It's True: Designer Labels Will Make Your Life Better

It's true: Wearing designer fashion will very likely improve your life. But not because the clothes are so attractive, oh no: It's the label that matters. A new study shows that designer logos bring benefits including more cooperation, job recommendations, and even money from others. In one experiment, when presented with pictures of a man wearing a polo shirt, volunteers rated him as having higher status and more wealth when the shirt had a designer logo than when it didn't. In another, volunteers rated a man as more suitable for a job—and recommended a higher salary—when he was sporting a designer logo.

And behavior was affected, too: Shoppers were much more likely (52% compared to 13%) to agree to stop and take a survey from a woman wearing a sweater with a designer logo than an identical one without, and donors gave more to charity when the women collecting wore designer shirts. The researchers say this effect can be attributed to the fact that designer labels are seen as symbols of quality, meaning only the best can pay for them, the Economist reports. Click for a final experiment that confirms that idea. (More designer fashion stories.)