Genuinely curious how ppl do this

amother

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 11:53 am

Spend their money on designer.

Not trying to judge: I’m just trying to understand how people do it.
BH I’m not jealous. I could also spend $500 on a tshirt. Or $800 on a pair of sneakers. (If I wanted to, it’s just not a taivah of mine. Name brands to me seem like you’re just wearing a price tag and I can’t wrap my head around it).
BH we are making it with zero help from family. We are putting away small savings every year. My kids are well dressed. As am I. But NOTHING that we own has a price tag this high. NOTHING.

How do people do it??

I’m trying to understand.

Where is the money coming from? Do they work extra jobs for this? Are they not saving up? I’m just trying to understand…

Again to clarify- this isn’t out of jealousy. We both work full time jobs and BH are really doing well. But like ?????
What’s this obsession and taivah???

ETA- not talking about buying strictly from Jewish companies out of convenience. I’m talking your 2 year old (or yourself) sporting $500 sneakers because they have a little logo on them.

amother

Poppy

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 11:56 am

amother OP wrote:

If you didn’t grow up with it or genuinely don’t understand it, then explaining it won’t help you understand
Ultimately, it’s a status symbol, like many many things in life are. If this particular status symbol doesn’t mean anything to you, then gezunterheit

happy chick

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 11:56 am

Is your question how people can afford it or why?

I can't really answer either, as I have neither the taava nor the means for it. But my mil is like that. And she only wears each article of clothing about once or twice. And even when she's ready to pass it on, I have no interest in taking it. I'm happy with my good old shamtes that go in the wash and dryer.

amother

Peach

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 11:58 am

amother Phlox wrote:

I like designer but I can't afford it.
If someone can easily afford it, why not?
What I find pathetic is people who go into debt for it.
Or people who buy knock offs. That really gets me.

This is what I need to understand. Why do you like it? what makes it different from other clothes?

amother

Phlox

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:00 pm

amother Peach wrote:

This is what I need to understand. Why do you like it? what makes it different from other clothes?

Not always. But most of the time designer has a better fit, cut, and look.
I don't go for stuff that have the logo emblazoned in huge on the chest.
A small logo on the side I'm fine with.

amother

Pistachio

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:01 pm

when I was in HS I was very into designer. I had designer shoes,bags,sweaters. I had nothing else to spend my money on. As soon as I got married I lost all interest in designer stuff and basically it turns me off these days. I can afford it but its overrated and I hang out w people who dont care about designer things either.

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:03 pm

I didn’t grow up with it and only discovered brands I like in my mid-twenties. I got my first designer item last year. It was a gift from DH and he got it for 75% off original price.
We can’t afford full price designer so we don’t buy full price designer. If we see a really good deal that we can afford, we might buy it.

Not everyone is into designer brands and that’s ok.
Not everyone that’s into designer spends as much as the item is worth on it.
I have a friend with a walk in shoe closet- just for her designer shoes. She can afford waaaay more than I can but she also only spends in places where she doesn’t pay full price.
Out of her over 60 pairs of shoes, she only paid full price for 2 pairs

amother

Azure

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:07 pm

I'm not into designer, specifically. I'm into quality. My professional wardrobe is monochromatic, high-end pieces that resonate with the crowds I need to interact with. I choose eco-friendly, vegan options that never obviously show labels or a designers logo. Some of my favorite pieces are vintage. A shirt can cost 695 and a skirt, 575. I just bought a couple of outfits for work conference that cost about 3k. There is definitely a quality difference between $100 ballet flats from DSW or Macy's and $445 Mansur Gavriel's.
Jewelry is where I spend the most but high quality pieces aren't cheap. Before anyone judges, yes - I earn my own money and pay full tuition and give lots of tzedaka. I'm entitled to spend however I want. I do not keep up with trends or fashion. I do classic, timeless and well tailored outfits. That's my professional life. My personal style is more comfortable and less about the look. I have gone food shopping before in sneakers that cost 30, a sweatshirt from Shein and a 10 skirt from Amazon. If you saw me dressed up for work versus at home, you'd laugh. I don't understand people who go into debt for things like this or those who drive nebby cars but wear diamonds and have LV bags. People are odd about their priorities.

amother

Babypink

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:10 pm

amother OP wrote:

They will tell you it’s because “the quality is just clearly so much better, can’t compare”.
Of course if you cut out the label, they’re suddenly unsure of all that.
Have you read about the Payless Shoe Store/Palessi social experiment?

https://wearemitu.com/wearemit.....essi/

amother

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:12 pm

amother Azure wrote:

I'm not into designer, specifically. I'm into quality. My professional wardrobe is monochromatic, high-end pieces that resonate with the crowds I need to interact with. I choose eco-friendly, vegan options that never obviously show labels or a designers logo. Some of my favorite pieces are vintage. A shirt can cost 695 and a skirt, 575. I just bought a couple of outfits for work conference that cost about 3k.
Jewelry is where I spend the most but high quality pieces aren't cheap. Before anyone judges, yes - I earn my own money and pay full tuition and give lots of tzedaka. I'm entitled to spend however I want. I do not keep up with trends or fashion. I do classic, timeless and well tailored outfits. That's my professional life. My personal style is more comfortable and less about the look. I have gone food shopping before in sneakers that cost 30, a sweatshirt from Shein and a 10 skirt from Amazon. If you saw me dressed up for work versus at home, you'd laugh. I don't understand people who go into debt for things like this or those who drive nebby cars but wear diamonds and have LV bags. People are odd about their priorities.

THIS THIS THIS.
I understand your priorities. It makes sense to me.
What is so mind boggling is spending on JUST THE NAME. It’s a black sweater that says Balmain. A pair of PLAIN SNEAKERS with a logo.
For a 2 year old.
100% if you have the money go for it.
But where are you getting the kind of money that you don’t even have a teeny bit of remorse spending on such price tags?? Like I’m just mind boggled that people will literally go into debt or make shalom bayis problems or go into family arguments over such things (and yes I know people who’ve had this and I just can’t understand!!!)

amother

Phlox

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:12 pm

amother Babypink wrote:

When I browse Saks and Shein the higher end pieces just have that quality cut and look.
Unless you're rail thin, fit matters
And I do see a difference of designer vs cheap.

amother

Canary

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:13 pm

I grew up around designer labels, so they dont mean the "status" to me that they do to others. That being said, most of my wardrobe is designer and expensive. I tend to buy things that are actually logo free, but good quality. Most of my closet would be unrecognizable except to people who are extreme fans of the brands I buy from. I do have a lot of recognizable designer items but I dont wear them often. I dont use my clothes to prove anything to anyone, I buy what I like. BH I can afford it and its something I dont mind spending money on for myself.

If you live in the Tristate area, for what its worth, keep in mind that most of designer things you see are fake. I can tell the difference and let me tell you how many people are walking around with fake bags, clothes, shoes, jewelry. Even amongst some of my wealthy friends, I know for a fact they buy fakes. It really bothers me, to be honest.

amother

Topaz

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:18 pm

All the people I know who spend that kind of money on clothes etc. Are the type of people who have "unlimited funds". BH, there are a lot of very rich Jews out there.

I know for a fact they also donate millions, if not billions to Tzedakah and community causes. So no, it doesn't bother me when they spend $1000 or even $10,000 on an article of clothing. It's pocket change. And they probably don't even look at the price tags or care its designer. They just see something nice and they buy it.

amother

Azure

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:18 pm

amother OP wrote:

My children do not dress like this. They wear shein and Abercrombie kids, Old Navy. My boys don't care what they wear and my teenage daughter is not into labels. She is super thin and looks great in anything so she wears her own unique style. I do not believe children have any reason to wear such expensive items. One drop of food, and it's over. What a waste! The ones who go into debt over stuff like this or have shalom bayis issues, my theory is they are lacking something in their lives and compensate by being extra or buying luxury items. It's as if external validation can provide internal self worth. It's hard to understand.

amother

Maple

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:22 pm

amother Canary wrote:

Why does it bother you?

amother

Babypink

Sun, Oct 29 2023, 12:28 pm

amother Phlox wrote:

I like designer but I can't afford it.
If someone can easily afford it, why not?
What I find pathetic is people who go into debt for it.
Or people who buy knock offs. That really gets me.

I’m surprised it gets to you that people buy knock-offs. Those people are like you-they like designer, but can’t afford it. And they know many times there isn’t even a real difference in quality between the two versions.
And if what gets to you is that they’re supporting people who use others’ names on their products-maybe it should also get to you that designer brands could shamelessly charge $500 for something that’s barely worth $50. That’s not squeaky clean either.
(I don’t buy designer or knockoffs.)