Who really buys high end fashion items?

[texas*princess]

I completely agree w/ AngelPhiSig.

When I was in high school, I always overindulged in higher-priced clothes. (not quite Channel, but I still payed out big bucks for skirts, tops and shoes ) And it wasn't because my family is super rich or anything, it's because I worked a part-time job through high school, and every summer I got a lot of overtime cash. I didn't work because I had to, but because I wanted to. I liked the satisfaction of working my way for all the stuff I wanted instead of relying on the parents. Now that I'm in college though, I shop at places like Old Navy because I love the clothes and don't have as much spare cash as I did before. Between tuition and random things like bills, I don't usually have huge amounts of spare cash to spend on clothes.

[ZTAngel]

Originally posted by OohTeenyWahine
I don't shop at Neiman or any other high-end store regularly. I tend to find everything I want at Ross.

Agree! I think people would be surprised by what they can find at stores like Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx. Stores like that carry designer clothes that may have a snag or the department store ordered way too much. The clothes in there are a season behind but, honestly, I wouldn't even notice.
I found a GREAT pair of Seven jeans at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago. Those jeans sell at Neimans for $120 and I got them for $30. There were no flaws in the material or anything. I've found DKNY, Nautica, Espirit, etc.
I definitely enjoyed working at Bloomingdale's. The employee discounts were great and there were times where I could buy Theory, Juicy, Bisou Bisou, French Connection, Ralph Lauren for half of the retail price. Sigh....my closet looked so nice back then.

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally posted by ZTAngel
Agree! I think people would be surprised by what they can find at stores like Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx.

Oh, yes. I'm a big fan of those stores! I just can't see paying full price for some of that stuff. When you pay full price, you really are buying the name. It's true that designer items are usually (notice I said USUALLY, not always) of better quality of material and workmanship, but the cost of making one of those articles of clothing is low compared to how much they sell for. One of the bad things about being a fashion major is that you can't go shopping without analyzing the quality of everything you try on, and I hate looking at price tags and thinking, "OMG, they're charging THAT when it probably only cost a few quid to make????" The designer stuff often comes out of the same factories as more reasonably-priced stuff, so I don't think I'd pay big bucks for a designer name...even if I did have the cash to afford it.

[Steeltrap]

I don't buy super-high-end clothing because I'm above a size 14 and designers tend to ignore people who are built like me, unless you have major $$$ like Oprah Winfrey, Marjorie Gubelmann and Queen Latifah..

Most of my "expensive" clothing comes from bridge designers such as Linda Allard/Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman. I tend, however, to buy things on sale and at places like Off Fifth Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom Rack. For instance, I've found $200+ pieces for $50 or less.

I buy this stuff because I'm single and have no attachments, and will be inheriting my home. If I ever get married and have kids, I suspect I will be wearing T-shirts and casual pants because I don't want a baby messing over my silk shirts.

[UF_PikePC98]

Originally posted by ZTAngel
People who live in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, Florida.
When I worked at Bloomie's, these people would come in and buy these $700 shirts that weren't that nice and you could probably find a similar one at Charlotte Russe for $20 but they purchased it because the label said Versace or Donna Karan. I never understood it. But, these people have money so I guess blowing $700 is nothing to them.

OMG, that is so stereotyping.........


Off the top of my head I can think of 2 people who are middle class that are both from Palm Beach......Some people enjoy the finer things life has to offer. My mom does buy expensive things and allows my younger brother and I do the same....but to a certain extent. I can't go out and blow 4,000$ on the credit card for my new seasonal clothes, but I am allowed a hefty upper limit. Then again I do like things from structure and express, which isn't very expensive. I don't consider Armani to be too expensive, some things are but not all. In my case though, I choose not to buy high end clothes so I can enjoy my funds in other ways. Instead of buying a 600$ pair of pants, I'd rather go out to a club. Do you know how many drinks 600$ can buy? A lot.....

[CarolinaCutie]

I wish I was good at shopping at TJ Maxx or Ross. I am not opposed to the idea of it, bargains are always a good thing... but whereas everyone else raves about the deals they find, I am always like, "How do you sort through all the hideous stuff to get to something you might want?" I just can't... no matter how hard I try.

As for clothes... I WOULD spend a lot of money for clothes if I HAD that money. I can't justify spending $200 on a pair of pants when I have bills to pay. The exception is handbags and makeup... I buy those to cheer me up and even if I have to deal with an ungodly credit card bill, I still buy high-end. But if I had a real job and was financially secure, there are plenty of expensive things that I would buy.

Right now I wear a lot of Gap, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J.Crew, but I often make purchases at Old Navy as well. The thing with Old Navy is that you have to go in knowing that anything you buy isn't going to stay together for more than a season or two.

This is how I see it... if you have style, you can make clothes from Wal-Mart look good. I think it looks more carefree and stylish when you pair less expensive basics with the occasional splurge. People who spend money JUST to say, "Oh, this is Oscar" or fill their closets with expensive clothes they never wear get on my nerves.

[AXO_MOM_3]

Originally posted by ariesrising
(don't even get me started on eyeliner lol).

I'm the queen of bargain shopping...it amazes me that some people think nothing of plunking down a few hundred dollars for a skirt and shirt.

I guess I wouldn't make a very good socialite lol. [/B]

I LOVE bargain shopping, and searching the clearance racks for those great buys! WHY spend $150.00 on something when if you wait just a few weeks they will mark it down 50-70% off? I drive my girls crazy - they see a sweater they want at the mall, and I say, well I'm not buying it today, but will keep my eye on it for you! They are always so thrilled when a few weeks later I come home with it at MY price! As far as the socialite thing - my sister-in-law is VERY into that scene, and she bought an evening gown for $15.00 on clearance at TJ Maxx (can't remember the brand), and is planning to wear it to a function where most of the ladies where $1000.00 dresses. But hey - she can pull it off! I think it is not so much the brand of clothes but how you wear them that make them stylish!

[ZTAngel]

Originally posted by UF_PikePC98
OMG, that is so stereotyping.........


Off the top of my head I can think of 2 people who are middle class that are both from Palm Beach......Some people enjoy the finer things life has to offer. My mom does buy expensive things and allows my younger brother and I do the same....but to a certain extent. I can't go out and blow 4,000$ on the credit card for my new seasonal clothes, but I am allowed a hefty upper limit. Then again I do like things from structure and express, which isn't very expensive. I don't consider Armani to be too expensive, some things are but not all. In my case though, I choose not to buy high end clothes so I can enjoy my funds in other ways. Instead of buying a 600$ pair of pants, I'd rather go out to a club. Do you know how many drinks 600$ can buy? A lot.....

I didn't say all people.
I'm from those areas and I don't buy expensive clothing.

[xo_kathy]

Originally posted by Tibi
Honestly, some of the stuff is better, but alot of it isn't if that makes any sense. Yes, the cashmere Burberry scarf may look the same as the acrylic copy, but in the long run the Burberry will probably last longer. Some items.....hmmm, depends, that Versace knockoff from Express will go through the wash once and in my experience, come out a bit worn looking, the original won't.

And in my experience with "high end" clothing it's the complete opposite! I bought a fancy brand of shoes on clearance (still $50) and a seam busted the second time I wore them. Meanwhile my shoes I got 2 years ago at Payless - still kickin'!
Expensive dress I bought for a wedding - dry cleaned per instructions and the bronze sequins came back silver. The paint (or whatever they used to color the sequins) completely came off!
Very expensive coat my boyfriend got me for Christmas - one of the button holes ripped the second day I wore it. My 2 year old Gap coats - still buttoning fine.

If I was rich, maybe, but I am not going to spend my hard earned money on a pricey item that will last me two wears. I'd rather have 10 items from the Gap.

[KillarneyRose]

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!

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
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.

I agree.

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
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!

LOL!!

[UF_PikePC98]

Originally posted by ZTAngel

I'm from those areas and I don't buy expensive clothing.

Really?!? What High School did you go to?


If you're from Boca then don't bother telling me, though i do have a number of friends from there and the delray beach area you could have went to high school with.


If you're from West Palm.....I went to Benjamin...grad May of 98.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
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!

Keep those clothes from 1990. I fnally cleaned out my closet full of old clothes and the next season, I saw some of my old outfits in the department stores. Oh well. Shoulderpads will be back someday.

I usually shop the sales at department stores in Manhattan or I go to the outlets. They have great sales on designer clothes!

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by Cream
Keep those clothes from 1990. I fnally cleaned out my closet full of old clothes and the next season, I saw some of my old outfits in the department stores. Oh well. Shoulderpads will be back someday.

I usually shop the sales at department stores in Manhattan or I go to the outlets. They have great sales on designer clothes!

They may not be linebacker-size, but shoulderpads never went away for some people.

I'm wearing this high-end RTW Bill Blass jacket from 1999 that has little shoulderpads today.

One of these days, I need to get my tail to New York, haven't been since 1997. I want to go to Woodbury Common.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
They may not be linebacker-size, but shoulderpads never went away for some people.

I'm wearing this high-end RTW Bill Blass jacket from 1999 that has little shoulderpads today.

One of these days, I need to get my tail to New York, haven't been since 1997. I want to go to Woodbury Common.

GC roadtrip to Woodbury Common!!!

I'm hitting Macy's this weekend because they extended their President's Day sale due to the weather.