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

[Watersunscream]

If I told you our income I would be told we are in the top percent of earners etc but I honestly couldn’t actually justify or financially manage these sorts of purchases.

Has anyone heard of the essentials brand? Literally hundreds for a tracksuit. I think another is Bergen? Expensive t shirts. Then there’s the usual like Fred Perry etc.

Obviously I know lots of wealthy people buy these things too but it’s mostly people from low income backgrounds. How do I know this? Because people I work with who live in deprived areas and not paid much are forever talking about these things! They actually buy the stuff for holidays or as gifts at Christmas etc. Is this a misguided attempt to gain status? An insecurity thing? I find it really bizarre, it wouldn’t ever cross my mind to spend this.

How do you know what they earn?

My pupils buy fakes or rob people to get these clothes - yes its instant quick status

i can gain status from my job / position and feel good about myself a few different ways such as achievements hobbies and community roles

if you are on low income/ benefits and can not boost your self esteem in any of these ways then whacking on a track suit that everyone knows is worth ££££ is a quick and powerful way to make you feel like billy big bollocks as you walk down to the pub

Even my ExH who mostly dressed like a homeless person (worked in tech from home) knew to wear clean jeans for speech day.

seriously, if you are spotting the millionaires because they are wearing diamonds and carrying expensive handbags (this is presumably the women?) then obviously you won’t spot the ones in jeans and a top.

my dc’s school had loads of parents in tech or biotech and they looked just like everyone else.

I agree, wealthy people don’t have any pressure to look wealthy. They know they’re wealthy so it doesn’t matter what other people think. ££££s give you confidence. Whereas a poor person would hate people to look at them and think they’re not wealthy, because it’s true.

Probably because some builders earn a lot of money, far more than a lot of white collar jobs

If you really want to blow your mind Google playing the Hermes game. (Mostly in America but the stores in Europe do it too)

It already costs something like $20,000 to buy one of the famous name Hermes handbags like the Birkin or the Kelly.

So that’s a crazy amount for a bag to start with but to promote exclusivity (and boost sales of other stuff) you aren’t allowed to simply walk into a store and buy one.

You have to spend months building up a relationship with a 1-1 sales associate - buying all sorts of other Hermes products - once you’ve spent thousands showing you are a serious customer then they bring out a bag for you to consider buying - you often don’t get any choice in the colour or metal trimmings.

The children at my school all come back with stuff from Turkey. One boy was very excited to show me his £5 Nikes. But it's obviously deeper than that alot of these children are desperately trying to fit in, and often relate being able to have branded items to their self worth. Especially when they don't have a lot else.

It's a simple sociological thing. If you're middle class, well off etc. I assume you don't care if your child has hand me downs, you might even shop in charity shops (I do), and you are not concerned with the labels of your clothes. Less well off people, and indeed "new money" (apologies for the term) do not want to appear down at heel and the designer items define their status as "not poor".

What do you mean? How do you know how much they earn and whether they’re living beyond their means? Odd post.

People watching is my thing, so I spot them all, and that's why I mentioned regular school days too. Even the ones in jeans and tops do not look poor. Not even the homeless looking ones do.

And based on the OP's and others' description of how people without money dress; they do not 'look like everyone else'. They're not branded and they do not stand out; but you have a fair enough idea that they're not low income.

Status projection matter more, the less you have. I think that's it 😄

because basically nike is like hyachet bucket would wear as an example to seem posh and keeping up with the jones,

the reason why many would not wear tu / sainsburys is because its seen as cheap and no status attached, to it, so why would anyone wear it etc unless somehow someone made sainsburys the next nike etc then its just seen as cheap

In our house, its grandparents who buy the stupid expensive for no reason things

Otherwise the kids wouldn’t have them

the problem also is they need different products to sell to different wage bands, eg you dont usally get a millionaire getting co op own brand tea bags etc

so instead they would have eg £150 for 240 tea bags of some fancy company

There is no real rational other than it is an attempt to look richer than they are or to fit in? The rich plan for three generations , the poor plan for the weekend.

So, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, because we’re financially in a better position than most, but don’t get Ubers and designer stuff and whatever, whereas a lot of our kids’ friends have much less, but their families do spend on these things.

My conclusion, after quite a lot of thought, is that everyone wants some joy in their lives. Houses, cars and holidays are too much of a stretch, but many people have enough, or can stretch enough, to have a few nice things (in the few hundred pounds bracket, as opposed to a few thousand), and so that’s what they do.

What they then don’t have is money in the bank, or their own house, or a new car.

However, they’ve got something they like and feel good about it. Life can be hard and depressing at times, so why not? Can’t expect people to endlessly grind along and only do sensible and affordable things

Because they want to and its ultimately no one else's business how they spend their money. My BIL and SIL have to have the latest iPhone. I still have my 4 yr old android phone. I am not interested but it makes them happy, its their money, its none of my business.

It's not exactly a "skill" now is it...

How do you know how much they earn?

I don't buy this "financially irresponsible" thing.

What are you spending your money on? Pensions? Mortgage? Renting accommodation that allows you to live in a nice area or have a bedroom for each child. If you didn't have this sort expense, you might have more disposable income.

If you are living alongside everyone else in a similar home on a similar street, maybe these clothes become a more important "asset" of sorts.

Attention to “status brands” tends to correlate inversely with income and social capital.

Someone who is never going to be able to afford a Georgian townhouse or to send their children to private school could potentially afford designer gear. It is something they can control.

Also the lower down the traditional class ladder you are, the more clothes matter. A working class child who goes to school with unbrushed hair and ill fitting shoes will get proportionally much more of a status hit than a middle class one, for whom the social capital is sufficiently secure that the brand of their shoes is irrelevant. Middle class parents (and their friends and families) by and large don’t care if their kids are scruffy because its not going to impact their own social status. For a kid living in social housing it could be something that prompts a nosy neighbour to call social services.

For a person with less money and lower class status an investment in expensive clothing is actually quite a rational one.

LOL. How can you be in the top percentage of earners and complain over such a thing? You’re clearly not in the same leagues.

Very interesting take.

Tell me about it. The wife and I both work full time, but we've only got about £1500 left to do us and cover everything until the next paydays at the end of the month (not including her PIP money which goes in on the 20th, I think...), so it's not really a lot.

Temu.
DHgate.
AliExpress.