Are you a billboard?

What labels, brand names and logos do you sport? Stop and think how often you display your brand allegiances and preferences ... really, that's advertising for the labels. (And yes, there are people who, if the brands were smart, they'd pay NOT to wear their stuff, but that's another story.)

It can be pretty hard to be unbranded. Today, though, unless you see the "Vibram" on the soles of my boots or the "Seiko" on my watch face, I'm pretty good.

How 'bout you?

No blatant brands for me. If you want, you can read Levi's on the back of my jeans, but no brand names scrawled across my shirt.

I once told a car dealership that if he put his name on the car...I would not buy it.
If he did he would pay me $500. a year for advertizing. He didn't.
I get paid to endorse.....It's in my contract.

I actively avoid buying any clothing that makes me advertise for them. As Prince points out, Levi's is an exception, but for some reason I don't think of that as a brand. Orvis has some stuff that I would buy but they insist on pasting their name on it and thus ruining the garment for me.

The odd thing is, I like having the maker's name on my artisan brushes and other handmade goods.

You might see a Polo or Brooks Brothers emblem on my shirt. That's about it. I strive not to be a billboard.

professorchaos said:

You might see a Polo or Brooks Brothers emblem on my shirt. That's about it. I strive not to be a billboard.

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These are the only two I sport now too. Got the BB on my polos (would prefer they weren't there).

Before as a kid though I thought logos made the item good. Boy was I wrong.

cluelessdude said:

Before as a kid though I thought logos made the item good. Boy was I wrong.

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Boy, were you clueless, dude.


(Sorry.)

Doc4 said:

Boy, were you clueless, dude.


(Sorry.)

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Likewise, I'm not clueless anymore on this site either regarding shaving.

I'm a brand whore, but it can't be blatantly obvious. Today for example was: Steve Madden shoes but there is no external branding, CK socks with a small logo up high, Adidas golf pants with a black on black logo on the waist, Mexx belt with a small logo on the buckle, Bertigo shirt with a small crown logo on the back of the collar. Glashutte Original watch that know one knows what it is so it might as well be a Fossil.

It's rare that I wear something that isn't a recognizable brand but I never feel like I'm a walking billboard.

The only advertising I do is when I wear my "Hooter Inspector" trucker hat, but that's self gratifying.

It's hard -to find jeans without a logo/label that's visible. Carhart currently. Some of my golf shirt have an Adidas logo. I general though, I actively avoid clothing with logos or identifable marking.

You know i used to drive a race car and people would pay me to put logos on me,... I think that is what lead to my strong distaste for any clothing item that puts their logo as a major part of the item,.. i dont mind a tag, or even a small nike swoosh, but anothing more then that with few exceptions i end up staying away from

Of course looking down im wearing one of my roots canada hoodies,... its just so dang comfy though lol

Generally, no.
I have a few print t-shirts, but for the most part they are generic, places I've visited, hobbies, etc... I've got an Alpinestars shirt that I bought when I ended up on an unexpected overnighter and the Tilley's in the city didn't carry the regular "construction" style Dickies, and it was the only blaze-orange shirt they had.

SWMBO buys me branded hats every now and then. I rarely wear them out... other than "out" in the back yard when I'm working on a welding project.

It's not easy. I recently bought a new ski jacket and the one hard rule that I had was no North Face. I don't want to look like all the other lemmings on the hill with a North Face logo stamped on my shoulder. It has to be nearly 50% of the jackets at the resorts. I opted for a Salomon brand. Yes it still has the name embroidered on the sleeve, but you have to look for it as it is not obvious like the ugly North Face stuff.

I also have a Mountain Hardware jacket that has a pretty loud logo on it, but I got a good deal on it and it is the best spring/fall jacket I have ever had. I can live with this one because it is not very common, at least not in my area.

Tilley hats don't have blazing logos on them, but I can still identify one a hundred yards away. Sometimes just being well made is all that matters.

syngent said:

Of course looking down im wearing one of my roots canada hoodies,... its just so dang comfy though lol

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I love my Roots sweatpants.

I only have two major billboard emblems. I carry a white snowcap pen in my shirt pocket, and on occasion I wear a Yankees baseball cap. Other than that, you would really have to stare to see what type of watch I wore.

Logos are hard to avoid, especially with causal wear. In some sense I welcome a discrete logo from a quality maker, if there is some expectation (to be verified over time) that the given article is better than some other manufacturer or no-name item. But I avoid gaudy displays, for example Rickie Fowler may be a good golfer, but I don't like his Puma hats or shirts.

StillShaving said:

Logos are hard to avoid, especially with causal wear. In some sense I welcome a discrete logo from a quality maker, if there is some expectation (to be verified over time) that the given article is better than some other manufacturer or no-name item. But I avoid gaudy displays, for example Rickie Fowler may be a good golfer, but I don't like his Puma hats or shirts.

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That's one of the reasons why I used to like Lands End stuff. Back when rugby shirts were popular I had half a dozen Lands End rugby's and I don't think any of them had a visible logo on the outside. My recently retired ski jacket is also a Lands End and there is nothing at all to indicate the brand.

Another reason for the newly purchased Salomon brand ski jacket (with not too gaudy logo) is that a friend of mine owns one of the only ski shops in the area and I occasionally ski with him. I just didn't think it would be right to show up at the ski hill in a new jacket that I bought somewhere else. I know I have a good quality product and I'm spending my money at a friend's store. Besides, he gave me a smokin hot deal.

Nope, I de-logo most of the stuff I have, if I can. And actually I find the products without big lettering are usually the most attractive to me. My work uniform has the company name on it, but apart from that only my watch face, and that is pretty small and understated.

Like so many of you, jeans and watch, but also I have a hard time finding work-out clothes without logos.