How and why do people who aren’t actually well off pay for this stuff?

Absolutely my DIL buys and sells kids clothes from these labels and regularly gets messages asking things like “can I pay you on Friday as I do t have any money until then”
personally I am gobsmacked that anyone who has no money/ emergency fund etc is spending silly money on a Dior dress for their toddler

It's a way of denying you are poor, and aspirational- in the old days it was a huge bowl of sugar in the middle of the table.
The truly wealthy do not do brands very much, they shop at places like the Burlington Arcade, top quality stuff but brands only the rich have heard of.

Status.
keeping up with the joneses
trying to appear wealthy
insecurity
fashion
Or people buy for quality
some as investments (bags for example)

everyone reacts to life differently. Someone I know grew up poor so wanted the nice things in life - bought a car on finance despite not driving and a big house, others may want to use it to save or invest as they grew up with not much. Just individuals with different attitudes to life.

That’s fine if you can also afford to buy shoes, shorts and T-shirts for every day wear. Many people can’t and the PE kit does double duty outside of school. School branded kit it expensive for something you can only wear at school.

I don't think anyone is claiming it's sensible - it's bullying!

They're saying it happens. Which is true. I've taught in schools like that in the past and they make a strong case against the naive belief that a uniform reduces bullying over clothing. Arguing with bullies about sock quality and pragmatic shopping choices won't get a child far during the bullying incident!

Actually good quality socks do last longer and for some can provide cushioning in the right places for sport, blister protection etc - but good quality certainly doesn't mean branded, it could mean socks which would attract more negative attention in that sort of environment (I don't think Darn Tough socks would impress bullies for example)!

Of course it’s idiotic, but teenagers generally aren’t the most level-headed humans.

Why? Is it because branded socks make for a better PE lesson? Socks are the few things a child has that cheap is better due to how quickly they go through them. The mentality of branded for PE socks is stupid, along with bullying over plain socks. Such an idiotic thing to do.

Believe me, in lots of disadvantaged areas this is absolutely the norm.

My sister goes to Turkey and buys the knock offs when there. Some of the stuff is the same quality as the genuine brand, some is a bit more ropey. I am currently in Morocco and was looking at some gorgeous bags yesterday that are knock offs and you would never know. The quality is really good.

I will not buy anything off ebay that could be a knock off.

I think people on low incomes will buy one luxury item like a branded T-shirt to make them feel better and make them feel and look like they aren’t just scraping by.

We’re all human and everyone needs to feel comfortable in the world and like they fit in.

If you have literally no other luxuries, don’t own a house or a car etc., then that designer T-shirt is important!

Lots of snobbery on this thread.

The sad thing is, that a lot of these clothes (not all), probably come out of the same factory in China or India for eg, but just get a different label stitched onto them.

Perhaps they live in a flat above a shop and not in a very big house in the country (with maxed out mortgage).

"Poor" people in the top 1% of earners have invariably overstretched themselves because they feel entitled to certain things which require enormous loans (primarily mortgage) or ongoing payments (private school) and are salary sacrificing into pensions to pay less tax and qualify for means tested benefits (and of course will be in the top 1% of pensioners when they retire early).

It's all about your choices, as you know full well. Being so wide eyed is just cover for snobbery.

No. The school should deal with the bullying.

The school should do as my DC’s secondary have and insist on full school logo PE kit then. It’s about £14 for the polo, £12 for the shorts and £6 for the socks so cheaper than Nike gear and they’re all in the same so no bullying.

You’ve clearly never been a teenager - they’ll find anything to bully others.

I was reflecting and initially thought this wasn't an issue when, for example I was young. Then realised I lived in a rural village. Majority of children came from farming backgrounds so asset rich but cash poor. No one cared about labels etc or fitting in (as we just did by association).The 1 child who stood out who always had the newest items, labelled things was a child who lived in a council house.

Bullied for wearing plain unbranded socks or shorts for PE? I find that very hard to believe.

If my daughter doesn't wear her Nike shorts and socks for PE she gets bullied, so we buy them from Ebay or Vinted. I know we're adding to the problem in a way by giving in and buying them, but I was bullied for 5 years at my secondary school so I do everything I can to avoid my DD going through that.

Everyone spends their money on different things. I have friends who are very wealthy, but couldn't care less about what they wear. And friends, not so well off, who love to spend money on their gear. Up to them.

Absolutely true. My DH said “I can’t understand why people care what others think of them”. I pointed out that ££££s in the bank buys you the peace to not care what people think. It’s very different if you’re poor.

Yes, plus I think a feeling that "I’m as good as everyone else, if I want those things I should be able to have them. I’m not giving people an excuse to look down on me and my family."
It's the same reason that ime makes second-hand items like children's bikes more common in better-off families.

Not specific to the brands you mentioned, which I know nothing of, but there are two main reasons people spend a lot on clothing-1. fashion (this is how people like to express or present themselves and is pretty standard) and 2.quality materials used in their manufacture (if you spend a bit more on quality items you typically need to buy less and they feel nicer to wear/fit better/better for your skin etc).

It seems bizarre that you are a top 1% earner and buy your clothes in a supermarket rather than investing in quality materials. What about your bedding do you buy cheap polyester sheets or do you have higher standards there?

It also seems bizarre to suggest it’s an attempt at status, as though that is what you think people should be aiming for - people with lower / average incomes typically don’t care about competing for status, but buy things according to their own interests that they can enjoy day to day, rather than having a life goal of trying to impress other people.

The richest person I know (also the most generous) is always looking out for bargains.

What’s with the faux naïvety OP?

There are many better things to think about than how other people spend their money. For example how you can make more.