Originally posted by: OsSpengler
Ok, to fend off the critics: First: you can't put a price on quality. Much of the "inexpensive" clothing on the market (Gap, Polo etc.) is made in south-east Asian sweatshops by child labor. These clothes are completely machine made; of poor fabric; and of inferior construction. They are made for an American market, meaning they are generally two sizes too large, and they have the fit of a paper-bag. Contrast that with an Italian-made Brioni shirt: hand-sewn, single needlepoint stitching, soft luxurious fabrics, mother-of-pearl buttons, and a form-fitting shape. Second: price is all relative. I'm amazed that you find these prices so excessive: I have a colleague who spends upwards of $8,000 on bespoke (custom-made) Kiton suits. That I find a tad excessive. Third: I probably have a NYC-centric view of the fashion world. But so it goes. edit: Fourth: yes, I agree with the above poster that you're paying for an "eliteness" to an extent. But that is fashion. I'm willing to pay a bit more to wear the cutting edge in the sartorial world. There is an element of exclusivity to fashion; after all, it's not fashionable if everyone else in the world is wearing it. For example, a Gucci sweater may cost $1,800 at the flagship NYC store. This sweater perhaps cost them $50 to make. However, you're buying a position as one of the most fashion-conscious people in the world. Now, I don't buy Gucci because I think it's a rip off, and I think it means "fashion-victim" personified. But brands like Canali, Brioni, Kiton, etc.--all of these brands justify their prices with the quality of their craftsmanship. Maybe these rules don't apply online, but you're often what you wear.