Why Logos Are No Goes

by Lajya

In last week’s blog, I discussed the relevance of shoes and jeans in a man’s wardrobe and how shirts shouldn’t be the main focus.  If you haven’t read that yet, check it out here. It is the number one tip I tell guys asking for fashion advice.  While I stress the importance of shoes and jeans over shirts, you can still get the shirt wrong because of one crucial thing – logos.  Today I’m talking about brand names and a few key things to keep in mind about them.

When I talk about brand names on clothing, I am referring to shirts, jackets, and hats. I am going to go ahead and say that in most cases, grown men should not be wearing clothes with big logos on them.  (I’m leaving jeans out of this because I hope no one needs to be told that the circus of G-STAR decorated down the side of a pant leg has never worked.)  So back to t-shirts…Put simply, if the brand you are wearing is marketed towards teenagers, it should be worn by teenagers. Your clothes may not have changed since high school, but fashion has.

A small logo should not be underestimated either.  If its there, it is there for a reason, and we see it.  Smaller logos are better than big logos, but none is still better.

There are exceptions to what I am saying here.  Does the brand fit your lifestyle?  For example, if you are into skateboarding, you can still get away with wearing a DC shirt.  If you are a surfer, you can wear Quiksilver.  If you are an athlete, or are at the gym,  you can wear Nike.  It is also good to consider though that pro athletes are generally sponsored by such companies, and are therefore making these brands look good so that YOU will buy them.  So unless you’re sure you’re rocking it, it could be best not to get involved with such risky business.  Also, the quality may be better, but not $100 better.

It should be mentioned that there are certain brands that are so timeless and genre bending that they’ll always work, such as Adidas.  In general there are exceptions to my statements, but if you are a little unsure of where to allocate your budget, don’t just throw it away on brands that you feel are safe.  A basic tee is safe, and is $1 in Chinatown.