Some Jackets Are Better Unbranded
Looking at branded vs unbranded options while trying to decide what works best for an outfit.
Branding, we are all well aware of it. For some brands, it’s the bread and butter of their company—think Supreme, Palace, etc. But not everything needs to have a logo plastered across. In recent years, fashion companies have slowly started to move away from logo-blasting across their collections, which is a change I welcome with open arms.
In a recent search for the hottest garments for the newsletter, I’ve come across a variety of jackets that are great overall but have slight branding details that diminished the potential experience for me. These jackets are great overall, but they could have thrived with no branding, and because of this, I felt like the items didn’t hit as well as they could have—at least in my opinion.
In today’s newsletter, I wanted to discuss branding on certain jackets, is it a must, or can we go without it? Plus, showcasing some pieces that I’ve recently come across that could have done way better without logos, as well as recommending a few lightweight logoless jacket options that I really love.
THE LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP
Branding is a double edged sword—sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s bad. Before we dive into things, I want to specify that I don’t think logos are actually bad. It really comes down to the execution, mood, where/how the branding is highlighted, and most importantly the context of the garment in question. For jackets specifically, I think that logos aren’t needed, but of course this depends on the type of jacket we are talking about.
My personal jacket rotation comprises of some classic logo blasting, and some options that you would never know what it was unless you looked at the tag. Sometimes it’s fun to go back to my nostalgic days and whip out some loud Supreme logo jacket for the pure lols, but then sometimes I need something completely unbranded if I need to be more presentable—versatility in clothing is one of the most important factors I look for when shopping.
A lot of the times when I purchase clothing I ask myself if this garment can be worn in a casual fit when I’m just chillin, and in a more formal occasion if I need to—if the answer is yes then there’s a good chance that the lifespan of that specific garment is going to be much longer than a piece that’s blasted with logos. With jackets specifically, I tend to avoid branding as it becomes harder to wear them with other branded pieces without looking like a billboard on the highway.
For those interested, this piece is available in a few sized at the Goodhood store.
The first jacket that needs to be highlighted in this discussion is the Suiting Blouson from Toga Virilis. It’s an amazing jacket that comes equipped with Toga’s traditional hardware on the collar. The problem though, is the jacket also comes with a massive embroidered V that honestly didn’t need to be there—I can already imagine the amount of people who will ask you “What does the V mean?” when they see you rocking this.
Of course this is all subjective, and maybe some people might find the V an enjoyable detail, but in my opinion it low key made the piece way less wearable—I hit the quick photoshop to see what it would have looked like without the branding, and the results will shock you! Toga is known for its dedication to hardware, and the collar detailing is more than enough for their brand to hold significance when paired with other pieces in an outfit. This is why I think it didn’t need that additional V.
Up next for me is a jacket from Needles’ recent collection. Now, the Needles butterfly isn’t specifically annoying or that loud, but sometimes less is more and I think this next one would have done slightly better without it. I realize that I may be being extremely picky here, but as a potential customer I need to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. The jacket comes equipped with this very fine stitching that is giving me heartbeat vibes that I really love, but it also comes with equipped with 3 traditional butterflies that may be slightly too much.
THREE? Ok, keep the butterfly, it’s not the end of the world, but why put so many on the jacket? It could have gone way better if they decided to just keep the single one on the back and remove the two on the front. We need to remember that this jacket is heavily influenced by western attire, which usually come with some sort of embroidery on both sides of the chest, so I get why they are there, but maybe we just didn’t need it in this piece. Again, it’s not really that crazy and the jacket is still hot and very much wearable, I’m just being picky.
There are a few other options that come paired with the same sort of detailing and with a few colors—The pieces are really nice, I’m just being way too critical because of my own current vibes when it comes to outerwear at this very moment.
Currently available directly on Nepenthes.
THE DOUBLE BRANDED COMBO
Some jackets are known to have logos blasted on both the front and the back, and while I understand the tradition and reference when brands do this, it doesn’t always have to be like this. For instance, the recent Palace collection showcased a jacket that I’m really into, but it comes with their logo on both the front and back of the garment.
Part of their recent Summer 2023 collection, this jacket hasn’t dropped yet but keep your eyes peeled because it is a good one. While it comes fully embroidered on both sides, I wish that Palace dropped the front branding—if I’m being honest, I’m really not a fan of anyone using small logo on the front with some massive thing happening on the back. That’s just me personally though, and it’s not like the piece is ruined or anything, it would just be slightly better if they focused on the back design only.
Don’t get me wrong, Palace has been killing it in their logo blasting department with jackets that have very minimal branding and those are some of my favorite pieces. Take this Workwear Jacket for example:
Yes, there are still two logos on this piece, but they are small enough that they don’t jump out at you in a way that some other options of theirs do. Sure, in an ideal world I would have dropped that front one and kept the leather Palace patch at the bottom, because I think that’s more than enough, but it’s not a deal breaker. But then I see a piece like this next jacket and I think about how it would have been way better if Palace decided to go with a logo on one side instead of both sides of the piece:
Is it actually that bad? Not really, I’m just being picky. Overall, the brand has been heading into the right direction when it comes to the way they handle their logos on stuff, and I’m thrilled about that. I understand that brand identity and logos are important to specific customers, but if the piece is good enough on its own, you don’t even need a logo to convert a potential customer in the future. Word of mouth is critical to the way garments and brands spread amongst peers, and I find today more and more people I talk to are trying to rock pieces that are completely unbranded.
I want to reiterate, it’s good that we have brands that offer crazy branding, some less branded stuff and no branding at all because they are able to accommodate to different shoppers, brands like Supreme and Palace are your typical streetwear that started out with logos and are now shifting to offer way quieter pieces that feel way more alive to me—For some, logos are important and I get that, but I can’t be rocking billboard type fits at 30, it’s just not for me.
WHAT ARE THE GOOD OPTIONS THEN?
With all that being said, there are plenty of brands out there that dedicate their focus on materials all while keeping their branding to zero. Today, if I’m buying clothing I’m buying things that are going to last me for years to come. Majority of these garments, especially jackets, are unbranded because it allows me to easily mix and match with my existing wardrobe, and I just end up looking way cleaner overall—imagine if I had to go to some sort of formal event and I had the word “SUPREME” blasted on the front, back and sleeves? Not the vibe.
While I was looking around, complaining about the recent branded pieces for the sake of complaining, I did find some outerwear that didn’t have logos, but focused on the details, and I’m excited to share them with you today. The first one comes from Universal Works, a brand that always keeps things casual and never has logos on their garments.
This is a lightweight piece that’s perfect for those cooler nights that allows you to lightly layer up, comes equipped with some light embroidery that makes this simple jacket slightly more elevated in comparison to some other options out there. Also a bonus is that these pieces are available all the way up to XXXL!
Currently available directly at Universal Works.
Ok, Drake’s isn’t cheap and I know I sound like a broken record, but if you’re trying to buy a garment that you plan on keeping for the next 20+ years then this one is it. The simplicity is perfect, and the waxed cotton is built to fuse to your body shape overtime, so after a while it will just fit you like an absolute glove. Really enjoy the collar details with the tartan lining that could flash here and there as you joyride across the city.
Currently available directly on Drake’s website.
Another jacket that is on my list is the G9 Harrington jacket from Baracuta. While having similar properties to the Drake’s jacket above, the Harrington is a completely different style but is also a classic. The construction is built to last, and if you take care of it, then the jacket will take care of you. Comes with a tartan lining detailing, and a variety of amazing colors that you don’t usually get so much of in outerwear—at least in one specific piece, but the G9 has over 10 colors to choose from.
This piece is dripping with high quality characteristics. Made in England, Baracuta is actually the original creator of the Harrington Jacket—so if you’re going to get one you might as well go to the source. This one was specifically designed for those muggy, rainy days, so if you’re looking for something simple and with high quality material that keeps you looking fresh and dry from the rain, then it doesn’t get better than this. Keep in mind, the style of this is pretty fitting so size up if you’re trying to go for a more looser look!
Available directly at Baracuta.
One last one I have for you today comes from 3sixteen. This workwear jacket uses a cotton duck material and is paired with a woven tape that runs across the arms—Kind of a fun little detail that spices up your regular workwear jacket. 3sixteen has been working with textiles from India and it’s been really interesting to see how the team has been using the expertise from over there to create their collections.
The lightweight material is great for those who aren’t looking to get anything too crazy but still want to be able to wear some sort of layer at night. Double zipper is a detail you know I’m obsessed with so I’m definitely thrilled to see it being used here. For those who have a 3sixteen store in their city, definitely go check out this piece in person, try it on and see how it might work on you.
Available directly through 3sixteen.
With everything said today, I think that brands are generally doing the right thing by focusing more on fabrics and less on logos. Some are doing it better than others, and vice versa, and that’s totally cool! It’s all about learning, the progress and as vibes and customer behaviors shift, so do the clothes themselves. I’m definitely interested in seeing more outerwear pieces that focus on hardwear details, maybe some sort of stitching and embroidery art details and way less logo usage—if I want any sort of logo I’ll do so with a tee, shirt or whatever I wear underneath a jacket.