Brands have been a “thing” for me ever since I fell in love with fashion. I guess it really started when I was a teenager. When I was younger and still working off my moms budget, I didn’t make a issue of what brand of jeans or shoes I was wearing. I was just grateful to have clothes on my back and shoes on my feet. It wasn’t until I started making my own money that I started to really get into designer brands. My first job was packing groceries and taking them out to the car for people. I worked off tips only. And although I only made about $75 on a good Saturday, it didn’t stop me from dropping $60 of it on jeans. Rocawear, DKNY, True Religion, FUBU… you name it, it was in my closet.
As I became an adult, it got to the point where it had to be designer or I wouldn’t wear it. $500 designer bags, $200 sunglasses…all of which I couldn’t afford but I didn’t care. Wearing designer brands meant I was important, right?! Or so I thought. I never took the time to research the designers background, where the clothes were made, the inspiration behind it or anything. All I knew is that my favorite hip hop artist or actress was wearing it and I HAD to be a part of the cool crowd.
Things started to change after my first $500 bag started to peel. I instantly panicked! Not only because half of my paycheck was spent on the bag. It had me thinking, “What possessed me to spend this kind of money on a bag?”, “What do you know about this company that gives good reason for spending this kind of money?” This lead to me actually doing brand research and lets just say that I wasn’t impressed. I won’t mention the brand but after finding out some of their beliefs and association with shadiness, I felt like a dumbo for breaking off that type of cash.
Since becoming a business owner/designer, I have found that people have a certain expectations from me and my business, too. Meeting customers with lots of questions confirms it. Questions like, “Would you wear this style of dress to work”, “Where do your clothes come from?”, “What is the ethnic background of the people that make that clothes?” (That was a real question) But I welcome the questions. They don’t know anything about BLB or FNF and they want to feel safe about who you give your money to. I get it.
I guess that’s also why nowadays, my view of rocking designer brands is so different. Don’t get me wrong, ya’ girl still loves a good designer. I just want to make sure my hard earned money goes towards a company/brand that I feel “deserves” it. By my standards. For instance, would you buy products from a company who have views you don’t agree with, a brand that has been associated with harming someone, or a company that has proven to be racist towards a particular group? Does the “more information” about a brand, company or person behind the brand matter to you? Or is it more about how the clothes make you feel? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Stay Fearless 💋