generic brands? Depends on the designer. You cannot compare the quality of Armani Black Label to some generic garment found in Macy’s or more moderate or lower end store. The extra spent on Armani may not be worth 600% more, but it probably easily is worth double or triple. Ralph Lauren Polo and Guess are more for the masses, and you can find off label of similar quality many times, but the better brands are ina class by themselvesin my opinion. Ralph, by Ralph Lauren even has a much nicer quality, like Armani compared to Armani Exchange, and Donna Karan compared to DKNY.

If they refuse to wear anything else, or look down on people who are not wearing designer labels then they are snobby.
If what I wrote above does not apply, then they are fashion forward.

^^ What she said.

I happen to have several Calvin Klein items, from eye glasses to clothing. I honestly didn’t know the name on the label at first, I just happened to like the look and these items looked good on me. I didn’t pay full price for most of them.

Anyway, sometimes a big name means quality, but not always, so it’s kind of dumb to me to blindly follow a designer or buy things simply because they have a certain name on them.

Also where it is manufactured does not mean it is all the same quality. Most men’s suits in America are made in Mexico. Gruppo GFT has a tremendous amount of manufacturing there. Calvin Klein, Valentino, Abboud, Mani, Gruppo has the license. Anyway, these manufacturing plants also make lesser known less expensive gaments.

Since I am a bit of a fashion dud I admire people who do look good in designer label garb, but I do think they are a bit self-absorbed. Of course, when they look at me they probably internally shake their head. Regardless, I could care less what they think of my clothes, and I truly hope they have a similar outlook on what I think. To each his own, and if it makes someone feel good, why not?

I have to agree with @ANef_is_Enuf on this one. It only makes them snobby if they refuse to wear anything because they believe anything else is below them, or if they look down on people for wearing anything other than designer clothing. There’s nothing wrong with wearing designer clothing because it’s better quality to you or looks better, etc. It becomes a problem when you wear it solely for the label and don’t care about any other factors. A snobby person would reject a non-designer item of clothing even if it looked good to them. That’s foolish, in my mind. But if you can afford designer clothing, it’s better quality and looks better than the cheaper alternative, then by all means, buy it.

Contrary to the belief of the majority on this page, I feel that people that enjoy designer brands should not be automatically be labelled as snobby or shallow or followers.

First I would like to address the follower stereotype presented earlier. There are designer brands that are not widely accepted by the upperclass but are still enjoyed by the fashion savvy. Lets say Betsy Johnson for example, a lot of her dresses and clothing do not meet the needs of a lot of the upper class. Despite this, she does still stay in business and has done so for years.

Second, I would like to address the snobby/shallow aspect. A person that enjoys the luxury of designer clothes may be described as above but they are not all that way. That is a stereotype and is unfair just like saying someone is below you because they do not have as high of a socioeconomic status as yourself. There are people that work hard to earn the designer clothing/accessories (such as myself, who works double shifts and late hours at a restaurant serving tables to get the money). These people are some of the kindest most giving people I have ever met. I fell in love with my boyfriend not because he had the money spend on this clothing, but because of his heart for God and the huge heart he has for loving others. He has nice clothing but that is not all he has, he keeps his clothes until they are worn out or until he gives what he has to charity. He works hard for his money as well by detailing cars.

I could list so many more examples but I feel that this is enough. I respect my fluther friends but I would like to say that I am somewhat disappointed by the enforcement of stereotypes that many of us would not want ourselves labelled as if it were the other way around.

I can’t really contribute much to this topic, as I have always made a point of buying “brand-less” clothes and clothes that don’t make me look like a walking advertisement.
But a friend of mine does so as a statement to the world that she’s got the money, she’s got the style.

I admire people who dress with style and choose clothing that looks good on them and expresses their individuality. This need not cost a lot of money and doesn’t require designer labels.

@Vunessuh – I am NOT assuming or judging anyone – It was simply just a question and curious to see responses.

@flutherother – I agree with you :)

I don’t believe in labeling people based on what they wear, but I do believe they are brainwashed by the advertising industry.

Being loyal to a label that’s consistently a good fit and of quality you like is one thing, following a label because you expect it to convey fashion sense onto your person and add cache is a gamble. I don’t think it has to do with snobbery either way but more a person’s hope to buy image rather than create it. Nothing really wrong with that.

In my case, I’m very loyal to a few brands of clothing and accessories because they’ve not yet let me down for fit, value-to-quality and also fashionable without overly trendy.