When I was younger, up till high school, I liked shirts with big designs. Things like Dickies, or Ecko. But now, I am the opposite. I have become a minimalist, so I try to go for clothes with little to no design on them. I also go for efficiency rather than brand for things like cars, cellphones, etc. If an item can last me a lifetime, I'd rather go with that, than any of the popular brands.
I grew up in a family where there wasn't any money left over for brand names and non-essential spending so I carried that forward to adulthood; now, well I can buy whatever I want whenever I want but I pretty much do the same as you, need over want buying. I'm content.