by Perlene Saddler

Created on: July 05, 2008

The mental quest to strive for name-brands

An observation of people's spending habits on clothing, especially younger people; clearly revel the total mismanagement and waste of finances.

It is the quest of all to go after the name brands at a higher cost just to look a certain way or to gain social acceptance. Who determines name-brands? The media, the people who pay big bucks to advertise, or is it us pitiful souls who feel we have something to prove to the world by wearing name-brands. There are times when some of us can barely buy food, yet we make the sacrifice to buy name-brands. Are we brain-washed, or are we plain stupid and lack self-esteem. When self-esteem is at its highest, some of us who are educated consumers can pretty much purchase any well put together garment or item by a "no-name designer or otherwise," and will very well be a cut above the rest in style.

It would seem brainwashing plays a big part in how we spend today. The media and advertising design advertisements do play upon our emotions in such a way that we begin to focus more on what others think, and less of our image, if we are not helped by name-brands.

Some time ago, Jim Jones, a preacher lured hundreds of his members to drink poison believing they could go to live with the Lord earlier than normal, not needing to live out their life span. What a waste of energy! This could be viewed as brainwashing at its core that leads many to suicide. Could many of us be on our way just the same because of fashion design brainwash? Oops! Lord help us, especially our youths.

How do we solve a problem that has been so socially acceptable to the point of destruction to our youth? They have been reduced to the level of stealing to wear name-brands. Parents are feeling more and more pressures into cladding their off-springs with name-brands. The brainwashing is filtered down to every member of the household. How can we stop people from wasting so much in so very foolish ways? This seems worse than gambling, yet it is not viewed this way by society. Instead it is looked at as a socially acceptable personal choice. Wow! God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change. Are we going to continue to sit back and accept this notion that we cannot do anything to stop the madness, or are we afraid of the monsters we have created, called Name-brand fashion designers?

Let's open our eyes to the dangers that lie ahead. Gas price is $4 per gallon. Soon a loaf of bread will be $10, and sugar $15 per 5 lbs bag; then name-brands will seem like a shadow in the dark or us having to choose between hunger and name-brand clothing.

Let us cultivate our youths from an early age to appreciate more the quality of a fabric, the style, and the way a garment is assembled rather than on the person who slapped their name tag on the inside of a collar. Stop the name-brand frenzy!

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