I think a lot of it has to do with your career choice. When I worked in public relations, I bought mostly clothing that would (I guess?) be considered "high end". I have several
tiny Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Moshino etc. ensembles gathering dust in my mom's attic if anyone's interested! lol (of course, they're all circa 1990 so we're talking midcalf length skirts and suits with peplums and stuff like that. Shoulderpads! Ugh!) Shoot, I have a classic Chanel suit in my closet from "back then" that cost more than my first car and my wedding gown (combined!) that I *swear* I'll fit back into one day.
Sorry, I got off track there! I'm just saying that, in some cities, and depending on your job (especially if that job entails impressing potential clients), you're expected to really "dress the part". In my days that either meant damn good knock-offs or the real thing. And since I was always worried that some catty co-worker with an eye for properly finished seams would "out" me if I wore a knock-off, I blindly left half of my paycheck on Madison Avenue every month
Hey, I never claimed to be a rocket scientist!