At what age did you start worrying about "brands"

BrianT80 · August 2012

I have never nor will ever worry about brands. The number 1 thing I look for is quality and economical. For Jeans i stay away from the expensive ones because usually they are the ones that wear out and Rip first for me.

waylandcool · August 2012

I was always a geek in school so brands of clothes never mattered to me. The only brands I have a thing for now that I'm 35 is New Balance shoes because they fit my wide feet really well.

healthykate78 · August 2012

5 is way too young. I was 11 and in middle school when I first got made fun of because my shoes weren't name brand. We wore uniforms so the only thing people could really care about were the shoes.

Once I got to high school and we wore our own clothes no one really cared about name brands anymore. It was only about what looked good and what didn't. I'm from Florida and we all wore flip flops anyways.

DargoMack · August 2012

I think 5 is a little young to be caring about brands. I started in probably 3rd or 4th grade. I didn't get what I wanted, but I cared. I wanted a Hard Rock Cafe tshirt more than you can imagine, but I didn't even know what it really was....

I like quality with most things, regardless of the brand. I prefer Adidas sneakers and Bandolino shoes to shoes from Payless and Target, but I also have a bum ankle and refuse to have my feet hurt.

Like someone else said, this is how it is right now. In a couple of years, she might be asking for a iPhone or a Driod. I have a friend whose 11 yr old daughter bought herself a Driod with money she saved up, yet I'm using a slide up phone from 2009 and it works for me.

Arperjen · August 2012

The only "brand name" I liked was Hot Topic, but this was 15 years ago when they still had clothes I liked, but the stuff was always expensive. I never bought much from that store for that reason. They've changed, man...

Had plenty of friends that were all about brand names. Never understood it.

manderson27 · August 2012

Never have,never will.

My 18 year old son is the same, brands mean nothing to him, he likes to be different.

JustJennie1 · August 2012

I was never one who worried about brands. Even now I just buy what I like. I don't buy things solely on the fact that it has a name brand. I have a watch and a pair of shoes by Michael Kors. I have a pair of Lucky brand jeans and a pair of Miss Me jeans. None of those were bought because of the brand. Did I go into the Michael Kors and Lucky store because of the name? Yes but the jeans I bought were on a SERIOUS sale and I fell in love with the watch and shoes. When I wear the stuff no one comes up to me and says 'OMG! Are those MICHAEL KORS shoes! *swoon*!" LOL. I can never justify putting down hundreds of dollars on an item of clothing.

I understand that this thing happens to kids. It happened when I grew up as well (which the fact that I wore Lee jeans instead of Levi's and most of my clothes were bought at affordable department stores like Stars and Bradlees is probably why I was an outcast LOL!) however your daughter needs to understand and realize that just because Sally and Tammy have a pair of Sketchers doesn't mean she needs to have them too. When she's older I'd make her do chores and earn money around the house and if she truly wants the brand name items then she can save her money and buy them herself. I guarantee that once she has a fistful of cash and sees how much things cost and how little she'll have left and how much more work she'll have to do to get back that amount she might think twice about the name brand.

stylistchik · August 2012

I don't give a hoot about brands now but I won't lie and say I never cared. Five does sound young, but it might not be the "brand" but the "thing." I was in kindergarten I LOVED Barney - yeah the big purple dinosaur. It was THE new TV show and I loved it. My grandma got me this little matching outfit that was glittery and had Barney's face on it and I wore it to the first day of school. Everyone made fun of me and I never wore it again. Kids can be really mean for no reason so it might seem stupid but it's probably a big deal to her or she wouldn't say anything. When I was about 10 or so the brand Old Navy was the big thing. We didn't have money and I was really self conscious about it, fitting in with name brand clothes made me feel better. Looking back on it I feel bad for doing that to my mom but at the time it seemed really important. When I was older my mom had the "you pay the difference" policy if I wanted expensive clothes but you couldn't do that with a 5 year old. Unless you had her work for an allowance and had her pay for a portion of the shoes. Then she could take pride in earning them, too.

ETA: yard sales, garage sales and consignment shops are great for name brand stuff without the price. Also places like TJMaxx and Ross carry overstock on nice brands.

ElizabethRoad · August 2012

I never cared about clothing brands because my mother was an excellent seamstress and made me unique, attractive clothing. And my "cool" aunt was a thrift store devotee, so I picked up that habit early. But I seem to remember people talking about brands when I was a kid... not sure what age but definitely grade school.

bleacheblonde · August 2012

That's kind of how I look at it too...I'm not doing free advertising for anybody. I never get shirts that have the brand name on the front because I've always thought it's sort of stupid. I'll do free advertising for bands, but not for clothing companies

JustJennie1 · August 2012

My question is to the parents of these kids who are begging for Sketchers and the like: Are you actually indulging them and buying them the expensive brands because they want them and you're afraid they won't be "cool"?

tripitena · August 2012

I still dont. Never had a pair of jeans more famous than Levis, never had a purse/bag more famous than Walmart, never had cosmetics/haircare more famous than Walamart carries, never had a designer dress, top, coat, etc. No reason to spend extra to impress someone one, I'm just not that vain.

Bought my first pair of Skechers shoes a year or so ago becuase I got them bogo1/2 at Rack Room when buying shoes for my daughter. Bought another exact same kind the other day for the same reason.

stylistchik · August 2012

Brands are one thing but skincare is another. Don't buy your beauty products from walmart, they are terrible for your hair and skin. If you can't afford the real stuff wash with hand soap, unscented. You'll be doing your skin a favor.

WifeNMama · August 2012

Around 15 but only because I found a store that fit well every time and was cheap. Lol

ElizabethRoad · August 2012

As far as I know Wal-Mart carries a pretty big range of skin- and hair-care products. What is "the real stuff"? Salon brands?

SeaChele77 · August 2012

When my daughter started Kinder she *HAD* to have a pair of twinkle toes. She knew they were Sketchers and just had to have them. She is not obsessed with brands, she is obsessed with cool things that are on TV or other kids have. Does your daughter watch Nick or Disney? They have commercials that really focus on kids and kids want what they see....nto the "actual" brand. My daughters friend had a pair of non-name brand shoes that lit up, much like the twinkle toes and my daughter would've been perfectly happen with those.

rml_16 · August 2012

I've used Suave shampoo and mousse my whole adult life and I buy it from Walmart. I also buy SoftSoap (and the generic if I can find it), non-anti-bacterial. My skin is soft, I get compliments on my hair daily from complete strangers. And I'm not drowning in debt to be clean.

tmauck4472 · August 2012

The only brands I care about is food...I want Jiff Peanut Butter. Kraft or Bordan's cheese. Oikos yogurt, etc...
I could care less about clothing brands.

msmith2020 · August 2012

I understand your concern, and you should be concerned you dont want her getting abused verbally with kids making fun of her bc she doesn't wear what they do.

But honestly, who the F cares? i LOVE what fits me. If I have name brand stuff in my closet its bc I bought it from Marshalls at a very low price and the fit was perfect. I don't buy cloths/shoes/accessories for their brand, I buy for comfort. I cared growing up, not enough to do anything about it, but I remember caring bc I didn't feel.... as pretty, or nicely dressed as the other girls, but I stopped all that non-sense when I grew a pair. (figuratively speaking of course!!)

msmith2020 · August 2012

LOL LOVE!!

stylistchik · August 2012

That's true. I guess I automatically think of suave and pantene and other similar crap. Read the ingredients, mostly. Lots of bargain brands contain sulfates, silicones, other waxes and drying alcohols (not all alcohols are created equally). You also want to stay away from parabens and artificial colors. If you buy hair stuff at walmart buy it from the salon there, manufacturers of salon products don't sell to chain stores they come off a black product market. It's also important to use the right product for your skin/hair. You might think it's just dry when it's actually very damaged and moisture won't help. You might get better color results with certain products, etc. Skincare there can be sketchy so read the ingredients. Some of the makeup is okay; again, read the ingredients just like you would at the grocery store.

stylistchik · August 2012

Same as fitness: healthy-looking does not always equal healthy.

Il_DaniD_lI · August 2012

I was in grade 7 and wanted a GAP sweater so bad. Never got one.

TrailRunner61 · August 2012

Walmart is the only place I've ever bought skin care products and people always compliment me on my skin and how young I look. However, I don't have to work so I rarely wear makeup unless I go out. Maybe my skin looks better because I don't put a bunch of crap on it.

rml_16 · August 2012

So, I have barely a single wrinkle at 35 years old (nearly 36), I have not a single split end (even before I just cut 12 full inches off of my hair), my hair and skin are actually not healthy at all? Good to know. What would be the test to prove that my hair and skin are unhealthy?

I also don't get pimples except once in a great while, and then only one that's barely noticeable. My skin is neither dry nor oily.

stylistchik · August 2012

That's a good possibility!

oregonzoo · August 2012

Stylists like gettting people to buy overpriced crap. She won't be objective.

predent · August 2012

I was in 4th grade. One of my friends got Abercrombie shorts and I HAD TO HAVE ALL OF THEIR CLOTHES. Sadly, my mother was like, "okay~!" and I dressed like a tramp until high school. It was always a competition between the girls as to who could have more Abercrombie and Hollister. AE, Aero, etc. were all "lesser" brands that we looked down on. Once I finally got to HS, I realized how dumb I looked and toned it down.

God, we were cruel

Definitely not proud of those moments. I look at kids today and I'm SHOCKED at what they are wearing. I keep telling myself that if I ever have a daughter, she is not going to be dressing like she's 20 when she's 10.

rml_16 · August 2012

She's a stylist? That explains a lot. I won't argue this one, then. No point.

(Duh! I guess I should look at screen names ...)

stylistchik · August 2012

If you had 12 inches of hair to cut, you had split ends. Most people only ever work with their own hair (maybe their children's too) so they have no gauge to what is healthy and what is not. I have yet to encounter someone who uses cheap products and has nice hair. They day it happens I'll tell the world, and possibly quit my job. LOL It sounds like you've taken care of yourself though and that's good. There are other side effects from emulsifiers and preservatives in products like hormone disruption so please continue to read labels, or just cross that bridge when it comes I guess.

At what age did you start worrying about "brands"

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