At what age did you start worrying about "brands"

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Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    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.

    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.
    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?

    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.

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

    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?

    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.

    I did not have split ends. Sorry, sweetheart, but you're wrong.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    Same as fitness: healthy-looking does not always equal healthy.

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

    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 ...)

    Yeah, you're right. I'm a stylist and also majoring in chemistry. Thanks for the judgement.
  • MessyLittlePanda
    MessyLittlePanda Posts: 213 Member
    I remember here in the UK there were shoes called Magic Steps that a lot of the girls had in primary school - they were popular because they had little rhinestones on. It was hard to get me out of my trainers though so I don't think I was clamouring for a pair, but they were the thing to have among 5 year old girls at the time. Wasn't the brand, it was just coz they were pretty I think!
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    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.

    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.
    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?

    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.

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

    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?

    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.

    I did not have split ends. Sorry, sweetheart, but you're wrong.

    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?
  • BPayton27
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
    My son just turned 7 and is going into the 2nd grade this fall. Let me tell you, he is CONCERNED. This year he specifically asked for Nike instead of Skechers (warning: they are expensive and fall apart quickly, anyway). I bit the bullet and bought him his first pair of Nike EVER. They're electric blue with green laces - I'd probably rock 'em if I could. I thought it would end there, but he needed new glasses too. He wanted Ray-Ban frames. He hit a major growth spurt, so he's now in adult size glasses. Glasses + shoes = $300+. I would not budge on Target shirts or nameless polos, though. Sorry, kid.

    It's a sad fact of our society. Kids are dealing with a LOT more than we did as kids. I was surprised that he was so aware of things like this at 7.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?

    On my profile -- old and new hair.
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
    I went to a catholic school with uniforms (yes I still have it and no it does not fit, but it will eventually) and I never had to put up with this crap. That was the only awesome thing about going to a school with uniforms. I already didn't fit in (too tall and too chubby) and clothes would have made it worse because I couldn't afford brand names. I am not really a brand name sort of person. I think it fades in importance once you are out of school. Now, I only care about a brand name if it means it is a quality product. For example, I buy Nike shoes because I know they are well made shoes. I buy Clarks for the same reason. I try to buy well made clothes, but brand really does not matter. I do have a few brands I like, but that is because they always have a quality product.

    My kids love brand name clothes (my oldest son especially), but they know that we can't afford it. So while they may wear off brand clothes, we do buy them reasonably priced and well made brand name shoes. Clothes on kids are disposable because they are always growing, but a good shoe that lasts for 6 months with teenage boys is a good value to me.

    I have raised my kids to not be followers. I always tell them if they whine about brand names that I did not raise them to be a sheep to society's whims. I wish you luck with your daughter because I went through the same thing with my oldest too. I compromised on shoes personally for my son, but I hate the idea of getting her the shoes because "everyone else has them."
  • SFbarmaid
    SFbarmaid Posts: 117 Member
    I remember being devastated that my mom could not afford guess jeans back in the 80's, And how excited I was to get a pair of LA Gear brats in the early 90's

    I grew up in hand me downs mostly and always preferred to wear my own style. Not what everyone else was wearing.
    Now days I still mostly wear vintage and random pieces that make up my own style.

    When it comes to jeans, I like Joe's and Blue cult..because they fit. I NEVER pay full price for them. :)

    sometimes it comes down to quality over quantity. I spend $$ on nice bras and underwear. (Cosabella and Wacoal)
    Not Victorias Secret garbage that falls apart.

    I do most of my clothes shopping t thrift stores... I do not pay attention to brands so much.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?

    On my profile -- old and new hair.

    I was really excited. :-(
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?

    On my profile -- old and new hair.

    I was really excited. :-(

    Seriously? Now you're just being obtuse to try to make yourself look good.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?

    On my profile -- old and new hair.

    I was really excited. :-(

    Seriously? Now you're just being obtuse to try to make yourself look good.

    My mother told me if I didn't have anything nice to say not to say anything. I have curly hair too, it requires maintenance. You can choose not to maintain it but you can't brag about how amazing it looks.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?

    On my profile -- old and new hair.

    I was really excited. :-(

    Seriously? Now you're just being obtuse to try to make yourself look good.

    My mother told me if I didn't have anything nice to say not to say anything. I have curly hair too, it requires maintenance. You can choose not to maintain it but you can't brag about how amazing it looks.

    OK then. I guess all the random people who compliment it every day are blind and that my stylist is lying when she says she loves working with it. Looks like you straighten yours and keep it very short, so I'm not sure how much you actually know about caring for long, curly hair. I find most people (stylists included, which is why it took me FOREVER to find one) have no idea what to do with curls.
  • Probably around age 10 or 11 maybe? However I've noticed in the last few years (since I had to start paying for a lot of stuff myself, coincidence hmm?) that I'm less and less worried about what brands I'll wear. Some brands I'll stick with because I know that they last. For example the last two years I've bought a certain brands hoodie at around £35 a go because they last well, I still have the one I bought two years ago!
  • AnitaVolpato
    AnitaVolpato Posts: 204 Member
    Around the age of 9-10... My mother made it tough on me.. I stopped giving a crap about brands once I had to start paying for them myself so that was around 17....
  • Shayzeepoo
    Shayzeepoo Posts: 178 Member
    My son is 3 and will only wear his DC skate shoes :noway: Thanks to his dad!
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member


    I would LOVED to have seen it then. Completely honest I love seeing healthy hair because it's so rare. I've never seen someone with hair past their shoulders without split ends so it would be like finding the crown jewel! Do you have any pics?


    On my profile -- old and new hair.

    I was really excited. :-(

    Seriously? Now you're just being obtuse to try to make yourself look good.

    My mother told me if I didn't have anything nice to say not to say anything. I have curly hair too, it requires maintenance. You can choose not to maintain it but you can't brag about how amazing it looks.

    OK then. I guess all the random people who compliment it every day are blind and that my stylist is lying when she says she loves working with it. Looks like you straighten yours and keep it very short, so I'm not sure how much you actually know about caring for long, curly hair. I find most people (stylists included, which is why it took me FOREVER to find one) have no idea what to do with curls.

    My wedding picture on my profile has my hair mid-back length. Many of my clients have curly hair because I DO know how to work with it. I agree many stylists don't know how to deal with curls and after doing other people's hair for 8 hours a day, maybe I don't want to spend lots of time doing mine. Or maybe I just like the way short hair looks on me? I'm sure people love your hair. Most people admire what they don't have; in your case, curls. It's good that you embrace that.
  • mtaylor33557
    mtaylor33557 Posts: 542 Member
    I first asked my mom for "Nike" shoes and "Calvin Klein" Jeans around Jr High. We weren't very well off, so I was allowed one brand name pair of shoes a year, anything else had to come from places like WalMart. She would find deals on clothes at Sam's Club, TJ Maxx, Etc. so I could have a few brand names that way too. I wasn't nearly as "cool" as the girls who were brand name all the way down to the VS undies and Clinique makeup & perfume.

    But, by the time I graduated high school, I no longer cared about these things.. I don't know when I stopped caring, but I did.

    My favorite clothes from my senior year and all through college all came from non name brands. It just didn't matter to me anymore, and I think I was better dressed because I went for fit and style over name.

    I still don't care about brand names, My SIL makes fun of me because anytime she says "ooh, I like that!" I'll say "Oh, its from Wal Mart / Target / Cato / Old Navy" She likes to shop at places like Anne Taylor and Dillards.. but I look just as well dressed as she does, for a fraction of the price.
  • mfp116
    mfp116 Posts: 108
    im nearly 20.. and i still dont care about brands aha
    more about the style of things etc than what the label is i hate buying things that plaster a brand on them i avoid buying those things cause i feel theyre too flashy i like things simple! flashier things are more i feel like its trying to compensate for something..
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    Seems very young... at 6.5 years old my kids are asking for Angry Bird clothes not name brands lol.

    Personally, at their young age they will get what I buy them - of course giving them the option to choose which shirts they want, etc. in the store we are in. But I choose the store :)
  • scarlet331
    scarlet331 Posts: 42 Member
    5 yrs old is a bit too young to be worrying about labels. My mother would only buy clothing that she could afford so it didn't matter to me. When I hit the middle school, everyone started asking about what type of shoes you have, what clothing you wore(Espirt, Jordache, Champion, Asisics, Nike were all popular then). I got made fun of because my clothing and shoes came from Kmart and not a fancy mall.. One kid said I shopped at a thrift store, which was false. When I hit high school, I was told if I wanted those brand names, I had to work for them myself and that is what I did.

    To this day, I buy what I can afford, label or not. Yes, I do shop at vintage/thrift stores. You can find a bunch of neat stuff that people do not want anymore. I found a bunch of 90's CD's the other day I missed listening to for .99 a piece.
  • LonLB
    LonLB Posts: 1,126 Member
    6th grade is when it really starts to matter-as I remember it, and notice with kids I work with.




    If you are a parent who is a bargain hunting machine your children can have decent brand names for cheaper than going to walmart etc.

    TJ Max, Plato's Closet, Old Navy sales, Kohls sales, craigslist even.



    I'll always do that if I can't afford to buy my boys the good stuff at new prices.
    FWIW though Old Navy always has really great sales before school starts so we just stock up on clothes that fit them NOW, and will fit them as the school year winds down.
  • AnitaVolpato
    AnitaVolpato Posts: 204 Member
    Don't get me wrong I would love to have a few Louis Vuitton and Chanel Bags... but the whole Gap, Abercrombie, Limited BS is still cheap clothes over priced clothes and not made very well, they definitely aren't high class like some people try to make them out to be. The only brand jeans I have ever seen last were my Lucky Jeans and Paper Denim.. Those are worth the money!
  • JuneyJo
    JuneyJo Posts: 182 Member
    I grew up in a poor area and we all did our back to school shopping at Kmart. No one cared about brands. We called all white canvas tennis shoes Keds and all other kinds were just "sneakers." We all wore whatever jeans Kmart had. I wear Sketchers now because I like them and they last, but I don't "have to have" them. I get my kids Sketchers at the outlet store when they're on sale. And they know that if they damage or lose their Sketchers, they're not getting new ones. We'll go to Walmart and get what they have.

    I just looked over my outfit and I got it all at Kohl's, Ross and Payless. No "brand" names :smile:

    I hope that when my kids (8 and 6) start to get into brands and whatnot that I can convey to them that if they want it because they like it, we'll talk about it. But if they want it to be like everyone else... let's talk about individuality first.

    My 8yo keeps asking for an iPhone and I just laugh at him. Mean, yes, but come on - ain't gonna happen, dude. :laugh:
  • LonLB
    LonLB Posts: 1,126 Member
    The only brand jeans I have ever seen last were my Lucky Jeans and Paper Denim.. Those are worth the money!


    Agreed. My first pair of Lucky jeans lasted 10 years.

    I've given away pairs to my nephew who still wears them and they are years old now too.

    Weather forecast says it's going to be really cool tomorrow and I hope it is because I've got a couple new pair of Lucky's that I'll fit into now, and want to wear them.
  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    Umm...I'm going to have to go with never, I've never been small enough to wear brand name clothes, and anything else just doesn't interest me that much. I do own a Coach handbag, but I got it off of eBay for like $125 just because I liked the style, didn't care about the name. lol...
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    Uh - my kids started worrying about brands at about jr high age... which is about when I recall becoming aware of them. For my kids, they got a healthy dose of budgeting lessons about this age. They were told that they could choose clothing from these brands, but that the budget does not automatically expand to accomodate the taste. My son started 8th grade with 5 pairs of jeans, 5 shirts, and 1 pair of shoes. He had to do laundry a lot. But because of this, he [eventually] developed 1) an appreciation for sale/clearance items and discount stores and 2) a realization that maintaining a budget is an important part of one's life.

    Not sure that this is quite the appropriate lesson to be had at 5 (which, yes, I think is a bit young - but I also think it's odd to see a child in the nail salon for a mani/pedi, and that's a pretty frequent occurrence)... But if all she's worried about is a pair of Sketchers, I'd say buy the shoes, and pair them with whatever outfits you'd normally buy. Wanting one item is different than an all-consuming "need" for only name-brands.
  • abnerner
    abnerner Posts: 452 Member
    It sounds young, but I know that my nephew and niece who are 5 and 10 worry about having the same things as other kids, just not so much worried about brands.
  • AlyiEli2017
    AlyiEli2017 Posts: 81 Member
    I believe I was in middle school.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    5th grade. My rich kid friends only bought their clothes from Limited Too!
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
    I started caring about brands very young. Probably 5th grade. The first brand I was obsessed with was Adidas.

    I only do brands for certain items. Jeans. I just have enjoyed the brand and will continue wearing it.

    I have store loyalty... I like to be a one stop shopper so I shop at the Maurices store mainly. It doesn't brand itself though so I guess it doesn't really count.

    I also enjoy brand Nike stuff. Just an easy way to get a good product usually.

    I only get a certain type of purse because of the quality, Vera Bradley. My grandma got me into that.

    I used to be A LOT worse. I only used to buy Abercrombie because you could SEE the brand. So stupid! Waste of money and absolute crap quality. I also had certain types of shoes I preferred but they were also very expensive.

    Since I'm 24 now I really never care about brand anymore. It's all about quality, look, and price. I will spend more on an item if I find that it is worth it long term. But I have to be able to afford it.