Expensive 'designer' clothes exist for the same reason that giant SUVs and many other expensive and unnecessary items do. It's the only way mediocre people can convince other mediocre people that they're not mediocre. It's like a secret pact for people with money and no imagination - "I will believe what your clothes say about you if you will believe what my clothes say about me. Deal? Deal! We're both (store-bought) awesome now!" You can't buy intelligence or talent or determination. But you can buy expensive designer clothes and large flashy vehicles that will make other people with little intelligence, talent, and determination agree that you, in fact, have intelligence, talent, and determination.
I like buying expensive jeans simply because of the way they make my butt look. Certain occasions require that I look my best and for that I bring in the expensive stuff. Most of the time though I put on a thrift shirt, some jeans, and black chucks.
My professor asked our class (senior level communications course) "Which girls in here do NOT own a Coach purse?" Out of the 28, only me and two others raised their hand. I was stunned. I thought you were cool and enviably stylish if you had an expensive purse like that, but I guess now it's overwhelmingly the norm rather than the exception. The class had a good laugh of of it, but it was a very curious poll. Does a $300 coach purse hold things better than a $15 purse? I've never had a problem with any of my purses, most of which are from Target or garage sales. So I'll have to agree with meggo here...I think anyone declaring that a $300-$1000 purse is a "good investment" really just likes the fashion trend. Some of my good investments were $10 and have held up for ten plus years.
Leather goods (shoes and belts, mainly) are definitely worth splurging on. A good pair of dress shoes can last you 20-30 years with regular upkeep.
I always though large SUVs were used to safely carry children to soccer practice. I didn't know "soccer mom" was a fashion statement.
They also say the best way to sell a product is to price a product above it so it seems like you are getting the next best thing.
This is true to an extent. Rolex: which is a fine watch, aggresively controls the prices on their products through their dealer network. Pricing higher has maintained a brand identity that has driven sales for decades. Many business class case studies of this.
Seriously? I was under the impression that most guys couldn't give two ****s about how their butts look. I certainly don't.
Price doesn't necessarily equal quality but all of you claiming that the quality of shirts at Target/Ross is equivalent to the quality of some of the name brands are trying to fool yourselves. Not all designers have quality clothes but most of them are much higher in quality than what you'll buy at those types of stores. The question isn't whether or not they are better quality, it's simply a question of how much you're willing to pay for better quality. It's perfectly reasonable to say, "I don't think this shirt is worth that much." If that's the case that should be a perfectly legitimate reason and you shouldn't have to try and convince yourself that what you are getting is of the same quality when most of the time, it's not.
When my wife buys jeans and they make her butt look good, I don't give a flying monkey how much they cost.
I used to work at Banana Republic and in the training they teach us about how fabrics differ from brand to brand and how Banana Republic clothes are made to last. For example. Many companies when making polo shirts make batches of sleeves, batches of fronts, back and collars, etc. They dye them all separately and then put the shirt together. The shirt will look fine in the store but after 4-5 washings pieces of the shirt will vary in the level of fading. Banana Republic dyes the entire shirt at once creating a more uniform look.It takes longer but it makes for a better product. They did small things like use real shell buttons rather than plastic ones on men's shirts to avoid them breaking at the cleaners. To be honest I worked there from 19-21. I turn 30 this year and I still have about 15 pairs of pants I got then that I still wear. I have a lot of their dress shirts form then also but I don't wear them as much any more because the cut was much looser back then than it is now. Never the less was rocking one of the button downs yesterday. Pay premium for clothes when it is practical and you are getting a better product for the money.. ie Polo, Lucky (on sale), Banana Republic. Don't buy stuff that is expensive just because.
Hey, if I can get a $200 purse for $30-40, you bet I'll bite. I don't pay the premium--I'm a bargain hunter. I like to make my money go a long way. It's so, so, so satisfying finding a steal for something of really high quality. I really don't get why girls go googoo-gahgah over Coach purses, though. EVERYONE in the medical center has one. I think they're fug. I want something classy and stylish, but only for the right price. I definitely don't buy designer stuff exclusively, though. If it's something I like that fits well and the price is right, that's what sells me.
The button thing is a major point. Cheap dress shirts have cheap buttons that break apart constantly. I had a Van Heusen shirt from the old Foleys in Northwest Mall where the stitch work under the sleeve just started to come undone one day at work.
My priciest dress shirts were $100 (on sale, too!) and they have indestructible mother of pearl buttons. I've had too many bad experiences with plastic buttons getting destroyed after dry cleaning
People care about what other people think of them. And people always look to move "ahead" and want to feel good about themselves. So there will always be a low, regular, high end, super premium classification of goods and products so people can "strive" for something. Like the championship rounds of fashion, even if its artificially valued. All clothes are definitely not made equal though.
Quality IS sometimes a factor here. For example Rockets fans, you know the difference between a replica $44 jersey to a $150 Authentic Rockets jersey. You can't just say they're the same thing.
I usually buy my RL Polos from ebay. I have over 20 polo's and most of them look real and authentic but I find that hard to believe since they were half the original price. As long as other people think they are real...i have no problem with ebay lol
