Over the years, looking back on decades trends, it has always been apparent that name brands such as Nike, Adidas and Jordan have always played a huge role in the fashion industry. But are they worth it? Sure, they have cool designs and good quality, but they come at an expensive price – ranging anywhere from $90 to over $1000. Many people agree that owning name brand clothing not only allows you to have a subtle flex, but it also allows you to stand out from others. 

“Name brands are worth it because owning a name brand item allows you to stand out from everyone else,” Aariyah Johnson (‘21) stated. “If there was something to help you express yourself, and it was a name-brand, then wouldn’t you say that it’s worth the money?” To answer Johnson’s question, I don’t think you need to own name brand clothing in order to stand out because chances are if you have it, then 100 other people do too. On the other hand, if buying a name-brand item did make me instantly stand out from the crowd and I genuinely could see a purpose for it, then yes, I would spend the coin. 

It has also been shown that people tend to gravitate towards name branded products, The National Jeweler stated that we only gravitate towards these name brands because it “helps us to relate to our peers”, they also stated that we want to own name brand items as a sense of “ pride”, and who doesn’t want to own well-made branded merchandise?

Of course, there are people who are perfectly fine with the thrift store or making a fit out of Walmart clothes, and in my opinion there ain’t nothing wrong with a $15 hoodie. Many people, like Zeniya Jackson (‘21), agree that name-brand clothing is “overhyped and overpriced.” Name-brand clothing is found everywhere, meaning that everyone has them. A good example of this is the white Nike Air Force One’s; I’d be willing to bet 80% of the world’s population owns these shoes. But not everyone owns that really cool vintage piece that you could find by thrifting. Personally, I think thrifting clothes can be very fun because you not only find original pieces that really can speak to your style but you’re also helping the earth by recycling. 

Additionally, many people agree that name brands are a “waste of money” and that these big name brand corporations are actually scamming you, and just because the price is high “doesn’t mean that the quality is good”, according to The Seminole Newspaper. This has proven to be the case multiple times where we go to buy that expensive pair of jeans or those cool pair of shoes, and then by the time we open our package we are disappointed by the quality because we were expecting top tier, and they gave us bottom dollar. 

Then there are the in-betweeners, such as Brandy Canady (‘21) who expressed “the opinion that clothing is just material and anyone can make it; however, it’s the knowing how to make good quality clothes that peaks people’s interest and makes them want to pay that high price”. Honestly, I couldn’t agree more, I feel that as long as the clothing has a good quality and you like it then it shouldn’t really matter where you got it, what brand it is, or how much you paid. 

So, when asked “Are name brands worth it?”, my answer is: If you have the money, buy the name brand. If you don’t have the money, don’t buy the brand. Name brands can be worth it when it benefits you; however, you don’t need to purchase a name brand product in order to be trendy or stand out.