Just the other day, I was working a long shift. I was into a project that kept me distracted from everything else around me. That all changed when, through the door, walked a 5'7" blonde girl shopping with a friend. She was wearing a Coach logo hat, Prada sunglasses, Tiffany's accessories including a Return-to-Tiffany necklace and bracelet, a Juicy Tee, 7 for all mankind jeans, Louis Vuitton Monogram logo belt, a matching Papillon handbag and finally Burberry wooden heels. Special, huh. My first impression was anything but "wow, what a fashion-conscious girl!". I find that all too often, people mistake designer for good design. It's true, this shopper had a mere understanding of what designer labels have to offer. Her jeans were very well fitted; coming to think about it, everything looked great. The only thing she did wrong was she wore them all together. Guys and girls who wear obvious labels without any true, unique design show that they are in the game. They may be able to distinguish the difference between a daytime look and a night time look but besides that, a good design or a great designer is an alien concept to them. How well do we know labels and when does fashion become more for status than for style? And who in this God-forsaken world teaches these people to dress like this? Known to many fashion gurus as the classic emblem of fashion footwear, Manolo Blahnik has made its entry into the fashion industry in 1972 (way before 'Sex and the City' aired its pilot episode). However, it wasn't until Sarah Jessica Parker introduced an award-winning television series on HBO that Manolo Blahnik became a label that even 15 year-old girls are raving about. Given the label, some would jump on a pair of shoes just to own Manolo Blahnik's instead of for the designer's reputation of outstanding quality and uniquely-designed shoes. That's most certainly a very expensive mistake.
I have always concluded that there are three kinds of label-wearers in this world. These types can exist (one, both or all three) within any given person. In no specific order, the first is the artistic perspective. This type is reserved for those who take on a true interest in design. From classic cuts to modern designs, these designer enthusiasts thrive on embellishing their body in fine, unique fabrics and innovative designs to improve their look.
The second type is the Stylistic perspective. Prada? Fendi? Labels don't concern the eye of the style-conscious. An occasional label may spruce up a look, yet these individuals are more concerned about their overall image. Do their clothing choices match? Do their clothes compliment their body? What certain colors work with their skin type? What is most important to these people is to use fashion to maximize their potential of looking good. In much contrast, the last category embodies the concept behind the term "label whore".
Finally, the Status perspective is wearing a label solely for the sake of looking knowledgable in the field of fashion or showing that one might have more class and/or financial privileges than others. A shirt is a shirt, but when the label 'Marc Jacobs' is thrown on it, the shirt suddenly transforms into a luxurious clothing item. A label whore is more prone to pick up a Gucci cocktail dress of mediocre design than a Roland Mouret evening gown. Because how many people know about Roland Mouret, honestly? They are more concerned about pleasing the masses instead of the fashion-conscious.
Keeping this in mind, try to moderate your usage of designers to a bare minimum. Never clash logo designs from different design houses. If everything you wear happens to be designer then make sure it is not extremely noticeable that you are wearing 5 different designer items at once. Mix up labels but never look desperate to show any items off. We are all guilty of glancing at more expensive items, whether we are at the grocery store or a department store. Buying the more expensive item is not always a bad thing, but it doesn't make anyone better because they spent more money. Almost everything is better in moderation. Why not mix your choices up? Spread out your taste and dive into everything- something inexpensive, something artistic and a bludgeoning label that wreaks of high status. That way you are not typecasted as a specific label-wearer, but a pioneer to a variety of different looks and genres of fashion. Label or not.
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