"A decade ago it was cool to wear clothing with a company’s logo splashed all over it. Nike and Gap labels were proudly displayed as badges of honor. These days such clothing is considered laughable; now shoppers want clothes that look unique or vintage (although frequently that 'vintage' tee costs $40). But the underlying motivation remains the same; people are still expressing themselves by the clothes they buy. It doesn’t matter that instead of buying things from big corporations you buy free trade coffee, organic apples, and handmade Guatemalan rugs, you’re still basing your personal identity on your identity as a consumer. You are driven by the desire to consume something first before it is consumed by the masses. It’s the new millennium’s take on 'keeping up with the Jonses'. And it’s just as conformist as it was in the 50’s."
If that quote is true, why does every shirt at american eagle, pacific sunwear, and even the nike store have a company logo on it, usually as the shirt's main feature? I like non-company-logoed shirts simply because I think it's stupid to pay so much to be a company's billboard. At a lot of popular stores, it can be quite hard to find such clothes.
No, that's not what I'm saying. I just disagree that such fashion is "laughable", at least according to popular opinion. I also disagree that an attempt to wear unlabeled clothes is part of another conformist consumer movement (an indie backlash).
As for your second question, I've bought a few (unlabeled) shirts that I really like from Old Navy and yes, even Target and Wal-Mart.
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/08/10/why-being-indie-is-a-bu...