When looking in my closet, it is easy to tell that I am a fan of stores like Pink by Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren, and Aerie by American Eagle Outfitters. These logos are a dead giveaway of my style and what I like to wear. However, I have recently given a lot of thought to what these brand logos actually mean and indicate.

Photo: Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

In my opinion, brands show the type of lifestyle and people that we want to associate ourselves with. Though this may seem innocent and level-headed at face value, underneath it all, the idea that we want to fit in with others is clear. Instead of forging our own way, we use brands to help others identify our values and likes through what we wear.

We all want to feel accepted and we all want to fit in. The irony is that it is so important to be yourself, whoever that is! If we are not able to embrace the real skin that we are in, then how can we feel truly happy about who we are?

So, how can we still be ourselves while not relying on brand logos to give others an idea of who we are?

Of course, I am not going to stop wearing my favorite clothing items just because they have a logo on them. I still want to be stylish and wear what I want to wear, as I am sure the rest of us all want.

I feel as though the lesson that can be learned from this is that we have to stop defining people for what they wear and look like, and we must start seeing people for who they are as an individual. Spending a little extra time to get to know who people really are will make them feel accepted in the most authentic way; through this process, we can all learn more about each other and break through some negative stereotypes.