We all know those extremely expensive clothing brands that drive our fashion choices.  We can all name them — Louis Vuitton, Prada, Fendi, Burberry, Helly Hansen, and Zara.  Ultimately, what drives these fashion choices is not need, but teenagers’ desire to show off and fit in.

However, a closer look at the styles of today reveals some interesting facets of the choices teens make when it comes to function vs. fashion.

Function is, essentially, the purpose of clothing.  The bottom line for clothing is to cover us appropriately and, when necessary, protect us from the elements.  For example, when it comes to Helly Hansen pants, jackets, and shoes, the true function for this brand is extreme outdoor wear.  Helly Hansen is an outerwear company whose origins are in extreme outdoor work and sport.  A closer look at those who choose to wear HH gear today finds very few people actually surviving storms at sea or climbing mountains.  The origin of the brand certainly does not seem to be the case with those here who wear it today.  Helly Hansen snow pants and bib overalls are worn in non-snow environments every day and HH jackets – made for extreme weather – often see nothing more than light rain.

Why then do young people wear the brand if they are not utilizing its true purpose?  It has to do with perception and acceptance. Wearing HH shows that you have a sense of style in expensive clothing, or you have good taste, and sometimes even shows that you have money. It has come to the point where, if a student wears something with no name or a lesser-thought of brand, it’s a joke because it’s not a part of the fashion trend.

Many students wear expensive clothing and clothing that they don’t need – like Helly Hansen or even North Face– just to show off the brand name.  Now that HH has taken over, some of the other brand names such as North Face, have gotten out of style, because of the fact that not a lot of people wear it.

There are also kids also buy the clothing and wear it because it is comfortable. At Paint Branch a wide variety of students wear expensive clothing because it is “in style” or because it allows them to “fit in,” which is what teens want to do.  Of course, other students don’t care for expensive clothing and wear whatever they want to without caring what others think.

There are many brands like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. These clothing brands are some of the top designers, but they aren’t worn to school. You know why? Because they are not brands to be worn to school; you would wear those brands only when you are going to a special event. When students and adults started admiring high-priced clothing, they forget all of the lower-priced clothing such as Ed Hardy and North Face. North face is not exactly lower-priced clothing, but it is one of the name brands that many people don’t wear anymore.

Expensive clothing is made to look very beautiful, but all of this beauty and design comes with an expensive price tag. Making the right choice in fashion can be difficult if you want to fit in or have what others have, but the most important person to please when it comes to fashion is YOU.  Whether you buy clothes from an expensive store or not, it all depends on what you want to wear, what you want to spend money on, and what you feel comfortable in. It is your job to be creative with your clothes, so price should not matter. What matters is the effort and the sense of fashion that you are going to put on the styles you wear. If you are buying clothes for the sole purpose of showing off the logo or designer name, as so many people do, then you have made a huge mistake.

One important point to remember when it comes to fashion is that more expensive is not always better  – at least not as much as the price tag represents.  The fact is, name brands often have better quality or better performance, but they are almost never so much better that they are worth such a price difference.

I’m always trying (and failing) to spend less on clothes. I know that sometimes I do have to pay a bit more for something, especially if it’s going to be built to last. I have learned that, for some items of clothing, it’s definitely better to spend a bit more. Ultimately, I try to make smart choices and, I admit, it can be hard to buy the less-expensive item because you try to fit in.