Just got my Fall copy of GQ. I was interested to see what men’s clothes go for now-this is really amazing! You will see suits at $2000.00-$3000.00, shirts $75.00-100.00, etc.
My question-I have never paid more that $300.00 for a suit in my life-what possible advantage do you get by paying $3000.00 for a Brioni suit? Is it the status value involved?
For that matter-aren’t luxury goods mostly indistigiushable from the stuff that the masses buy? Then, maybe luxury goods are the taxes that the rich have to pay to keep their status!
What’s your take on this?
It is the status involved. Conspicuoius consumption. Unless you have a trained eye, I doubt if most people could tell the difference between a designer name suit, and a cheaper knock-off from the Men’s Warehouse if the tailoring is good.
People buy luxury items because it says that they can afford to waste money. The more expensive and exclusive the item, the more status you will appear to have attained by owning it.
That’s why the kiddies want two hundred dollar sneakers when a pair of Keds would do the same job. “See, my parents can afford to waste money on high-end sneakers.” The more expensive the shoes, the more less fortunate kids will envy you.
however, you ** can ** tell.
I can always spot 10K gold vs. the real stuff, and can usally tell 18K vs. 12 K, as well.
so, when my kid wants the 10k piece of junk high school class ring for $300, I’ll send him to the real jewelry counter where he can get a 14k nice piece maybe even with a stone in it…
Is the BMW Z8 really worth $140,000? I mean, really! You can get a Ford Focus for, what, $12,000? WTF?
I tell ya, the extra money I spent upgrading from the ThreadMaster 2000 to the 2000SL was worth every penny.
Off to IMHO.
Lissa wrote:
I think you’ve contradicted yourself here. If most people can’t tell the difference, it’s not very conspicuous. Maybe these people are buying the items because they enjoy the fine tailoring? Not that I would ever spend more than $300 for a suit, but there is something to enjoying the finer things.
It all comes down to quality, not price, darling. I have seen some real crap in Sak’s and Lord & Taylor’s for thousands of dollars—schmatas I wouldn’t touch with ice tongs. As far as clothing goes, if you know about fabric and construction (check the seams!), you can do a lot better for less money.
Of course if you HAVE the money and spending it makes you feel better, then why not? It’s yours to do with as you will.
but these are some of the soft limits that I have in my head for how much I am willing to pay:
Suit: $1,500 (When you stand 6’3” with a 30” waist, tailoring becomes an art form)
Shirt: $120
Tie: $50
Shoes: $250
Cufflinks: $25
Car: $250,000
Pen: $30
Computer: $3,000
Dinner for two: $300
Camera: $500
Stereo: $200
Wine: $100
I may or may not have actually paid these values for any of these items. These are just the limits I’ve set for myself. At prices beyond these, I am usually incapable of detecting the subtle differences in quality. Notice, please, that your limits might be much lower for some items on my list and higher for others. I pay attention to some things and not others. I am not willing to pay much for things that I don’t understand, but will pay through the nose when I am able to detect quality after study.
um, we haven’t met yet, allow me to introduce myself…
heheheheee, I’m with Tymp. If I’ve got the bucks, I’ll gladly part with them for luxury items.
Granted, not all items are worth the money. In general, though, I’ve found that I can tell the difference between the cheap and the luxury items. I can usually even tell the difference between the “normal priced” and luxury items as well.
Things I’ve willingly spent money on:
Dinner for 2: I’ve spent $200-$300+ on dinner for two on several occasions. Going to a fine restaurant is definitely worth it. The small army of waitstaff… the quality of the food… biting into something and thinking “Ohmygod, I’ve never tasted anything this delicious before in my life!” There’s definitely a difference between a standard “good” restaurant and a 5 star restaurant.
Wine/Champagne/Liquor: I like good wine and champagne. I don’t drink $100 bottles every day, but I’ve had them more than once. I usually keep a half dozen bottles of Champagne around, ranging from $20 to $50 each. SO and I have also decided to become experts in making certain mixed drinks (Margaritas, Whiskey Sours, and Rum drinks are our current favorites). We experiment with everything from no-name to high-end liquor, and the high-end is almost always the winner in blind taste tests.
Cars: I can certainly tell the difference between my brand new car and my ten year old one! The brand new one makes me WANT to drive all the time. The old one made driving a necessary evil.
Home Furnishings: This can get pricey. I’ve spent $4K on an oriental rug, $900 for an end table. I like nice things. They look good.
Vacations: I like nice hotels. I like being waited on. I like being in Hawaii. You can extrapolate from there.
Clothing: I’m a slob. I have a couple nice pieces of clothing, and I can tell they’re nicely tailored, but when it comes right down to it I’d rather be in a T shirt that I don’t have to worry about spilling my drink on than a $300 silk dress that will be ruined the first time I attempt to eat (or walk, or just stand…)
Services: I work full time. SO works full time. We pay people to clean the house, cut the grass, etc. My time is worth more than my money, and the couple hundred we throw towards this every month is money well spent.
I can and have lived without ANY of the above. But gads… when you get to the point where you have extra money lying around every month, why NOT spend it on nice things?
I have one, count’em, one fine tailored suit in my collection of three suits. It is by far the nicest clothing I own and cost more than the other two combined. People can and do notice the difference. The cut, the draw and the other specificity’s that accompany fine tailoring and fine fabric are recognizable.
I have a few bottles of wine that are worth up to about $300 and some change. For something like that, you really have to be a connoisseur, otherwise it makes no difference. As a rule, when I drink wine, I am partial to Rosemount Estates out of Australia. Very good stuff under $15/bottle.
Shoes, same as the suit, I’ve a few good pairs. $120 and up each and the fit is terrific, the wear- superb and I’m sure they will last me quite some time. You make up for he cost in the duration in this case.
I spent almost $20k on my car three years ago and today I’m thinking it was too much, but I’d spend it again because I love my car and I derive much enjoyment from driving it. So it was worth it. <grumble>
The key the this is your own personal “utility.” That is, what is a dollar worth to you. Something that might be too expensive to be worth it to you might be perfectly within the bounds to Tymp. Something that you would pay virtually any price for some others might not be willing to take on a dare. It depends what things are worth to you.
Electronics and appliances are a good place to pay a little more (tv’s, stereos or washers/dryers) because in this case it usually is a matter of getting what you pay for and the cheap stuff falls out.
It’s up to you.
With clothes, I try to find middle-of-the-road priced items. Because if you can buy a blouse for $5.99, you can almost guarantee that the people who made it work in an unscrupulous sweat shop. And if it’s $59.99, you can guarantee that some designer is laughing all the way to the bank at your expense. I do look for quality, though. Nice, even seams. Secure buttons.
The generation of kids now seem to be more susceptible to advertising and gimmicks than my generation. I try to tell my niece that the only difference between an Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt and a Hanes t-shirt is that walking billboard she’s planted on her chest. But she thinks I’m an unfashionable idiot, so what do I know?
One day when she gets a job and sees how many hours she has to work for the privilege of being a walking billboard, she, too, will choose to wear Hanes.
Or she’ll be over her head in credit card debt. One or the other.
Ah, yes. Television and radio are powerful influences to which you were not subjected in your days when pitching marbles was a whopping jolly pisser time.
[sub]Sorry, Lisa. Couldn’t resist.[/sub]
Who says ya can’t buy love?
Tymp, I agree wholeheartedly, except for the car $.
Hell yes you can tell the difference between cheap goods and finer goods. My hubby may live in t-shirts and shorts as much as he can, but when he wears a suit, it’s from Nordstrom. I’ve seen what the Mens Wearhouse has to offer, and it simply doesn’t compare.
Are we rolling in cash? No way. But a good suit, worn and cleaned properly, will last him for as long as he will wear it. Men shouldn’t wear a suit more than once a week, and if possible it should never be drycleaned- it destroys it. I see no problem with hubby coming home with a $2000 suit. It is a good investment that will serve him for many years, as long as the waistline holds up (hubby’s, not the suit).
And in his office, you could tell exactly who shopped at Sears and who didn’t. If you have never owned a tailored suit (or shirt- it’s wonderful), try it out before you rip on it.
or at least rent it for a while… 
And Athena, perhaps this is the best time to point out that I ** * am ** * available for adoption… 
just see my prior posting for how usefull I can be around the house (is that ** real ** gold???)
I’ll jump in here.
Consider the concept of value. If I buy a pair of $50, knock-off, cheap shoes and have to have the soles replaced all the time, or if the seams rip from shoddy construction I haven’t saved any money over buying a pair of $200 Cole Hahn shoes that will last me 20 years. The same can be said for suits, raincoats, and any other fine apparel. If you want to save, save on your underwear or another item that isn’t out there on display.
As to luxury cars the answer becomes a little shadier. Is a Lexus that much better than an Escort? Probably, when safety, reliability, service, and resale value are considred.
Food. Someone else said it first - a really good meal is a joy and the cost is worth every penny. I spent $275 for dinner for 2 in Anguilla and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
I’m not much of wine drinker, but I know what I like. I don’t know that I could tell the difference between a good wine and a great wine, but I can tell the difference between good Scotch and great Scotch (my drink of choice). The same with beer. Life is too short to drink cheap beer.
In general, spend wisely, buy the nicest things you can afford and splurge once in awhile. You’re worth it.
Mother always told us, “You’re never poor enough to buy shoddy clothes. Better to have one good suit than three cheap ones.”
'Strewth!
[Shameless, blatant hijack]
Black rum & Ginger Beer!! Your drunken tongue will never be happier!
[/Shameless, blatant hijack]
Luxury goods are worth it if it’s something you plan on having for a long time; remember the old saying “quality, not quantity.” And, only if you can afford it.
As for something like a car, as soon as you drive it off the lot, you’ve lost money. I leased a '99 Acura CL a year and a half ago instead of the Acura RL or a Lexus. Why? I don’t plan on keeping the car for more than a year and a half, why throw extra $ away?
On the other hand, I always buy quality clothes and shoes and quality jewelery. I learned my lesson the hard way after buying at least 4 watches in five years that it was time to invest in a “luxury item” watch and get a Rolex. I’m not bragging, but it is a quality item, that I could afford, that will last me the rest of my life. I probably saved myself money in the long run not having to buy a new watch every year or so.
I figure as long as you can shell the money out for luxury items and have worked hard for them, then you deserve them.