My inspiration to ask this question came from watching a programme about kids bullied at school for not wearing cool brand names.

What makes you want the name brand at double the cost? Does thrift store shopping make you any less popular? What are the alternatives?

I see a lot of trendy type fashions in the gothic community. Morbid Threads, Lip Service, Hot Topic, to name a few. And whereas I like their clothes, and even own a few items myself...does it make one more "popular" in the goth scene to wear those names than the girl who's wearing the no-label black dress she bought at Oxfam or any other second-hand shop?

It would be nice to have a nice shop that doesn't charge so much for their stuff. I have even seen some thrft stores that go a little over the top with their pricing!