Non-Brand Clothing are the Best By: Sarah Stumpf

          You see a t-shirt that you really like that is 100 % cotton.  It is at a good price: 10 dollars.  You decide to search a little more in hopes of finding an even better bargain.  You decide to go to the next store when you see the exact same shirt made out of 100 % cotton. You look at the price tag and you're completely shocked.  The price tag says 40 dollars!  Why the huge change in price for the same t-shirt?  Well my friend, it is quite simple: this shirt is 4 times the cost as the other t-shirt because of a small logo on the top left side of the shirt.  Many teenagers would buy this 40 dollars t-shirt even though the only difference is the brand name that is only present on that expensive t-shirt.  Is having the brand name on a t-shirt really worth the price?  I think not.  I think that logos aren't needed to have a nice, comfy t-shirt for quarter the price for the following three reasons: they replace one's true self by a name, destroys one's individuality and simply, they cost too much for no reason.

          Firstly, most people that buy brand name clothes use their clothes as a way to make up for their bad social skills.  They say that a complete stranger may come and talk to you because they saw that you had a "coach" bag and might've wondered how much it had cost or where the nearest coach store was located.  Though this might be true, and that that stranger later becomes a close friend, would you really want the only reason why this stranger approached you to be because of something you had bought, rather than yourself?  Not only do the brand name consumers pay to replace their bad social skills, but they also pay for their social status.  For example, one might be classified as "cool" for wearing "Aeropostal" clothes, though once again, shouldn't people like  you for who you are, not because  of a piece of clothing that says "Aeropostal"?  Basically, wearing clothes with logos hides the true you to others, which is why we should wear non-brand clothes.

               Secondly, while keeping the same thoughts about staying true to yourself in mind, some people say that clothes help show one's personality. But how does wearing the same trademark shirts as half of your grade show any individuality?  Everyone wears the same clothes from the same stores, but at the same time beg for individuality--doesn't that sound ironic to you?  If everybody wore non-brand clothes, then the possibility for two people to have the same shirt is less likely because there are more no logos stores than one popular brand name store.  This would be the solution for individuality!  That way everyone can bring out their own personality.  The no name shirts without the emblems on them would bring it out the truth in the statement: "Clothes bring out your personality".  So be original, show who you really are by buying a shirt without a logo present.

          Still not convinced that non-brand clothes are better than brand names?  If the other two socially centered arguments haven't convinced you yet, look at the brand name versus no name clothes debate from another perspective: economically.  Why pay 40 dollars for a t-shirt when you can have the same one at 10 dollars?  Where is the superior quality between 100% cotton and 100% cotton?  No answer?  Exactly! Then why pay more?  The trademark consumers fool themselves with this lie of superior quality.  The truth is that there is no difference between both t-shirts except for the presence of the logo and the price that comes with it.

          In conclusion, there are no good reasons why people should buy brand-name clothes since the price is far too high for no reason.  The people who buy clothing with logos either  a) have a low self-esteem, thus having bad social skills and want their clothing to replace this flaw, or b) just tell themselves lies to buy the popular brand.  All in all, next time you go shopping save your money and buy non-brand clothes.