“didn’t even know the brand. It was an expensive coat, and it was one of those special occasion gifts- anniverary or something, not something we’d typically buy Some people have said “that’s a pretty coat” but only one person- that person- declared “Look at that Brand Name coat”.”
I don’t see how identifying something by what it is - you know, its actual name - “reflects negatively” on anybody.
I once received a gift certificate to Ralph Lauren. This was probably 15-20 years ago. I went to their shop in Highland Park, Tx., which is a very affluent area. I saw a short sleeved black tshirt. It looked like any other black tshirt one might buy, but apparently it was made with black pearl threads, because it was $800. That’s a lot of money now, but it was a fortune back then. I couldn’t believe it. I think I ended up buying an umbrella with my gift card.
But really, things like that in those stores don’t really sell. They are put there for effect.
Maybe I wasn’t clear about this. It was said in context to the original question OP posted on this thread about do rich people do this?
"I understand that very wealthy people prefer designer clothing and wouldn’t dream of buying anything less. I do wonder, though, is it common for them to greet one another by commenting on such? Such as “is that Lily Pulitzer you are wearing dear? It’s smashing.”
I don’t have a large number of experiences, but what I am trying to say is that a statement about what brand someone is wearing doesn’t necessarily correlate with how much money they have.
I agree with you, Pizzagirl, that stating the brand isn’t a negative on its own.
I really need to buy some new clothes. But I keep telling myself, “I’ll wait until I’ve lost some weight.” You know how that goes. But now I’ve really gotten with the program and I AM losing weight. So maybe I should wait just a bit longer…
A month ago, I did buy some things to wear at Easter. I didn’t end up wearing them, but I decided to wear one of them out to dinner a couple of days ago, and it’s too big. Yay. Took some stuff back and got smaller versions. That’s nice.
I went shopping at Saks yesterday, and bought several items. The saleswoman was extremely attentive, bringing me all sorts of things into the dressing room. I really liked a particular lacy cardigan, but because it is sheer, it needed something underneath - a tank or light sweater. She brought in a tiny little sleeveless knit tank top that looked perfect under the sweater. As I was gathering up my items to buy, I checked the tags on everything (due diligence, you know), and the teeny tiny tank was $345…Akris, for all of you brand conscious folks. I asked her to find something less pricey. Although I can afford it, this was something I will only wear under that particular sweater…no one will really even see it, and it was such a waste of money. She brought in a very nice Hanro tank for a fraction of the price (it’s actually nicer and more comfortable than the Akris).
The whole thing made me think poorly of the saleswoman - I’m pretty sure she threw that in hoping I wouldn’t notice the price and the ridiculous lack of value.
I used a $10 card I got in the mail from Kohls. I went to the clearance rack and found a running shirt for $10.22. I got change back from my quarter.
That’s ridiculous. And she shot herself in the foot. She could have had a loyal customer for life, but now you are unlikely to ask for her by name.
I used to shop with a woman who had an on-line boutique. They made the clothes. One August I told her, “this year I’m buying a house and really won’t have extra money, so I’ll be in touch when I’m through that.” I just wanted her to know what the situation was since I was a regular customer. In late November, she called me and said there was a fantastic sale on the sort of thing I usually purchased, and she would send me some garments on approval if I was interested. I was. I bought. Years later I’m having trouble disengaging from her company as the quality deteriorates because she was so helpful to me at various times, in various ways.
I love clothes. I am speaking at a conference today. At least 10 women have come up to me this morning asking about my suit. It’s a subtle blue and white print with ankle length pants. Got it at the Limited with one of the frequent 50% off coupons. But I hate Kohl’s.
My Tieks ballet flats cost twice what the suit cost.
It all works for me. I like to have fun with my clothes.
MOWC, I think you are the perfect case of it being the woman, not the brand, who makes the clothes look good. From Facebook I know that you are very fit and likely look good in clothes that would not flatter many of us.
I was allowed to “charge” at Saks when I was 5. I have always gone to the sale rack. What I do not understand is why a salesperson would act up/out about your refusal to pay 350 for a t shirt. A good salesperson will make you feel relaxed and comfortable as you try on…a fabulous salesperson will edit your choices and know YOU. I would never spend 400 for a blouse or a wife beater and my salespeople know that.
@ pizzagirl-
There is nothing wrong on commenting on a label. I think what the poster you were referring to was talking about is where people only care about labels. Let me give you an example:
1)“Wow, I love that coat, it has gorgeous design work and the material looks so good, it makes you look like a million bucks…is that by any chance X (where x is a known designer)?”
2)Oh, Wow, look everyone, that coat is X.
They are very different. #2 has nothing to do with how nice the item looked, how good the quality was and so forth, it is all about the value that it is designer X (presumably, also expensive), and that is what impressed the person. #1 is someone showing an appreciation for a nice made product first, then asking about the designer.
Going by brand alone reminds me of one of the most famous missteps in automotive history.Back in the early 80’s Cadillac was trying to get out of the image of its products being bought by pimps and mafia members and the like, and were especially jealous of the rise of BMW in the sports sedan luxury market, especially among the young. Figuring they would pull a fast one, they took a Chevy Cavalier (which was a compact chevy),too the highest level trim of the Chevy,put some tacky wheels on it, a leather interior, pretty much had the same engine and transmission the stock cavalier did, called it the Cimmaron and stuck a Cadillac nametag on it, with a price tag twice that of the Chevy model. They figured that the label conscious would buy it simply because it had a Cadillac label on it…it obviously failed, I think the only worry BMW executives had was that they would choke to death laughing too hard, but it tells you why brand consciousness comes off as so crass, there is nothing behind it.
Then there are things that are so iconic that it would be conspicuous to avoid referring to them by name. For example, if your rich friend showed up with a Birkin, you’d say, “Whoa, a Birkin!” Only then would you wax on abt the materials and craftsmanship.
If you started the conversation with “That certainly is a lovely bag; the leather and craftsmanship look lovely,” your friend would likely say, “Of course! It’s a Birkin!”
Maybe this is the Hermes exception to the general rule. The only other example I can think of off the top of my head is the iconic scarf.
Going back to the $375 Akris tank top, maybe the whole thing was a ploy to get you to think the $50-$100 for the Hanro tank was reasonable!
nottelling: Then there are people like me, who (as I said before) wouldn’t recognize a Birkin, ever. I know I could google it – but I haven’t the foggiest idea what they look like or what makes them special. I wouldn’t recognize most designers – don’t know what Kate Spade looks like, or Prada. I think I would recognize Lilly Pulitzer just because of the colors, and Louboutin because of the heels.
The first time I heard of Birkin was on a Gilmore Girls episode and I didn’t understand the point of the episode because I’d never heard of it!
a few comments: (we are really middle class)
my 18 yr old son absolutely does not care about brand names of clothes on girls/women. He cares how girls/women look in their clothes. My husband has echoed that thought as well many times over the years.
@pizzagirl; post #21. I had never heard of a birkin bag. A quick google search left me shaking my head! wowza! i’ll be on the lookout now.
@NJTheatreMom: post #43. you mentioning the book CLASS from the 80s brought back memories! I can remember reading that book in high school, and sort of taking some of the thoughts for real! Eg: “your class automatically rises – or drops – depending on how thin you are” and “wood floors will move you up a class” – i can remember trying to compare my teacher-dad’s house to my very wealthy Lawyer-uncle’s house back then. funny & glad you brought that up! i might look for it on amazon now.
Takeitallin – I was responding to musicprint’s point in the previous post regarding the two ways someone could comment on a beautiful piece of clothing or accessory. My only point was that, in some limited cases,if you are commenting on the item and it is an iconic brand or product, and you recognize it as such, it would almost seem to coy avoid saying the name, like the Harvard kids who say they go to school in Cambridge. I wasn’t suggesting that anyone SHOULD recognize any particular brand, or that any particular person WOULD recognize it.
As soon as I told her that the Akris top was too expensive, she agreed and went off looking for alternatives. She was very polite about it, but I absolutely got the impression that she was trying to pad the bill and push me into things I did not want. She brought in a bunch of other odds and ends to show me that were quite expensive and looked like they would be hard to sell, like this dress:
Would look great on my 22 year old D, but far too short for anyone over 40…a hard dress to unload in Boston.
I mentioned that I was going to look at shoes afterward, so she followed me over to that department and interrogated me about color, style, etc. I just wanted to browse and see what they had. She pushed and pushed…I tried on a pair that she fawned over - I didn’t like them, said no. I finally left…it was awful. Honestly, I felt sweaty and disoriented by the time I got out of there. I wasn’t in the frame of mind for that sort of treatment - thought I would pick up a few things while I was killing time waiting to meet my son for lunch. Very unpleasant. I shop at that particular store often and the salespeople are always very nice - helpful, but not too aggressive.
Maybe I looked like a sucker, or she sensed that I was distracted and tried to go in for the kill. I didn’t buy anything that I didn’t want…would never do that and at my age, know myself too well. I only buy things I love…do not want a closet full of expensive trash.
Agree. Plus, quality of craftsmanship is supposed to be an inherent property of a real Birkin. By saying “wow, a Birkin!” one is saying “what a high-quality, meticulously hand-crafted bag.”
(I see plenty of Chanel classics carried around Seattle, but have yet to see one Birkin… Maybe I should hang around our Neiman during work hours… 
)