Found an Encounter with a BRAND SAVVY MOMMA Offputting

Probably just finding some common ground as mentioned below. If you get to know her you'll find out if that's what she's all about or not.

Maybe she is a buyer..

Retail is my background and for a while that was really all I did. So yes, I did notice. I tried to not to do the brand naming or notice products, but it was habit.

Could also be if she is a first time parent, she really researches for the best.
Eventually she will be like the rest of us and not really care..

i think she was just trying to make conversation and found the brands as common ground

I think people get their purses robbed from them sometimes because they are soooo expensive. I have never paid more than 20.00 for a purse. But I have to pay attention to brands because it wont sell on ebay if it is not a name brand! But my kids wear things of any brand sort! I do have friends that look at our clothes and say "oh thats a nice Gymboree outfit" ?!?!?!

At least she was complimenting you! She sounds very observant to me.

Interesting post. I would have loved to have witnessed the exchange so I could get more of a feel for the brand-driven momma.

Sometimes people hide behind brands because they are insecure. It does strike me odd that she mentioned brands twice. I know I've jokingly said "great stroller" to parents who had the same stroller as me but never took it further than that.

I suspect she may have been insecure/or trying to find a common ground.

The funny thing, as a side, is I just left a job in an upscale area where this type of behavior was a way of life.

Grain of (brand-name) salt!

I'd probably think she was either a) superficial or b) insecure & trying to impress me.

If she liked the clothes, she could've just said they were cute, just like she could've said "I like your stroller". I am not a "name brand" person & I can't stand when people talk about it.

Eh...some moms are into brands, others are into sports, others still are into food. We all have our interests/focus/priorities. I wouldn't expect any moms to respond to brands if you weren't into it. Then the conversation would just get more shallow. You just say thank you and move on.

The next time you see her though, and she does the same thing, I dare you to say "This old thing? I put that on him when I don't care what he looks like" (yes, I'm channeling Violet from "Its A Wonderful Life").

Do you call your car your car or say your CRV. Just using mine as an example. Some of us refer to items in the generic others don't.

I think I would be more concerned if I were her husband cause to know everything by brand, yikes!

Is it bad that every time you refer to DS I think you are talking about a hand held gaming device? :p

I don't think it's weird at all. How many people say "pass me a kleenex?" when they mean tissue or "I need to xerox this" when they mean 'make a copy of' -- brand names sometimes just become the NAMES of things. Look at Pampers! "Oh my daughter is still in pampers" (even though she may be sporting Huggies or 7th gens)

Also, I don't know what stroller you're rockin' but no one has an UppaBaby Vista by accident. Oh whoops, I just spent $900 because I don't care at all about what I'm pushing. Consumerism is voting with your dollars. She was probably just seeking to identify common ground.

I tend to know what I buy, not in a brand savvy sense. Like the make of my car, I care about the brand of everything I buy. I drive a Toyota. Sorry to all of you who buy American made believing that it will help the economy anymore than our government spending less. In which those slaves working those sweatshops are dependent on our business. I buy what I do because it is good quality. I do not care how much it cost unless it is a great deal or the brand per se. I ran into a woman at the mall who had the same stroller as I did. We both commented on what good choice, knowing that there are hundreds out there, we both made. It is a way to be friendly, and sociable, not superficial or insecure. I don't think it rude you didn't comment, neither was she for noticing your great taste.

It would kind of drive me crazy to speak of brands all the time. Sounds like she keeps up with the "jones". I am one of those mama's who could careless of the brand. I get what I like because of the quality of the item, not just the brand. Do I like brand name items...sure I do. DO I notice them ALL the time. Nope.
That is just me though. :)

Eh, I know what you mean. I know a lot of women really hung up on purses, shoes, etc. Brand-name has never held a huge draw for me. I wouldn't dream of spending hundreds of dollars on a single purse specifically so that I could say that I had one, but hey, to each their own, right?

The teenagers in my life never let me forget how important name brands are to them. I've noticed people who tend to do this are usually insecure. I am not a fan of name brands at all.

Perhaps she's like me. If I've found something I love I will refer to the brand. I was like that with my double Phil&Ted's stroller because it made such a difference to me compared to the heavy, massive stroller I had tried before it. I was honestly excited by it. But I still shop mostly on a tight budget for generic stuff - clothes included.

To some brand really is important. I know with my ex-sister-in-law it was. However, to be fair, her obsession had more to do with her kids looking like she could buy them quality clothes. Not so much for the kids to be cool or for others to be jealous but for her to feel like her kids looked like she could take care of them.

For instance, all the baby clothes had to be Carter's and Osh Kosh. She got most of them at garage sales because they didn't make a lot of money but she would hunt all over for sales and deals and thrift stores.

I think in her mind a child who was well dressed was well taken care of.

So, maybe it really was a compliment for how you provide for you son...that's what it would have been if it had been my ex-SIL. Her name wouldn't happen to have been Tammy would it?

Maybe she's just a bit odd :p

It would depend on how it was said. I've commented on clothing of kids when I recognized it (Oh, what a cute outfit. DD has one like it. Carter's makes great stuff.)

I know what types you are talking about. I have a few brands I am loyal to, ESPECIALLY my groceries but I don't feel the need to spread the word to everyone as to what brand of clothing I am wearing, etc.

Maybe she was trying to make small talk and make friends. Although it is harder to make friends if you are focused on brands as much as it seems she is. A little materialistic I guess but everyone has their quirks.

I get the part of noticing and mentioning if you have the same thing (like the stroller), but to mention the name brand of the onsie he's wearing? A little odd to me, I just can't imagine doing that. I wouldn't let it bother me, but I wouldn't be able to relate to it since I've never been a shopper or designer saavy person.. No, I would not respond in kind by pointing out every recognizable brand name that she had. If you run into her again, make the normal small talk you'd make with another mom.