As you look around Yorba Linda High School, you will see many students wearing clothes with notable name brands, such as Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, and even Gucci. Compared to clothing you may buy at places like Walmart, these clothes are much more expensive with many of the prices of name branded clothing being upwards of $50 and potentially hitting prices in the $1000s. In addition, students will be seen having Apple products, Hydroflasks, and even fancy cars, such as BMWs or Jeeps. These products are much more expensive than usual technology, water bottles, and used-cars, but students would rather spend their money on those products than buy cheaper versions that do the same thing. While people could save so much more money if they purchased non-name brand products, people still opt for spending  a large amount of money to have name brand products, so are name brand products actually better?

Many people buy name brand products because they last longer, but is that really the case? According to a study done by the University of Leeds, low-cost clothing may last longer than more expensive clothing. In this study, they compared the fabric of many different clothing brands and measured how strong they were, how long the color lasted, and how study they were. Ultimately, they found out the “fast-fashion” products would last longer than the designer products (insider.com). However, some more expensive brands offer a repair policy to make them last longer. For instance, if you get a tear in Lululemon clothing, you can go back to the store and ask for it to be repaired. Also, they have a “Quality Promise,” which states that “if [their] product doesn’t perform for you, [they’ll] take it back” (info.lululemon.com). From personal experience, I have had two pairs of Lululemon leggings last for longer than five years, and although they might be very expensive, usually around $100, they do last long and still perform well multiple years after I purchased them. Thus, while some expensive brands are not sturdy, there are others that are sturdy and have policies to guarantee quality long after you purchase them.

Also, people purchase name brand products because they look better, but their perception of what looks good could come from the fact that notable influencers in society are wearing the name brand products. In the 1960s, Jackie Kennedy was photographed owning a Gucci Purse, which propelled the popularity of the Gucci brand (businessinsider.com). Even today, there are many social media influencers who purchase expensive products, which cause their fans to want to buy their products. For instance, in 2018, Brandy Melville became extremely popular because Emma Chamberlain wore their clothing. Therefore, name brand products might not actually look better, but because notable people that we look up to wear them, people may think they look better and want to replicate their favorite influencer.

Likewise, people tend to buy products to fit in. Most students own an Apple iPhone, and many of those students dislike Androids. They dislike the green text messages and the look of the phone, but they ignore some of the better hardware and lower prices that come with an android phone. For instance, android phones have better pixel density, camera setup, storage, etc. than Apple Phones (crambler.com). Thus, even though androids have better qualities than iPhones, since iPhones are more popular, people would rather buy iPhones. On the other hand, there may be a reason a product is popular. When you walk around the school, you will notice most students owning a Hydro Flask to carry their water in. Hydro Flasks are around $30-$100, but you can easily find a reusable water bottle for less than $10 on a quick search on Amazon. However, there are multiple reasons that Hydro Flasks are worth the price: they are convenient, they have multiple sizes, they are eco-friendly, and they have a lifetime warranty (spoonuniversity.com).