Potential employers might be appreciate your designer logos, but rich people think they’re trash.
In a recent article published by the Washington Post, reporter Sarah Halzack explores the recent decline in designer handbag sales—specifically for labels like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci. Though many people abstain from these purchases in an attempt to save money, the affluent population is simply trying to avoid looking tacky, as income inequality has become more severe.
You see, in some cultures, flossing is deemed tasteless—you don’t want to show off your wealth in obvious ways, like rocking gear and accessories with luxury branding all over it. This is especially apparent today, as the upper-class has seen its wealth increase following the recession, while the rest of the country has not. It all comes down to guilt, basically.
“I think as customers have begun to notice changes in their own income and the income of others, they begin to feel a little bit of yuppie guilt around purchasing the logos,” Charles Lawry, an assistant professor at Pace University who studies luxury marketing, told the Washington Post. “It’s the idea of not wanting to seem as if you’re trying to brag about the products that you own.”
This trend is completely understandable; however, luxury labels are trying to figure out how to deal with the shift. The obvious solution? Stop emblazoning merch with so many logos, even though they were the bread and butter at one point.
“It looks a little trashy,” said Carron Ryan, who was looking at the logo-stamped bags at Bergdorf Goodman. “It’s better to be subtle.”
We couldn’t agree more.
