Why do people buy designer bags/shoes?

[ettieb]

I have seen a few threads recently with people discussing designer handbags and I'm absolutely baffled why people are spending so much money on a handbag.
What can be so special about a handbag (or a pair of shoes) that people will pay hundreds of pounds for them when they can get a decent leather bag for a fraction of the cost of a designer bag?
There must be a limit to how good the quality of a bag can be... surely no bag is worth £800?
The most expensive bag I have ever bought cost £35 and I felt very guilty as this is a lot of money for a bag in my world.
Is it a status thing? Do they buy and carry these bags so other people will know that they have lots of money to waste?
I honestly don't get it, it just seems obscene to me. I get that people can spend their money on whatever they want but it just seems such a waste and so show-offy.

I have a LV Tompkins Square in the mustard colour and while I don't think it's one of the especially valuable or popular bags, the colour really cheers me up and I like the embossing (plus it's big enough to chuck loads of crap in )

That a nice bag but it's not subtle, and why should it be? You wanted it and you bought it with your own money.

I have a drab olive green Louis Vuitton pencil case with an almost imperceptibly stamped LV logo. You have to open it to find the colouring pencils tied with a Louis Vuitton ribbon. I don't think many school children will have that. Now that's subtle. I was given it by LV as a promotional item.

Why are people justifying what they buy with their own money? It ain't nobody's business but my own.

I have a neighbour who likes to buy designer brands. For her I think it's status, she wants to be envied/desired by others for having the money/taste to buy what she has.

She shops as a hobby, she identifies as someone who has expensive tastes.

And I've just looked properly and realised this isn't the 'show us your bags' thread I thought I was posting on 😖

I said ‘subtle’ in inverted commas, meaning that it is in comparison to some LV designs.

I also wasn’t justifying anything, like you said I don’t need to.

If you like it and can afford it then buy it. That is the definition of value for money.

No one else's opinion matters including value per wear or heirloom value. That's nice, but I don't thinki about it. My primary motivation is that no one can tell me how to spend my money that I have earned.

The definition of a waste of money is spending your precious money on something you don't need and don't want.

But the tragedy is denying yourself something you want if you can afford it.

You liked it; you bought it. That should be the end of the discussion,

I just can’t understand why anyone else cares how I spend MY money? Shoes and handbags are my “thing” but I work hard, I pay all my taxes, why would anyone else care what’s on my feet? Or what handbag I have? It makes me happy, is not hurting you…..so why the angst?

…that’s exactly what I’ve been saying. That I have chosen to add more to the discussion does not mean I have I done so to justify myself.

Totally lost on me. I would never notice if someone had a designer bag, unless it had a big logo on it, in which case I would just think it was a bit flashy. Personally I would rather buy a bag from an unknown designer in a cool market. But as everyone is saying, each to their own.

I agree. We do not need to justify ourselves when spending our own money on whatever we want (legalities aside).

So why not do that instead of putting it in inverted commas or making other excuses like it's an heirloom or has resale value or that we don't spend much on other things?

What's wrong with saying: "I saw it. I wanted it. I bought it."?

Absolutely. It’s actually one of the very few LV bags I really like and can imagine buying. It’s lovely @whumpthereitis.

1. I did
2. I said ‘subtle’ in comparison to some designs. That’s it. I’ve made no comment on it being more justifiable than other designs, and nor have I made any mention of heirlooms and/or resale value. You are reading far more into what I’ve said than is actually there.
3. Again, I did.

Having never been a bag lady, I'm now going down a designer handbag rabbit hole. I'm learning how to tell real ones from fakes and everything. I like quirky, fun designs...can anyone give me suggestions of things to look up? I probably won't buy anything but I'd like to press my nose against the virtual windows.

@ReneBumsWombats you could look at Lulu Guinness for quirky designs

Thank you.

@ReneBumsWombats pop over to Style and Beauty, the people on the board are lovely and will have much better suggestions

Good idea!

Try Cult Gaia and Anya Hindmarch.

To paraphrase Billie Piper 'because they want to'.

I think of it kind of like food - for some people eating is about fueling your body well enough and for some it's a sensual experience. At the end of the day, dinner at Nando's and dinner at Ynyshir perform the same duty, but the experience is totally different. To some people that matters and to some it doesn't.

I think this ^^ analogy has helped clarify it for me @throwawayaway1 . I like food. I live to eat. I don't eat to live.

As far as handbags and shoes are concerned I just want good quality that looks good, but I just don't get excited about the fact that it has to be designer. So, I am in the eat to live camp for shoes and bags, but your analogy makes it easier for me not to judge people in the live to eat camp for shoes and bags.

Because I love shoes and designs I can’t find on the high street