According to Wikipedia, in addition to his real estate ventures (including a mortgage firm, residential condos, office buildings, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and golf resorts), and in addition to The Apprentice and Trump University, Trump has licensed his name to such things as coffee drinks, energy drinks, menswear, watches, a fragrance, bottled water, chocolate, a board game, a shuttle, vodka, wine, steaks, and mattresses.
My question to you all is:
Did any of you actually ever buy anything that was Trump-branded? Were you aware of all of these different things? (I wasn’t.) Did you watch The Apprentice? (I didn’t - I hate shows of that nature.) Stay in Trump-branded hotels? Buy condos in Trump buildings? Go to Trump resorts? Would you have gone to Macy’s and bought Trump-branded menswear or fragrance? Did you ever think “wow, the Trump name on something means really high quality” or that it was what the elite wear?
And how do you feel about Ivanka Trump’s clothing line? Do you buy from it? Would you continue to buy from it?
This was prompted by the fact that I’m decluttering right now, and came across a blouse that I bought a few years ago that was Ivanka Trump branded. I like the blouse a lot, and used to wear it to clients. But I am kind of feeling uncomfortable about wearing it and am wondering if on principle I should get rid of it.
I’ve never bought any trump thing or stayed in any of hotels, etc. I dislike designer things in general when they have to put their name or initials or logo on things. No C or G on my purses, etc.
He has branded his name as being gilded and luxurious and that makes me a bit disdainful. But I tend to be a doubting Thomas and I suppose it’s a form of snobbery in itself to be disdainful of conspicuous consumption.
Ivanka’s clothing and shoes I don’t know much about except that I saw an article recently that showed many of her shoes seem to be knockoffs of Italian designers. I’m sure it’s hard to be a purist in the fashion world but making cheaper copies of fancy shoes and still selling them for a pretty penny is not admirable. Still, if you like the blouse, keep it. You can always take the tag off! Or keep it on so you can tell your grandchildren the whole story one day.
No interest in anything because of its name. Things branded with trump are no different. I have never associated his name with quality. Until recently, I never associated it with anything.
My first real awareness of his existence was through the Apprentice. Couldn’t even stand him in commercials for the show so I didn’t watch it.
I would, personally, donate anything I found who had the trump brand- any of the trumps. But I have a visceral reaction to the brand name so…
I went to a brunch before a wedding once in New York in the penthouse suite of a building that said “Trump” in big letters across the building. Apartment of friend’s of the bride’s parents.
I’m older than you Romani and I grew up in NY, so I remember when he was a new big deal and the trump tower seemed respectable and all. Not my scene but legit.
Then he bought the Eastern shuttle. Or maybe he bought eastern airlines? Can’t remember. But the Eastern shuttle had been flying between NY and DC for ages. Reliable and regular. He plastered his name in huge letters over all the airlines and it didn’t last very long before the trump shuttle went bankrupt. It was clearly all about the name for him. That, with nothing substantial behind it. He ruined that airline.
Nope, never bought anything trump. I think DH watched a few Apprentice episodes.
I talked with a poor kid here on CC who wanted his school in Atlantic City to offer any computer science class. I researched the district and found out about the mess in Atlantic City schools because of the Trump casinos going bankrupt.
I did go have coffee in the Starbucks at the Trump Tower. Sure,why not? More than once. Took the girls. That’s enough.
Ok, once I read one of his books. One was enough. And I got it free in a neat little deli that let you borrow and return books. He doesn’t need my money.
I’m not a label conscious person, but I have noticed that quite a few dresses that I have found attractive and flattering have the Ivanka Trump label. They tend to be more classic in design. If the dress was one that I liked , for well and was appropriate for the event , I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it. Her clothing line is within the price point of a Liz Claiborne line, not overly expensive as some might expect. @calmom Looks like quite a few other shoe designers are also being sued according to the article.
I hope the Wiki article mentioned that Trump single handedly ruined the USFL, a football league that competed with the NFL before Trump ruined it. That was the first time I ever heard his name.
I don’t think you should toss the blouse. Keep it. But don’t buy anything else from Trump, Trump’s brands or from Ivanka’s line and yes it is because of principle. I do like Trump’s kids but I would be wary doing business with them.
Never bought anything Trump but I spent a lot of time looking at him and numerous blondes in his lux suite at the Open through my binoculars. His face was always a blotchy red mess. Ivana was always there too even though they were already divorced.
One of my friends and her H were invited to fly on his jet to the Super Bowl in Miami several years ago. He wasn’t on it and the flight was only one way. She told me no red wine was allowed as all the furniture and carpeting was white. She also told me the art work on plane was very impressive. They were invited for business reasons.
I’ve never bought anything Trump, and I’ve never watched The Apprentice. My nephew tried out to get on the show and survived a few rounds (way before anything got on TV), but he is handsome and glib and the right “type” for a show like that.
I also remember when he took the very decent shuttle between NY and DC and ruined it. I used to shuttle between the two cities four or five times a year so I was well aware of it. I don’t believe I ever flew on his shuttle, though.
How is this not political, with people saying things like “don’t buy anything else from Trump, Trump’s brands or from Ivanka’s line and yes it is because of principle.”
Never bought anything Trump that I know of but I remember walking through Trump Tower on a trip to NYC when my daughter was 10. That was the trip when she learned the meaning of the word “garish”.
I stayed at a home owned by Donald Trump next to Mar a Lago when I was on a vacation with family something like 16 years ago. The house was marketed as “Donald Trump’s house” but it was clear that was just a marketing move to rent a vanilla rental house. There was nothing personal to Trump in the home other than a pool table he’d been given; I can’t remember by whom, just that there was a plaque on it. With the rental came limited admission to Mar a Lago so we went for drinks and attended the MaL New Year’s Eve party. In the bar hangs this portrait. It’s the central piece of art in the room. http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2553579.1457136361!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/conflead6f-1-web.jpg
We all laughed at the iconography of Trump in his tennis whites with the sun breaking through the clouds in a halo around his head. The paint on the left hand didn’t match the rest of the paint in the portrait. I later found out it was because for stylistic reasons the artist had left the hand incomplete but Trump insisted he finish it so the hand was added years later.
I’d keep the blouse.Throwing it away wouldn’t affect the election, and why waste good clothing?
Nope. But I also didn’t buy a curling iron at Target that had the Kardashian name plaster all over it and was $20 more than the Revlon brand. I’m not big into names and I hate things that have designer names plastered all over them. I am not their billboard.
VeryHappy, you beat me to it; How is this not political?
I am not aware of anything Trump but I heard Ivanka’s $180 dress she wore to the convention is sold out. Wearing a $180 dress sounds more modest and appropriate than $20,000 suites HRC wears. If she can make modestly priced outfits that looks good, more power to her.
That’s fine and all but she tweeted a link to buying the dress the morning after her speech. Smart business woman? Crass cashing-in? Both?
I don’t want to criticize her or how her dress looked because women in politics, even on the outskirts like she is, just get relentlessly hammered by this BS. Tweeting the link crossed a line, to me, but it was also smart of her. Kim Kardashian would have done the same and they’ve both made lots of money making these decisions.
