Who buys all of this expensive clothing?

[disneysteve]

Only expensive thing is sneakers, I only wear brooks adrenalines for 20 years.

I didn't include sneakers in my comments on purpose. I don't consider them simply clothing items. Shoes need to be properly fitted and supportive and hold up to whatever you're using them for. Running is a prime example. I also wear Brooks Adrenaline for that. Are there cheaper running shoes? Sure, but not any that are as good for my feet as the Brooks. I've tried a variety and these are the ones best constructed for how I run. I'm fine paying $150 for running shoes that will protect my feet, knees, hips, and back from injury when I'm exercising. That's a lot different than just wanting a pretty shirt for $150.

[myrdale]

For shoes I go through a pair of Merrell hiking boots per year. About $140 per pair. In addition to wearing them for work, they get worn for about 20 miles a week hiking. Size 14 can be a pain at times to find, so I usually just order online from Cabela's or Amazon.

[ua_guy]

Ditto on good footwear...not an area where I skimp, nor do I go high-fashion. My everyday shoes are trail shoes..Solomon has been my brand as of late. Big knobby tread, lots and lots of support, but not a boot. It rains a lot here so it's nice that they don't soak up water, and they're nice for doing projects around the house and yard. When there's a sale I usually stock up on 2 pair!

[Singuy]

Was eating Chick Fil-a and I noticed this bum looking guy had some sneakers on with Givenchy written across. I had to look it up and turns out those are 750 dollar sneakers.

Lots of people buy these very expensive cloths. Currently the number 1 place luxury brands are advertising to is South Korea as they are spending more on these brands than anywhere else in the world.

The thing is this may look shocking, however to wealthy people it's like buying a pair of shoes from target.

For example, the compounding interest calculator tells me if I put my money into the S&P 500 today, in 40 years @8% return, my account balance is 130 million. Would anyone care about a thousand dollar pair of shoes with an account balance like that? The more money people have the more money people will eventually have. Eventually the snowball is the size of the universe. Just don't screw it up by purchasing these useless stuff early when poor.

[disneysteve]

Was eating Chick Fil-a and I noticed this bum looking guy had some sneakers on with Givenchy written across. I had to look it up and turns out those are 750 dollar sneakers.

Of course, there are also a ton of counterfeits of high-end products. In my reselling groups, people are constantly posting about finding counterfeit sneakers, shoes, handbags, watches, and more. Just because you see someone in "$750" shoes doesn't mean they're real. They could be $50 knockoffs.

[Singuy]

Of course, there are also a ton of counterfeits of high-end products. In my reselling groups, people are constantly posting about finding counterfeit sneakers, shoes, handbags, watches, and more. Just because you see someone in "$750" shoes doesn't mean they're real. They could be $50 knockoffs.

I generally don't see knockoffs of brand that are not well known but it can happen. The guy looks like a bum but his wife looks wealthy with a Gucci bag. A lot of wealthy guys just dress down with this full blown duck dynasty beard going on. His white shirt is probably some crazy brand that cost $325

[disneysteve]

I generally don't see knockoffs of brand that are not well known but it can happen. The guy looks like a bum but his wife looks wealthy with a Gucci bag. A lot of wealthy guys just dress down with this full blown duck dynasty beard going on. His white shirt is probably some crazy brand that cost $325

The Millionaire Next Door comes to mind. The wealthy folks are often the ones who least "look" the part. Those shoes might be his one conspicuous splurge.

[bjl584]

We were at the Jersey shore today, Cape May to be exact. Because we have a trip planned to Mexico early next year, I suggested we do some shopping for beach/island wear while we were there. We went into several shops and bought nothing. Why? Neither of us are big clothing people. We don't care about designer labels and trends and high end fashion. When I saw a nice shirt, I then looked at the tag to see that it was $168. No way that is ever happening. Item after item in multiple stores were all pretty similar. I'd pay $30, maybe a bit more, for a nice shirt (like the 2 I bought in Kohl's last week for $24.99 each) but $168 for one shirt is nuts.

My wife found the same thing. Looking at summery dresses and beach coverups only to find them priced at $75 or $90 or more. Nope. Not for us.

It really makes me wonder who buys this stuff. Clearly there are enough people doing it to keep these stores in business, and there are multiple stores like it within a 2 or 3 block area.

Am I the oddball here? Are most guys going and and dropping that much for a single shirt on a regular basis?

Mostly broke people probably.

Seriously though, a lot of those clothes are geared towards younger people eager to swipe their Visa.

I'm not big on fashion either. I buy clothes when I have to, and I steer towards the bargain stuff.

[disneysteve]

Not a price issue but sort of related. I was at a shoe store the other day looking for a decent pair of flip flops. I want good ones that are padded and comfortable to walk around in all day when we're in Mexico, not the el cheapo ones from Old Navy or Walmart. I found a few in the $40-50 range that looked well made and supportive, but they all had the brand name plastered across the strap on top of the foot. I don't mean a small logo but rather "PUMA" or "ADIDAS" in 1.5" high block letters, white on black so super obvious. No thanks. Are my only choices going to be low quality no name off brands or better but obnoxious walking advertisements?

[disneysteve]

Mostly broke people probably.

Seriously though, a lot of those clothes are geared towards younger people eager to swipe their Visa.

Actually, we saw a lot of older people, men and women, shopping in these stores. Probably retirees with more money than they know what to do with.

[james.hendrickson]

Not a price issue but sort of related. I was at a shoe store the other day looking for a decent pair of flip flops. I want good ones that are padded and comfortable to walk around in all day when we're in Mexico, not the el cheapo ones from Old Navy or Walmart. I found a few in the $40-50 range that looked well made and supportive, but they all had the brand name plastered across the strap on top of the foot. I don't mean a small logo but rather "PUMA" or "ADIDAS" in 1.5" high block letters, white on black so super obvious. No thanks. Are my only choices going to be low quality no name off brands or better but obnoxious walking advertisements?

You know Disneysteve, I always thought that was a bit of a raw deal for consumers.

First, you have to pay money for the brands's flipflops. Then you wear the flipflops around which is free advertising/marketing for the brand. Why? Brands should pay consumers to advertise for them, not the other way around.

[disneysteve]

You know Disneysteve, I always thought that was a bit of a raw deal for consumers.

First, you have to pay money for the brands's flipflops. Then you wear the flipflops around which is free advertising/marketing for the brand. Why? Brands should pay consumers to advertise for them, not the other way around.

I don't mind a subtle logo. Almost every pair of shoes I own can be easily identified just by looking at them whether it's my Brooks running shoes or New Balance sneakers or whatever, but none are as blatant as these were. I also won't buy shirts or pants with the brand name and logo emblazoned on them. I was looking at bathing suits last week and several of them had the logo prominently displayed. I did find a pair that just had a simple pattern and no visible logo. The brand was on the label on the inside where it belongs.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I have been in a cave and never heard of Brooks Adreneline, Givenchy, Merrell, etc. I had to look it up. I buy the lightest sneakers at the shoe warehouse by feeling the weight and if it is Addias, Converse, Puma, Nike, New Balance, I will buy it. And the cheaper the better. As for sandals I've been using for 5 years the same $8.99 Walmart no name brand. It has worn down to about 1/2 its thickness on the sole which now I can now feel it if I step on a large pebble but I recently bought an exact same sandal from Walmart at the ready on a moment's notice if those pebbles become unbearable. I want to try Crocs but that $50 price seems steep.

[disneysteve]

I buy the lightest sneakers at the shoe warehouse by feeling the weight and if it is Addias, Converse, Puma, Nike, New Balance, I will buy it. And the cheaper the better.

That's really not a good way to buy shoes, especially athletic shoes. There are significant differences between brands and styles within a brand. When I got my first good pair of running shoes about 10 years ago when I started running again, I went to a running store. They measured my feet. They watched me walk barefoot and watched me run in the shoes I had. Then I tried on multiple pairs of shoes from multiple brands. They watched me walk and run in each of them. Even though they were all top quality brands and all my size, they each felt very different. The Brooks Adrenalines were the ones that fit me best and were built with support in the places I need it most.

I'm actually due for a new pair and I'm planning to go to the running store again. Since it's been nearly a decade, I want to get remeasured and kind of start from scratch again. I'm also 10 years older and more than a few pounds heavier so I'm thinking I may want a shoe with more cushioning like the Brooks Ghost or Glycerin which have more padding, or a different brand entirely.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I just remembered in 1990 as a plumber I bought a $200 Red Wing boots which was highly recommended to me by other plumbers. It was the worst purchase that i ever made. The material I think was cow hide or maybe leather but once it got wet there was major shrinkage which made the boots too tight. I bought some thing-a-ma-jig to stretch the material to no avail. I ended up buying a cheaper tan colored construction work shoes for maybe $35 from a shoe warehouse which was a lot more comfortable than the expensive Red Wing boots. I cannot recall if Red Wing took my measurements or not. Maybe it was my fault for buying too small of a size but those $200 Red Wing boots was the worst and I ended up tossing them.