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

The items don"t give status though if everyone without status is wearing them! Why can"t they work this out?

Well IMO that ad plays right into the mindset that even if you can"t afford stuff you should still have stuff"! Friendly banker man/woman will be along soon with some credit, only 22% APR, so you can shop like the real rich people (well not really but you can pretend) and the friendly banker person can keep their big house in Surrey or The Hamptons.

No I don't think it's "because they're worth it" - it is literally because it's something they want to have.

To jump on the vinted bandwagon too… even people will sell the designer items they bought new for like half the price then buy something else with that money.

I work in a project with families who are on benefits. They prioritise branded tracksuits/trainers over food and other essentials. They often take informal community loans with very high interest or payday loan type things. They don't have much else going for them and feel these items give status.

Teenagers what certain brands to fit in. Low - mid earning parents feel guilty that they can’t provide them, so beg steal and borrow, do extra shifts at work go without for themselves etc to get the child at least a top or tracksuit for birthday/ Christmas so they can hold their head up high when with their peers. They don’t want their child shamed/ judged but then people like you do anyway so they can’t win. Crazy life isn’t it?!

But you’re presumably a partner so how do you get time to spend chatting with the coffee workers or cleaning staff about how they spend their money?

Both groups are equally ridiculous in my view, the racing set know a bit more about how money works though probably.

Because they"re Worth It? The bankers are rolling about laughing at how stupid large sections of the public actually are.

Many at that level are better off than the "middle classes" especially if they have council or HA accommodation as opposed to a Very Large Mortgage.

It’s priorities. As someone has said if you can’t ever afford a 5 bed detached, you won’t strive too, but you can afford ‘nice’ clothing. Definition of ‘nice’ is obviously going to differ group to group. Why should someone not have something nice which IS within their reach?

Regardless of social circles everyone has status/achieves status/could achieve status. The chav uniform, show status and wealth amongst their peers. It is no different from hoo-ha Henry’s wearing brands like Barbour to the races. Status amongst their ‘equals.’

I don’t think any of this is a difficult concept tbh.

A lot of children at my school wear this & it’s def fake.

No I really do think it's simple.
It's because they want too.
Why do people buy wine instead of drinking tap water? Because they want too.
Why do people buy steak instead of basic sausages? Because they want too.

I think Nike etc are associated with certain well-known sports players. That helps their value. I don’t get it either.

Yes it did happen in DDs year for school journey trip

A lot of it is 'to keep up with the Joneses'. Spend on credit/pay later. Kids pressuring parents for designer stuff. Shit will hit the fan eventually when we have another recession.

Some people use Klarna, Clearpay, Vinted, credit cards. I use Klarna often to purchase various items (not for tracksuits).

This is just the same old stuff I’ve seen over and over again on social media in slightly different forms. How do you knows actually the case? Have you met anyone who has spent extortionate amounts of money on these things and then requested someone else pay for a school trip? Or is this all just assumptions you’ve made? Along with everyone else who’s ever posted variations of the same sentence? Are poor people not allowed to treat themselves? You may see someone with their nails done, how do you know they’ve paid lots for them? Maybe they did them personally at home with cheap stuff? Maybe a friend is training and needs a model? Same with extensions and same with clothes. Brands aren’t always expensive especially if you buy from places like Vinted. It’s pretty impressive just how creative you can be with minimal disposable income. Being ‘poor’ doesn’t mean you have to try and present yourself in a way other people on higher incomes feel is acceptable. Talk about judgemental

It's more complicated than that.

I think what OP is getting at is why pay through the nose for basic cotton trackies and t-shirts when you can buy almost identical unbranded stuff for a fraction of the price.

What does buying an expensive brand of very basic clothing do for a person?

Well the car one was very much new money.
I do understand some PWM don’t care but I think the dawn of social media has made their younger relatives care.
You only have to look at how women like Princess Diana dressed in their teens - frumpy cords and Laura Ashley blouses and see how a new era of those women dress now. Her Spencer nieces being a case in point, and their father is old school aristocracy.
I do think Princess Anne stands out as someone who does her own thing, though. She makes the headlines wearing things that are decades old. Good for her.
On the other hand, Lauren Bezos looks as cheap as chips wearing the best that money can buy. But it makes her happy and her husband looks pleased enough.

They're irrelevant in that the OP will spend her wages differently to others.

She may prioritise a big house and a huge mortgage for example, or an expensive car.

The people buying the clothes she mentions may prioritise clothing over those things.

How can earnings be irrelevant?

The question here is WHY do they want them?

Why do any of us want anything? I have a marketing degree and know some of the tricks used to create this "want" but ultimately it's a human trait to want to be similar to your peers, one of the group, and wearing designer brands is part of the bonding.

@PetulaGordeno about Princess Charlotte wearing Adidas trainers.....
My daughter has a pair of Adidas trainers too.
They were £35 from Sports Direct 😂

Also should say my step-dad’s daughter has one child, she’s an awful human being for various reasons. Never had a solid job so had perpetually claimed benefits. She does OF and in the past stripped with extras for money. She’s a terrible parent but at least her son has designer tracksuits.