Do you own these sorts of things?!

Same here. I'm just not interested in 'status' symbols.

I don't own any 'labelled' clothing/bags/shoes - unless you count Tesco etc!

For me it's not really worth buying labelled goods as I CBA. But each to their own and their own pocket.

More durable might be a good idea but most of my clothes meet their maker due to tears, paint spills etc. But I feel that some of the 'more durable' are often much the same as others but you just pay more?

I did splash out on a DeWalt cordless drill a bit ago that counts?
It seems better than the offerings, and my usually purchases, from the middle aisle of Lidl and Aldi. (although theirs aren't bad)

Yes to all if I could afford them and wanted them. I’m by no mean a big spender overall but if those items had longevity (fashion and robustness) then why not? Just in case someone, Shock! Horror! Thought I was new money 🙄?

Thanks for the thread though because I just did a search for my favourite type of trainers and I found some for £20 so that will do me nicely. Edited should have been £70 www.gola.co.uk/womens-boston-78-snake-trainers-p3963

No. My son though - man he will save and save (he IS on minimum wage) in order to get some branded clothing. Luckily he works in an specialty men's store and gets a good discount!
My DD only buys from charity shops and Vinted so has some nice pieces at rock bottom prices (she has a long debate if anything is over £10, but recently scored a stunning evening dress for £15).

I'm pretty much retired now at 53 but DH earns considerably more than you mention in your post. But neither of us are remotely bothered about bling or gaudy designer labels, we never have been.

Admittedly I do drive a very expensive car and I have one beautiful Mulberry handbag, but that's about it? I do like quality underwear and good skincare, but I'm very partial to a Vinted bargain too. DH likes his expensive tech' but he's currently wearing old M&S jeans and I think his linen shirt is from Next?

I believe that most people binge on designer labels because they like to show they can afford it? They feel the need to prove something to the world.

Nope. I hate designer stuff I think it's tacky and ridiculous. I buy quality and it lasts years.

Occasionally I might buy a fashionable dress but I always regret it when the following year it's so obviously 'last year' like a big puffy prairie dress I've got.

As people have said a lot of these are carefully considered long term purchases.

Mr Monkey is planning to buy a Reiss suit for a wedding we are going to later this month. He has not bought a new suit for years and years and his current one is a little old fashioned (he no longer needs to wear a suit for work). He has been saving to buy a new one and wants something of decent quality.

Total income over 100k?? Yes, id expect you to be able to afford that sort of brand pricing.
FWIW, we earn less than 100k but could - if we wanted - have that sort of stuff. As it is, we're not bothered, so save and go on an expensive holiday instead.

salary is barely relevant these days.

I lived for 3 years with husband's family and saved up 60k for a deposit. I have no student loans as my parents paid for my education and also my rent in London. My DH lived with family during university and other than 2.5 years in a cheap city in Germany where he did his masters, he has never paid rent.

The cumulative money saved from these circumstances must have amounted to 100k which has multiplier effects on our later wealth accumulation. Also bought when interest rates were 2% and had 5 years of paying that off.

Other people I know have had inheritances from grandparents, marriage to an older spouse with property, outright gifts from parents. Many of these people I mentioned have incomes of 50k to 70k. People never talk about this, I think we should normalize talking about this because so many are struggling and they don't understand why.

I can tell you why. salary is obviously relevant in the market of z3 london terraces as even property equity of 500k means you still need to be able to borrow 900k but for more modest abodes in London, you can still 'make it' with family gifts and a very modest income. However whether one can buy designer ware or have a 'nice' lifestyle, a couple of hundred quid saved per month due to earlier wealth accumulation/gifts, one's salary doesn't come into it.

Edit: sorry must have replied to wrong person

Every mine is different but I'd find it difficult to find a good quality pair of trainers for £25 unless used I guess

I have Prada, Mont Blanc and Aspinal bags, bought when I was young and had a lot less sense. These days I have a mortgage and two sets of schools fees to pay, so I can't actually remember the last time I bought a new anything for me! I have plenty of 'stuff' and get no pleasure from shopping these days, I'd rather spend any spare cash on a meal out with the kids, a weekend break etc.

If you run you need proper trainers. A cheap £25 pair will not do you any favours in the long term.

If you are looking for something to wear to the pub then it probably isn't worth spending £200 plus on super technical shoes.

I have several designer bags. Only in the last 2 years have I wanted as much as you - however my rent/mortgage was about a third of what yours is which is probably why.

I also buy a lot of clothes on vinted other than the designer stuff which I buy new.

I'm in that salary bracket and I could afford those things if I wanted them (not all the time, but a few a year). My partner earns about the same and our mortgage is £600 less than your rent, so we do have more disposable income. It makes a huge difference to live with someone else, especially if they earn well too.

I would spend £300 on a coat if I really loved it and it was well made (but would be more likely to spend £150-ish). A good coat will last you years and years. I don't buy designer brands because I don't think they're any better value than other stuff, but I will pay more for good quality fabric and stitching. I think very obvious labels are tacky so would never buy anything overtly branded. Reiss don't make clothes in my size, but they do seem good quality, if a bit dull.

I prefer to spend my money on coffees and meals out, day trips and plants, but everyone has different priorities.

£25 on some plastic trainers where I can't remove the insole to replace with orthotics? No thanks, I'm not a fan of being in pain - trainers are usually £160-180 for work as well as exercise. Would spend similar or more for shoes if I could find a pair that actually fitted and wouldn't cripple me within the first twenty minutes.

With bags, I'd spend more if I actually found one that felt 'right'. I just don't get that from a Mulberry - my most successful bag purchase has been an £80 leather (as in actual leather, not plastic) one from Amazon that is appropriate for carrying stuff to meetings. The people I know who have expensive bags usually get them as gifts or from outlet shops.

I moved up from the Primark/New Look level for work clothes, as I needed to look a bit smarter to offset the being short, fat and older bit, but only to the Boden/Hobbs price level (and preferably on sale). If I found the 'perfect' anything, I'd buy it, because I don't think you can beat not just feeling comfortable in your own skin, it's being comfortable in your clothes and shoes, too.

When our income was in excess of 100k, 10 years ago, we were able to afford designer bags. I only had some mulberry bags, but mulberry was a little cheaper and you could buy an Antony, for example, for less than £200. I bought expensive, quality brands, i don't know if I'd call those designer.

I don't have that income now (temporarily I hope), but I still have my good wardrobe and I supplement it by buying quality brands from Vinted and I don't think I would change that if my income increased again. I'm also still able to do my expensive hobby (the tuition is reasonable the equipment is not) by purchasing second hand.

If you're on an income between 50-70k, even with your rent, I don't understand how you can't occasionally manage something like a pair of trainers of that price range, if buying new. Unless your other outgoings are significant or you have debt?

@Blondiebeachbabe what's wrong with being new money? Do you think people who don't inherit should stay poor? What exactly is wrong with social mobility?

Nope. I could afford to but as far as I'm concerned a coat's a coat, trainer's are trainers and a bag's a bag. Why spend a lot of money on something when you can buy something cheaper that does just as well?

FWIW I used to work for a designer handbag company (begins with "M"), and could buy them at a discount and despite being able to get them at a 50% discount, still refused to spend that kind of money on something just to put stuff in.

Bags - no. Bags aren’t my thing so I don’t buy cheap ones, let alone designer. I’ve got a cheap
leather rucksack from TK Max which is all I really use.

Coats - I have a bit of a problem with coats. My office is freezing and my boss is too tight to put the heating on so I buy a lot of coats, all price ranges.

I have a lot of trainers - mostly Adidas but a couple of pairs of Nike. Most are several years old.

For us, it’s more about our outgoings than our income! Our joint income used to be about £100k per year and we had no children. The mortgage was only £850 a month and we have low cost cars so we used to put loads in savings and still have disposable money income. At this time, we would probably buy a large purchase for ourselves every 2-3 months. This might have been a tag watch, decent coat (my last one was a £250 jack wolfskin one in 2018 but I’ve looked after it and it’s still going strong), Fairfax and Favor boots or a nice handbag.
Now, our income has grown decreased by about £30k and we spent £1500 a month on childcare so we don’t make these purchases anywhere near as frequently but we definitely do still pay more for decent quality things that last. I would still happily spend £250 on a coat as the ones I’ve had previously have lasted me for years. Same with sunglasses…I bought a pair for £300 about 9 years ago. I still wear them all the time and they are still in great condition…I actually look after them whereas prior to that I’d buy a £20/£30 pair every year and lose or sit on them.

I used to earn in this range, and yes, wouldn’t have considered a Reiss coat every year an extravagance- they’re good quality, and you need a nice coat, and bag, shoes to wear to the office. Used to even shop there on new graduate salary for suits etc.

Post kids, and esp on Mat leave and as a SAHM I don’t spend as much, as stuff just gets ruined with sticky fingers, plus need more weatherproof coat for long trips to the park etc, and don’t often bother with bag, just stick phone and keys in pockets.

I think these designer items are for idiots, tbh. They are not made with threads of gold, why on earth are they so expensive? I could easily afford them, but I just have no interest in them, and would feel like I'd been royally ripped off. I get some fantastic clothes from ebay, at a fraction of the cost. I treated myself to an expensive nail varnish (high end brand, can't recall which), before we went on holiday, thinking it would last better : it was crap! Chipped off the same day. Total rip off.

The very rich people that I know, are quite scruffy. They have nothing to prove. I think people with designer stuff are "new money".

No because those aren't my priority. I've got decent walking shoes that I shopped around for that are three years old and should last for some time.

I've bought myself one pair of linen trousers this year and I think that's all for fashion wear.

The next thing that I'm shopping around for is a good raincoat (one that works!) but that will wait until I've found the right coat at the right price <100.

The teens have converse or vans, usually sale ones. It's down to being able to go shopping and buy what they're familiar with. Nearly everything else they've bought second hand. They've never been brand conscious either though.

I spend a decent amount on coats and shoes - not those brands but in the same or higher cost ballpark. More interested in function than style, but good quality outdoor brands cost a lot. I earn a similar amount to OP but I buy things that last and rarely replace so cost per wear is not too high.

I have a few designer bags, I don't actually use them any more as I find leather too heavy. Bought in sales/with vouchers, bought 5-10 years apart so overall spend on bags over the years isn't high.

I do understand what you mean OP. They are not super top luxury brands but they're more than your everyday Next, M&S etc.

Are you single? That makes a big difference to how much money you've got spare obviously, if you're paying for everything yourself. Many of my colleagues are married/have a partner to split costs with so they do have a bit more disposable.