h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am writing this with a picture of a polo player on my shirt.

Man is a tribal animal. Or multi-tribal if you prefer. We can belong to several tribes at the same time. And one of the ways we mark membership is by sporting logos on our chests. Thus you could look at me now and decide that I was a member of:

The prosperous and flaunting it tribe. Wealthy enough to buy a vastly overpriced shirt that (arguably) fits my non-athletic form quite well. (The brand seems to have a sizing policy that suits the non polo player quite well)

OR

The cheap and status conscious tribe. A buyer of knock-offs down the street market.

But, the question I am interested in, is what does it all mean? How am I different from the man who bears a crocodile or a penguin or a tick on my chest. If I am wearing one of my non-logo'd shirts, do I appear different? Am I tribe-less?

that is interesting.
I usually try to buy non logoed shirts, partly as they stand out more that you only have a few shirts if keep wearing them constantly. I also avoid logoed shirst due to not wanting to be a fashion victim. Oh my God a Burbery victim with Burbury baseball cap, is there anything worse, lol!
The one logo I do like is the big 'GAP' logo on their hooded sweatshirts. It is a simple 3 letter logo and very large but bit of a classic nom. I never pay full price and wait for sales. I like it that although it is a logo, it isn't too flash and really s clothing shop logo so not trendy in iiself like say 'Prad'.

The only logo t-shirt I would buy is from that company that uses Medusa as their logo. Is it Versace?

I prefer the logo/label to be on the inside and feel that I should be paid for acting as an advertising hoarding when it isn't.

Don't mind unknown logos as much because people will occasionally look at them to try and work out whether I'm wearing cheap tat or something so carefully elitist that it should be admired.

Bald Eagle, I'm with you.

Companies pay a fortune to advertise on television, in the Press, on advertising hoardings etc. and yet expect the general public to 'PAY' for the privilege of being a free walking billboard to advertise their products. And people get suckered into this, usually the ones who can least afford them.

One work colleague I know paid £450.00 for a Longchamps handbag purely because of the brand name! She probably earns around £8.00 an hour gross, averaging a 35 hour working week. Criminal.

The only time I knowingly walk around wearing blatant advertising is if it is on a t-shirt with a logo that identifies something I am passionate about, such as H2G2 or one of the many I have of the Folk Festival I go to annually, along with a couple of charities.
I would to have an England rugby shirt, but not while it's got O2 on it, and I'm expected to pay £40+ for it.



MMF

The GAP logo, the only logoed product I actively seek out, and only on their hooded sweatshirts, has a particularly good design which I like. Although their products are dearer than say T*sco, the star was deliberate, they aren't particulalrly expensive and wear well, I normally only buy their fleece version which is particulary hard wearing and stable colour wise when washing.
.
MMF, try charity shops for the England tops, or wait for a sale in a proper shop, perhaps when they sell off old designs as new ones come out.
I would never pay full price for designer/more expensiv clothes with logos.

So, when you go for a GAP sweatshirt are you consciously joining the GAP tribe?

The whole thing is quite subtle really. I sometimes buy things from B*den and I get their catalogue. Although no logos are involved, their stuff is pretty recognisable. So I can tell if you are of the B*den tribe at a glance. And vice versa.

I am particularly interested in the Longchamps handbag. What is the motivation there? What is going through her mind when she buys it? Obviously she is buying (and paying for) more than a handbag, but what exactly is it that she is subscribing to, especially as, I suspect, there are fewer people who recognise that tribe than, say, GAP.

Me aiming to join the GAP tribe?
Oh good Lord no, the last thing I want to join is some mass group. By chosing GAP I am joining a smaller group by choice if anything, infact a non group really. I am only really liking the GAP logo and would avoid joining such a group as the GAP logo supporters group as would perhaps involve meeting people, something I am not into at moment. However to be honest my opinion is slayed by ill health so not entirely relevant, except I am an example of someone who is actually actively consciously against joining a logo fashion group of any sort, infact any group..

I tend to avoid anything with logos on it. Most of my shirts, and moreso teh more expensive ones, have no external label on them, but then I don't go for mainstream highstreet 'trendy' makes anyhow, as they're generally so overpriced for an inferior product, as most the money seemingly goes on the label itself.

A quick think of the shirts I currently have shows that The Henry Winser, Savile Row, T M Lewin, Joseph Turner, Cotton Trader's, landsend, John Lewis, an Samuel Windsor shirts which I've currently got in my wardrobe appear to have no labels/Logos on them... Externally at least.. The closest is the Cotton Trader's shrits, some of which have a little 'emblem' thing on the pocket, but I really don't think its their logo... just a 'err thing.... Oh and the white formal shirts, on the otherside of the wardrobe all seem emblem/logo free too

We brand ourselves according to our perceived status I think. Those who have 'high status' dont tend to display it as obviously as those who aspire to such status.

Of course you get others who define their place in society through their styles of clothing rather than the labels they wear, but it all places us in the eyes of those around us. Someone in high quality clothing with perhaps the odd touch of burberry piping along a pocket trim on a shirt or self-coloured embroidered logos discretely attached somewhere will be perceived differently from someone in un-logoed tie-died loose-fitting clothes, niche 'name' baggy jeans and band t-shirts or, say, sports equipment (aka 'day release trousers' )

I think certain labels have become aspirational to a lot of people. But really, if you wear things that appeal to your personal taste and suit your body shape, then you are already streets ahead of anyone who wears what's fashionable or 'gives the right impression' regardless of whether they can afford it, it suits them or is appropriate for the situation.

P.S. I've no idea what this obsession with expensive handbags is all about. It's bloody ridiculous.. Seriously, girls, get a grip ffs!

I don't understand the handbag thing either... I mean, does anyone actually notice? I certianly coudn't tell a 20 quid handbag form a 500 pound one
Whereas things like expensive shoes, coats, suits, etc., there does seem somethign to be gained from the more expensive ones... Not sure again about the 'designer ones' though; having said which there was a range of Boss I thin it was suits a few years ago that were relaly nice, but the one thign that relaly put me off was the "Boss" logo/name printed on the cuff I think it was Mind, I saw some Italian suits in a shop in Knitesbridge, which werne't branded or anything but which just looked so good.... Sadly without loosing about 4 stone and utterly changing my entire body shape and bone structure I'd not fit in that style of suit

If I wear something with a conspicuous logo the logo tends to be for an organisation or cause, and as such I'm proud to be showing myself to be a member of the tribe.

My footwear of choice is strongly branded and has a clear logo but I tend to wear those out of habit rather than any particular affinity for the brand. They become fashionable once every ten years or so. I don't stop wearing them in the intervening years.

Hush Puppies, Roymondo?

RF

Converse All-Stars Roymondo? Or Doctor Martens?

2legs: Generally speaking, the more vulgar the handbag (i.e. patent leather in disgustingly loud colours, quilting, garish buckles and chains etc...) the more money it cost. The cheaper ones tend to be more tasteful in my experience. (I do love to browse, occasionally. My favourite shopping involves having enough money for lunch and a milkshake and maybe a pair of earrings or a new lipstick if something appeals, but no need or means to actually buy anything important or useful).

Strangely a similar rule sort of follows with women's shoes. Actually, I tell a lie; most women's shoes regardless of price, seem to be hideous at the moment...

not that we judge you Roymondo

In the interests of giving no publicity, beyond that which regularly comes 'twixt sock and footpath, to the company in question I shall not specify.

One of the guesses was right.

It ain't Hush Puppies.

Or Doc Martens.

I didn't see you as a leather boots kinda guy

I dont think I have that many things with conspicuous logos on (although im with Roymondo on the footwear, they're so comfy!) My big rucksack that goes EVERYWHERE with me has a logo on it, but other than that I am more likely to have a cartoon character or one of my own designs on. I waear a lot of plain tops such as the really cheap ones you get in Primark or H&M my jeans I mostly get from my cousin Sarah when she decides to have a clearout, or from TK Maxx where I might find some that actually fit and that arent a million pounds. I dont activly seek out designer labels, I am more likely to go around looking a bit scrufffy and hippyish.

mini

Leafing through a magazine at the doc's, I saw a 'must have' phone..... not sure whether the logo was obvious I was so gobsmacked by the price.... 16000 euros.

No, it can't be used for phoning the space station or mars, it was 'Dior' phone encrusted with diamonds. Vulgar? just a tad...

Urgh.... that is just vulgar to the point of... yuk no thats not right

Roymondo, and shoes?; I thought you ownly wore stilhettos? the Leather boots are all mine
I did now thinking of it many years ago ahve a whole collection of 'polo shirts', with various logos/designer thinggies on them, visarchi and kevin someone I think .. But I was given them all by a friend who eas leaving the country at the time and was clearing out... There are still a few of them about; they've migrated down and my Father I think still has a few that he wears for gardening so will be very tatty by now