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by rjb 4837 days ago
Wouldn't the opposite be just as bewildering then? There really is no difference between buying a Hermes dress and buying Dickies overalls, right? Each item makes a statement and each person is well aware of the statement it makes. Both can be bought for practical reasons. Both make comments on social placement. Both help people identify themselves. Both help find/identify suitable mates.

I too find it so hard to believe people spend so much on apparel, but that thought is no different than people finding it odd that I spend so little. Of course, some items are easy to liquidate and others are not.
2 comments
redact207 4837 days ago
I'd put it another way and say that generic quality brands merely inherit their social placement, whereas luxury brands actively seek it. The latter is a bandaid for a character flaw.

One of my friends has two kids - 4 and 7 - who live with their grandparents in Malaysia as they "can't afford schooling in Singapore." The truth is that it allows them to maintain their image with an LV shoe-rack and a Gucci bag cupboard. He recently changed his Whatsapp image to a photo of his new $1K Hermes belt - they see their children twice a year.

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eurleif 4837 days ago
>There really is no difference between buying a Hermes dress and buying Dickies overalls, right?

There would be an aesthetic difference. But status symbols are about more than just aesthetics. It's not like you need to buy overpriced brands just to get things that look good. In fact, the existence of the fake goods this site is trying to weed out proves that.

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rjb 4837 days ago
>There would be an aesthetic difference.

This is my point. People have value systems and brands and styles can be a part of that. An inability to identify with someone buying overpriced goods does not make the judgement process any different that their inability to identify with the practicality of buying things at a fair price that look good.

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eurleif 4837 days ago
But the judgement process is different. You can only tell which brand is better if you've heard of the brands. It's an external judgement, internalized. But you can make an aesthetic judgement even if you've been living under a rock.
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