Please explain why a handbag is worth $500?

amother

Wheat

Fri, May 31 2019, 2:26 pm

allthingsblue wrote:

The last one is most my taste. Thanks. I'll have fun browsing Smile

Its half off. And now I really, really want it. Remind me to never look for things for other people.

allthingsblue

Fri, May 31 2019, 2:28 pm

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

Its half off. And now I really, really want it. Remind me to never look for things for other people.

Lol sorry

I also love Kate spades's black and white window pane bag, as well as their black and white stripes.

dancingqueen

Fri, May 31 2019, 2:32 pm

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

What can possibly be untzenuis about having an expensive handbag???? I'm literally scratching my head at what some women come up with!
Scratching Head

If someone wears (what you think is) expensive clothing, has an expensive stroller, drives a nice car and lives in a nice home they're not tzenuis???

Is that really such a chiddush? Living modestly should absolutely be a Jewish middah, and doesn’t tznius mean modest? It’s not just hemlines!

Disclaimer: BH BH I have all of the above including nice handbags. But I try not to be showoff-y (and also tznius doesn’t come so naturally to me).

southernbubby

Fri, May 31 2019, 2:45 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

Plenty of people consulted rabbonim prior to building large homes. I don't think that it's a prohibition.

allthingsblue

Fri, May 31 2019, 3:34 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

This. Exactly this.
This is a common theme in many threads, but tznius is not just about hemlines and necklines. It's modesty in general.

Fox

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:23 pm

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

Or go for a classic shape with interesting hardware

I love those Zac Posen hinges! I'm waiting to see if they'll hold their value, but I'll admit I could be tempted!

33055

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:32 pm

southernbubby wrote:

Plenty of people consulted rabbonim prior to building large homes. I don't think that it's a prohibition.

Definitely not. Did you ever see some of the homes the Rabbis have? It would be the height of foolishness to deny their supporters the ability to live as large as the Rabbis they support.

amother

Bronze

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:35 pm

soap suds wrote:

You're not paying for the handbag. Your paying for the status symbol.

Not true, better leathers/materials, better craftsmanship.

dancingqueen

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:37 pm

southernbubby wrote:

Plenty of people consulted rabbonim prior to building large homes. I don't think that it's a prohibition.

I wouldn’t say it’s assur to have nice things! But I do understand the value of not being show-offy and ostentatious, living below your means, but I personally balance that with liking nice things.

chanatron1000

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:53 pm

There are generally two types of luxury products. One is made out of better materials, and it is generally superior, but costs more money. The other is a prestige product that is 100% just for showing off. Some prestige products are actually lower quality than regular products, because if you're buying it, you're going to have to buy another one soon anyway because it will go out of style within weeks.

southernbubby

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:54 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

I wouldn’t say it’s assur to have nice things! But I do understand the value of not being show-offy and ostentatious, living below your means.

I think that it's an area that we need to get more guidelines from rabbonim for. I am not sure how to differentiate between balabatish and ostentatious.
If you come and visit, I live very simply and so far my family doesn't have a problem with it, even if they would enjoy a more balabatish apartment. I am trying to budget for visiting my son in EY so I skimp on the decor.

Mevater

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:54 pm

Squishy wrote:

Definitely not. Did you ever see some of the homes the Rabbis have? It would be the height of foolishness to deny their supporters the ability to live as large as the Rabbis they support.

Im not Chassidish, but the Chassidishe Rebbes are considered "Malchus" by their Chassidim and the tradition is that many of them live regally.

That doesnt make building ostentatious, huge "knock the non-Jews eyes out" palaces ok for Chassidim.

Lesia

Fri, May 31 2019, 5:14 pm

Mevater wrote:

It also doesn’t make the ridiculously ostentatious level of “malchus” okay for rebbes either.

amother

Wheat

Fri, May 31 2019, 5:21 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

And it may be that to the extent possible, we are obligated to purchase higher quality products to reduce waste.

Think about it.

I was wearing a shirt the other day, and I realized that its probably older than some posters here. I'm exaggerating. A little. The company closed down in 2004, and I think I bought it at least a couple of years before that. So that shirt is at least 15 years old.

How many cheap shirts would you have gone through in that time?

Are we not better off if we don't fill the landfills with cheap goods?

Mevater

Fri, May 31 2019, 6:08 pm

Lesia wrote:

It also doesn’t make the ridiculously ostentatious level of “malchus” okay for rebbes either.

Most Rebbes live very plainly.

Chassidim of Rebbes who live ostentatiously (and theres LESS than a handful, mostly in Brooklyn) would disagree.

Mevater

Fri, May 31 2019, 6:16 pm

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

I think thats an exception.

How much is the most expensive Shabbos dress in Lew's?

How many years is the most any woman will wear this dress?

amother

Brunette

Fri, May 31 2019, 6:17 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Full disclosure - I have a Michael Kors handbag that I received as a hand-me-down. Come to think of it, there were two, & one wasn't my type, so I gave it to my cleaning lady. Having no idea of its value. Gosh, I coulda sold it on ebay.

I kind of understand why somebody would wear jewelry that cost a couple thousand. But what status or self esteem do you gain because your pocketbook cost more than my couch?

Actually people with low self esteem and a need to show off to make themselves try to feel better about themselves would be the ones to get these just to impress others with the designer name.

amother

Wheat

Fri, May 31 2019, 6:21 pm

Mevater wrote:

I think thats an exception.

How much is the most expensive Shabbos dress in Lew's?

How many years is the most any woman will wear this dress?

What is Lew's?

No, you don't need to buy the most expensive things there are, especially for trendy items. But I wore the dress from my 29 yo nephew's bar mitzvah to a wedding a couple of months ago, and will be wearing the dress from my 21 yo son's bar mitzvah to a shul affair next week. They're classics, not particularly dated, so why not.

amother

Bronze

Fri, May 31 2019, 6:25 pm

Going off on a tangent here (Im curious, as others may be):

How much is the range of Shabbos dresses (not wedding dresses) in Lew's (BP)?

I think their outlet on 13th has dresses mostly over $500.

Which stores in BP sell the most expensive Shabbos dresses?