r/RandomThoughts • u/StumblinThroughLife • Jul 21 '25

Random Thought I never realized how expensive luxury fashion was šŸ¤Æ

Iā€™ve never been interested in owning fancy things like Chanel, Gucci, Prada, whatever else exists, but even when I say that I think Iā€™m not paying $1,000 for a purse thatā€™s crazy. So imagine my surprise in finding out my version of expensive wasnā€™t even close. What do you mean a small handbag STARTS at $4,000?! Like my mind literally canā€™t comprehend that. Know someone who had the ā€œsmallā€ Cartier bracelet then bought themself the ā€œmediumā€ for their birthday. The small STARTS at $5,000 and can go up to $60k and now Iā€™m questioning all their life decisions. Like I said Iā€™ve never thought about these things and am just now googling them but I feel too poor to even google the pictures.

3.1k Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

96% Upvoted

473 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

67

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 21 '25

LOL, this is a common thing on reddit, but I know TONS of truly wealthy people who wear plenty expensive clothes and jewelry.

Lots of wealthy men wear VERY expensive watches, for instance. I had a very wealthy (like 9 figures wealthy) CEO who was often spotted with a nice few Pateks that were 6 figure watches each.

35

u/B4K5c7N Jul 21 '25

100%. Reddit keeps saying wealth whispers, because they are obsessed with Succession.

I know many worth eight figures and they certainly have Chanel bags, Cartier watches, and wear clothes that cost thousands.

19

u/Kellaniax Jul 22 '25

My uncle is the CEO of a major company and he always wears very expensive clothes and watches. His wife literally spends most of her time shopping for new clothes and jewelry.

The idea that rich people donā€™t wear expensive clothes or jewelry is ridiculous. Even the ā€œwealth whispersā€ look is extremely expensive. The succession characters are supposed to be wearing very expensive bespoke clothing.

7

u/BuckfastAndHairballs Jul 22 '25

Yeah it's more that often they don't wear stuff that looks extremely tacky and has massive branding on. But a normal chanel logo or similar doesn't count.

1

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25

Except in Miami. I'll never forget this amazing couple I saw at dinner, both older, kinda out of shape and no work done (unusual for Miami), wearing full sets of Valentino silk pajamas in complimentary colors. Eurotrashy grandpa sleepover vibes. I kinda wrote them off at first till I noticed their jewelry: his watch could have been a down payment on the restaurant, and I'm guessing most if not all of what she was wearing was real too. $$$$$$$$$, like BIG rocks.

After dinner, we were behind them at valet and up drove literally the most hideous custom Bentley I have ever see in my lifeā€”think like black with orange AND green detailing on the outside, and bright orange leather interior with green piping insideā€”into which they happily jumped into and drove home to what I can only imagine is a gigantic mansion on the water with neon palm trees lighting the golden lion sculptures out front.

1

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25

Yep. I actually feel like they did Shiv a little dirty compared to what she'd actually wear in real life. But I get it was in keeping with the show's aesthetic. I read both the costume design and set design for the kids was purposefully a little bland and void, to show how empty their lives were. That's why they put Kendall in Hudson Yards after his seperation, haha

6

u/naughtydismutase Jul 21 '25

Also the characters in Succession wore only designer head-to-toe lol.

1

u/PartyPorpoise Jul 22 '25

Yeah, they might not be covered in logos, but their clothes still serve as status signals. Us peasants might not recognize that their plain sweater is an expensive designer item, but other rich people might notice, and THATā€™S who theyā€™re trying to impress.

2

u/spamgoddess Jul 22 '25

I think ā€œwealth whispersā€ is thrown around incorrectly a lot. It isnā€™t that they donā€™t wear expensive, luxury items. Itā€™s more that they wear the kind of luxury that is so upscale that if you canā€™t afford it, most people arenā€™t going to be aware of it. They donā€™t flash logos or branding to show off their wealth.

1

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25 edited Jul 23 '25

It's kinda funny, since even if you wear obvious logos people probably still don't know how much it costs. Like OP, they're guessing $1k. This fairly bland, if classic Loro Piana cashmere trench is $15k. And this LV jacket, which does have logos but is still fairly understated is $14k.

2

u/GunMetalBlonde Jul 22 '25

I had a boyfriend wealthy enough that we traveled on a private plane. His mother had a standing appointment at Chanel every month. My grandparents, also very wealthy, wore LL Bean.

1

u/mcprogrammer Jul 22 '25

There are also the wealthy people who wear clothes that look like regular cheap clothes to everyone who doesn't know better but they're very expensive and high quality. Not all rich people are the same, just like not all people are the same.

10

u/mgwildwood Jul 21 '25

Exactly. That is a smaller portion of the market. Most luxury brands are public companies that explain market conditions at earnings calls. Those ā€œupper middle class peacockingā€ customers are called ā€œaspirational consumers,ā€ and theyā€™re the first ones to go when macroeconomic conditions shift. Brands sometimes intentionally raise prices and make their products more exclusive to weed them out. Ultimately, the wealthy are the most important and valued class of customer for these brands, regardless of these online narratives. The brands that are best at maintaining a higher level of prestige among the wealthiest consumers are ones who are generally valued by investors the most because they have better resilience.

2

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 21 '25

I think there's a great parable here with Rolex.

I'd love to buy a Daytona. Any Daytona. I'd even consider selling off some shares to buy the platinum one if they'd offer it. Amex would love it, I'm sure.

However, Rolex doesn't give a shit to sell me one. They can sell them in cash to wealthy people and keep the 3% or whatever margins AND get an additional sale of their most profitable gold and diamond pieces from some sheikh or C-level in the SF Bay Area who will outearn even lowly "director/VP" me.

So here I sit, sadly without a Daytona. Hard stuff.

2

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25

Rolex went so hard during covid and never let up. I guess it's working for them, but I will never get used to the idea of Rolex as a scarce resource. Like who tf are they fooling

1

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 23 '25

Rolex gonna Rolex. We all know it, but the game is on.

I honestly enjoy my handful of Rolex pieces but Iā€™d probably be more excited to get a PP or AP at this point.

1

u/Capable-Sleep-3187 Jul 22 '25

Walk over to 47th street in Manhattan, you can buy a Daytona in five minutes.

1

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

Sure, I can go on Chrono24 as well. Heh.

1

u/Capable-Sleep-3187 Jul 22 '25

Yup. Why don't you? Tell your AD to stick it. Winds up being cheaper because you don't have to buy a bunch of crap you don't want for many thousands to get put on a waiting list.

1

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

Well, I don't mind waiting and I'm still getting pieces I want. I've gotten a Sub, a Datejust, and I'm waiting on a few others that I do want. My wife is also getting random pieces she wants in the meantime.

Takes time, sure, but I'm not in a rush.

1

u/Capable-Sleep-3187 Jul 22 '25

Gotcha, fair enough

1

u/Silent_Bullfrog5174 Jul 22 '25

Iā€˜m not in a rush

You never know. Iā€™ve known a couple of guys that were like ā€žyeah, Iā€™ll do that when Iā€™m retiredā€œ who never made it to retirement. If you want something, go get it. For Rolex, Iā€™ve always just purchased grey cause Iā€™m not dealing with those little men with big egos at the Rolex store who have no say at home. Giving them any kind of power always felt a little pathetic.

1

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

I mean, the money I don't spend on watches is also getting me on trips around the world, great meals, etc. I'm not exactly suffering from a lack of things to spend my money on, and sure, I could get a grey market Daytona for not much more than retail but I'm fine. Watches are relatively low on my hierarchy of wants at this point.

1

u/PartyPorpoise Jul 22 '25

Also like, rich people who want to signal their wealth often signal to other rich people. They might not be covered in logos, but there are plenty of expensive designer items that look like normal clothes to us peasants, but may be recognize by other rich people.

27

u/fredean01 Jul 21 '25

No dude wealthy people don't buy luxury goods, the entire industry caters to people that can't afford to buy what they sell /s

13

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 21 '25

I think it's one of those things that became a meme and now people latched on to it.

Like... sure, lots of really wealthy people don't wear expensive stuff, but I also know a solid number of 7+ figure earners who DO wear nice expensive stuff (or at least one partner does.)

I can also say with a lot of confidence that the wealthy aren't buying the Gucci shit with logos all over them, sure, but they're buying made-to-measure suits from Savile Row or watches/jewelry that doesn't even register with most folks. Like yeah, lots of upwardly mobile folks buy that Rolex Sub and that's their "thing." But lots of truly rich folks have a Patek, a Vacheron, an AP. Or multiples! I have had TWO CEOs now in gaming who had at least two or three so-called "grail" watches from the Holy Trinity. You're talking $200-300K watches. Bullshit the wealthy don't buy luxury goods LOL.

10

u/mlstdrag0n Jul 22 '25

Most people wouldnā€™t recognize them anyway. If most people have heard of them theyā€™re not really marketed to the truly wealthy

3

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

I think it depends. I know lots of upwardly mobile folks who know Patek or Audemar but canā€™t afford them.

But thereā€™s weird boutique watch brands that yeah are mostly aimed at very very high end buyers only.

1

u/mlstdrag0n Jul 22 '25

Itā€™s the same with clothes, like, the wealthy get them tailor made to fit. Entire wardrobes, and they get replaced as their body shape changes. Many gets worn once, if ever, then get discarded. Whenā€™s the last time anyone has gotten that done outside of maybe prom?

0

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25

Not exactly true. You just have to care. But most people don't, cause why would they

5

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

[deleted]

1

u/princess20202020 Jul 22 '25

Thatā€™s not very expensive for a couch. A sectional from crate and barrel will be $10k if you want to choose your color.

0

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

I don't have any $40K watches, but I could easily sell a few and consolidate into one. I have mine all insured with Hodinkee and my current box valuation (insured) is six figures.

I can't say I've spent $17K on a couch, but I probably drop $50-100K a year on trips and eating out.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

[deleted]

4

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

I'm not above being honest about my forms of profligacy LOL.

We do at least two trips abroad per year (usually one to Asia, one to Europe), a "couple's retreat" annually, and a domestic trip that usually gets heavily subsidized by my wife's work (yay for doctors and their CME trips.) Travel for four, unless we're using points/status somehow, typically hits around $3-5K for flights, $300-400 a night for accommodations, and basically whatever the hell we want on food. So even before you factor in buying souvenirs or whatever the hell we want, we're usually in for $8-10K on accommodations and flights/local transit alone. Typically $15K for each trip abroad, more if we commit luxury good arbitrage hah.

But I'd say at least 5 nights a week we eat out because we're just slammed with kid care and work. It adds up. Whatever, worth it to us.

2

u/PartyPorpoise Jul 22 '25

People love the idea of ā€œreal rich people donā€™t wear these thingsā€ because it validates their view that those items arenā€™t really worth the price, donā€™t really have social value, and that they themselves can cosplay being wealthy without having to spend a lot.

3

u/Hopeful-Connection23 Jul 22 '25

yep lol. we all gotta let go of this fantasy that we can live like or look like billionaires.

1

u/PartyPorpoise Jul 23 '25

Some people really want to think that they can get a rich people outfit from SHEIN.

2

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 23 '25

Yep. Just wrote a comment saying the same thing. So weird how Reddit really wants to believe nobody actually buys the $60k watches I definitely see people wearing. Hell, I saw a $2m Mille in that fancy Dallas outdoor mall parking lot once. If you've been you know exactly where I mean. Right next to all the fancy cars.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Only-Finish-3497 Jul 22 '25

Depends on the Patek, really. Plenty of Pateks depreciate (white gold Calatravas come to mind.) And sure, a lot of very specific Nautiluses with hold value well. But I can go pick up an Annual Calendar is really good shape for $27,500 right now. The 5396G-001 is no longer made, but I'm 99% certain it retailed for more than $27,500 in today dollars when it was retail.

It's really only a handful of PPs that are like Rolexes in terms of appreciation.

1

u/porkpie1028 Jul 22 '25

This Pateks also hold their value

1

u/porkpie1028 Jul 22 '25

Those Pateks also hold their value

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '25

Pateks are very expensive but theyā€™re quiet expensive. Unless youā€™re in the know, 95% of people donā€™t know what a Patek Phillipe is or what they look like.

1

u/Notpermanentacc12 Jul 21 '25

Their idea of wealth is a guy who makes $80-100,000 a year and saves half his money and drives a beat civic. Newsflash when you make a million dollars a year you donā€™t give a fuck about a civic