Oscar De La Huerte answered
People like to buy expensive clothes for two main reasons:
The most obvious reason someone would want to part with a large amount of cash when buying clothes is because (in theory) spending more money means getting better quality garments.
This type of clothing will last longer, feel better, have a better cut or fit, be more flattering to the wearer or have some other quality that is deemed attractive by the consumer.
Or at least that's what the retailer would have you think anyway. Whether that's true or not really depends from brand to brand, and item to item.
The second reason people end up buying expensive clothing is because they are buying into an image or look.
Like any market pricing trend, the greater the demand compared to supply, the higher the price. For this reason, limited edition items of clothing which are in high demand end up selling for exorbitant sums.
Are expensive clothes really worth it?
What makes a pair of Primark jeans retail at £6 whilst a pair of Levis could cost you £60?
A clutch handbag by George (at Asda) will also set you back £6, so why does a Manhattan clutch at Selfridges sell for £295?
Well, in the case of these handbags, one is faux leather and the other is mock croc (but real cow hide).
In essence, both examples highlight that more money generally means better quality. But whether that difference in quality is reflective of the gap in price is subject to debate.
More often than not, quality is in fact a secondary attribute. When choosing a pair of jeans or a handbag, the wearer is also making a statement to the outside world.
Waltz into a shop with £500 Louis Vuitton shoulder bag and you'll be looked at and treated differently than someone sporting a 'Collection' quilted tote from Debenhams (reduced from £35 to £28!).
- Money means quality
- People buy into an image
The most obvious reason someone would want to part with a large amount of cash when buying clothes is because (in theory) spending more money means getting better quality garments.
This type of clothing will last longer, feel better, have a better cut or fit, be more flattering to the wearer or have some other quality that is deemed attractive by the consumer.
Or at least that's what the retailer would have you think anyway. Whether that's true or not really depends from brand to brand, and item to item.
The second reason people end up buying expensive clothing is because they are buying into an image or look.
Like any market pricing trend, the greater the demand compared to supply, the higher the price. For this reason, limited edition items of clothing which are in high demand end up selling for exorbitant sums.
Are expensive clothes really worth it?
What makes a pair of Primark jeans retail at £6 whilst a pair of Levis could cost you £60?
A clutch handbag by George (at Asda) will also set you back £6, so why does a Manhattan clutch at Selfridges sell for £295?
Well, in the case of these handbags, one is faux leather and the other is mock croc (but real cow hide).
In essence, both examples highlight that more money generally means better quality. But whether that difference in quality is reflective of the gap in price is subject to debate.
More often than not, quality is in fact a secondary attribute. When choosing a pair of jeans or a handbag, the wearer is also making a statement to the outside world.
Waltz into a shop with £500 Louis Vuitton shoulder bag and you'll be looked at and treated differently than someone sporting a 'Collection' quilted tote from Debenhams (reduced from £35 to £28!).
