FourSquare Fashion – Social Media Goes Couture

Flaunting your newly-acquired badges will no longer just be a digital “in-your-face” to your high-tech buddies. FourSquare has announced that it will begin selling real, wearable badges that users can purchase from their website and sew to their laptop cases, t-shirts, and other personal gear.

This is not FourSquare’s first foray into finding new ways to leverage their concept of badges. FourSquare has also teamed with some companies to offer some exclusive badge rewards, that when awarded, give the badge wearer special perks, such as discounts, freebies, and even exclusive access to parties and other social events.

I think the concept of wearable badges can work, at least before the geo-social technology is officially part of mainstream culture. Currently, for the FourSquare faithful, donning your brand new badge collection, including such accomplishments as the “Jetsetter,” “Warhol,” or “Urban Adventurer” badges, could be a clever way of showing how “totally with it” you are, but as soon as FourSquare goes from the “Vampire Weekend” to “Nickelback” of mainstream social media sites, these badges will probably be relegated to the life of a beer coaster or fill a certain void on an undeserving boy scout’s vest.

I don’t think you’ll find any East Village hipsters walking around with Facebook t-shirts or MySpace hats… But FourSquare badges, well… maybe in Nashville.