How to Wear Designer Labels Without Being Showy
As lovers of all things fashion and style, we firmly believe there’s nothing wrong with wearing whatever you want to wear—including displaying designer names out in the open for all to see, if that’s your thing. However, there’s a caveat to that sort of label-touting: we believe there’s nothing worse than wearing too many labels at one time—if there’s one singular fashion faux pas that screams “I don’t know what I’m doing,” it’s that one. It can be a very difficult balance to strike.
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But not to fear: if you saved up for that vintage Céline luggage tote, and you’re just dying to wear it with the label facing out at all times, we’re here to back you up and tell you it can be done without being too flashy. Here’s the trick: to wear designer labels without coming off as overtly ostentatious, you must always think understated.
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Read on for five tips on how to pull off your favorite designer names in style!
1. Wear one name only, and wear it loud and proud.
This is the most traditional way to wear a designer label without overdoing it: go with just one piece that prominently displays the name, and limit the other openly designer items you wear. This gal embodies this idea perfectly, opting for a blatant Kenzo sweatshirt and offsetting it with cool pieces that aren’t instantly recognizable as designer.
2. Partially conceal the label.
Another more edgy tactic: prominently display a label, then partially conceal it. This serves a double purpose: maintaining the understatement of your outfit, and upholding mystery by keeping onlookers guessing
3. Wear an instantly recognizable label in a unique way.
Everyone knows a Louis Vuitton monogram bag when they see it—but if you choose to rock one, try doing so in a different way. This woman went with a monogram bag with a rarely-seen black sequin embellishment. Not only is this eye-catching in its uniqueness, but the black-on-brown color combination serves to actually camouflage the label a bit more than usual.
4. Wear small designer accessories.
Instead of wearing a full name or label, opt for pieces that are recognizable but more subtle. This gal isn’t trying to hide that she’s wearing both Hermès and Chanel, but her methods aren’t in-your-face as much as they are can-you-spot-it, which we dig.
5. Wear an ironic non-label.
Last but certainly not least is the increasingly trendy option of shirking labels entirely, opting instead for an ironic reference to the designer. The below “My Chanel is at home…” tote is a great example, and all of Brian Lichtenberg’s super-popular and cheeky creations also fall into this category.
Photos: ImaxTree
