MYNIPPON

Have you seen friends of yours who are always dying to buy luxury brands and once they get them, they are always showing off their labels?  The designer handbags or clothing with logo plastered everywhere.  Some of these so-called wannabes are so desperate to prove that they have made it, that they can now shop the same brands as Hollywood celebrities, that they start looking like walking billboards for luxury French and Italian brands.  But they are doing it all wrong.

1. Actually, the really rich (and not the nouveau-riche, people who have recently acquired money and consider bling to be the simplest way to demonstrate their wealth) would not be seen dead wearing anything with logos.  So when you are carrying that Coach or Tory Burch bag, you are screaming, “I am a wannabe and now all I can afford now is this handbag.”
2. The second point is that the really wealthy people use extremely high quality and expensive products that have markers that are not known to the masses but only to the really rich.  These are their insider secrets that they learn during parties or fashion shows in Milan or Paris or Tokyo.

So how to play the game?

1. Buy stuff that you like and looks good on you.  Do not pay attention to the label as long as it is well made.  See if it is possible to get rid of the label or logo.  If not, try to hide it.
2. Never buy an item of clothing that has the brand name printed on it and is visible to others.  Juicy Couture, Gap, Hollister, Abercombie & Fitch, and many other mid-priced brands do it a lot (surprisingly Banana Republic does it only on those products sold in outlet malls, which are popular among the wannabes or aspirational customers).
3. If you are into it, consider buying vintage clothes.  They can be fairly inexpensive and help you put together a great look.  Plus, you can get away by saying that you admire Bohemian looks or are environmentally conscious or that you love the style of a certain era.
4. Never mention or discuss brands, shops, and prices of whatever you own.  Simply avoid the question and change the topic.
5. If you travel frequently, do your shopping overseas.  Even if you bought a scarf or a jute bag on a street in Cairo for less than a buck, when similar products are sold in the United States they can cost hundreds of dollars.
6. Develop your own unique style by trying on ways to combine what you have.  Do not try to look like someone else and definitely not like a celebrity.  If you will look attractive, people stop wondering what brand it is.