Ladies & Designer Brands: A Killer Combination or a Living Abomination?

Author's note: This article is specially dedicated to the treasured, highly appreciated female readers of Straight Eye for the Straight Guy.

Ladies - since the time of the cavewoman, females have had it in their blood, and arguably as a prerogative, to want to look good and feel good about themselves. Pre-historic women fulfilled that need by adorning and perfuming themselves with varieties of exotic fauna in all the colors of the rainbow. Even the first woman, Eve, carefully selected her Garden of Eden frock from among the best, greenest, most supple vegetation available that season, while Adam just plucked his leaf from the nearest shrub and stuck it on himself in pure straight man fashion.*

A primitive Native American woman rockin' it.

Modern, well-to-do women satisfy similar instincts by dressing up in the finest and most exquisite array of clothing available on mother Earth, specifically, the high-fashion, designer brand.

Now. Assuming that part of the reason women dress themselves up is to attract the opposite sex, today we embark on a discourse specifically designed to answer one burning question. Straight Eye for the Straight Guy interviewed a range of eligible young men and asked them:

"Women who enjoy wearing high-fashion designer brands - turn-on or turn-off?"

“I like women who wear brands like Prada and such, but it might be bad for their own safety. We live in a world today where robbers and thieves are all around so girs like that’ll need a boyfriend or somebody who can protect them.” - Abrahame, 22, Student.

“I think the practice of wearing brands is indicative of a girl who is very ‘high-maintenance’. I personally wouldn’t go for such a girl. I'd prefer a more average down to earth person.” – Alvin, 20, Student.

"I don’t like women who wear brands just for the sake of wearing the brand. Women like to compare themselves with each other – you see one woman wearing Louis Vuitton, and another will follow by wearing Prada – it's just competition as to who can afford the more expensive brand. I mean, do people even genuinely think that brown LV pattern looks good? " - Steven, 34, Businessman.

A certain anonymous fellow went so far as to divide brands that women wear into 3 categories – red, yellow and green, the colours representing different alarm levels corresponding to the specific price range of individual brands. For example:

(Brand – Alarm Level – Course of Action)

Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton – Red Alert - State of Emergency, run.
Zara, Topshop, GAP – Yellow Alert - Proceed with caution.
Unbranded – Green - PROCEED AT ALL COSTS.

"It doesn't really bother me, as long as it suits them. Like, some girls can have high-end brands all over their bodies, but still look awful. While a really pretty girl can look awesome simply wearing a plain GAP T-shirt and jeans. But I probably wouldn't be intimidated by a girl in a Dior dress and Jimmy Choo stilettos... it depends on the occasion I guess." - Ryan, 22, Law Student.

"Well, I think clothing should be appropriate for the occasion. I mean, you don't have to be clad in designer brands every single time you go out, but let's say you see a girl walking down the street and she's all dressed up in Chanel, Burberry, etc - branded goods do come with a mark of quality and it adds a certain gloss to a woman's appearance. Honestly I don't really pay attention to the brands a woman is wearing, I pay attention to how good her clothes look on her. And I won't decide on the 'high-maintenance' part until I actually get to know her." - Teck How, 22, Single-if-you're-hot.

"Being myself, although I like elegant things and women who know how to take care of themselves, women who enjoy wearing designer brands scare me off. It's probably because I stereotype them as high-maintenance, shopping addicts. A female friend of mine once told me that ladies want to marry a man who can support them financially, as in a man who can pay for their shopping! I was like, "Wth, what's the low/average income guy gonna do then?"

Women of this kind usually have good fashion/style sense, so they'll expect you to look equally as good around them to complement them. Even the romantic experience with this sort of woman would be different. Handmade gifts to touch the heart will probably piss them off and be received as an indication of you being tight with your wallet.

So, yeah, its a turn off." - A very long answer by Franch, 22, Student.

"To me, it's not a matter of what she wears - it's how she wears it, tak kisah designer, pasar malam or standard clothes" - Shazlan, 23, Female enthusiast.

"I think it really depends on the woman's perspective towards designer brands. If they grew up wearing designer diapers, they're probably used to it and there's nothing much we can say. But if they do it to feign richness when in fact they aren't, then it can be a complete turn off..." - Anonymous, 21, Bohemian Stranger.

The responses seem to show a mixed set of opinions regarding the question at hand. However, a popular consensus seems to indicate that most men appear to be tolerant of women who are into designer labels for the sheer appreciation of the aesthetic value of the products, instead of women who go the way of the designer simply as a status symbol. In that sense, it isn't inaccurate to argue that for every man who negatively stereotypes a woman for wearing labels, there are also a substantial number who in fact associate designer labels with attractiveness, confidence and capability.

In conclusion, ladies, wear what makes you feel comfortable, what makes you feel good about yourself. If that Vera Wang dress is the only thing standing between you and true happiness, then by all means, go for it. After all, at the end of the day, it's all about being happy with who you are... isn't it? Leave your 2 cents as a comment.

*Historically inaccurate statements