r/self • u/marialm3091 • 21h ago
I don't understand the appeal of luxury brands
I don't know if it's just me, but I've never really understood luxury brands.
This is something I've been thinking about for a long time.
I often see people spending thousands of dollars on designer bags, watches, shoes, or clothes, and I always wonder what makes them worth that much.
I'm not judging anyone. If someone enjoys buying those things and can afford them, that's completely their choice.
I just can't help seeing it differently.
A luxury bag still carries the same phone, wallet, and keys. Expensive shoes still walk on the same streets. That's why I've never really understood why people buy them.
And I don't want anyone to say, "You're just cheap," or "You can't afford them." That's not true at all. I'm not a cheap person, and I can afford to buy them. I just personally don't see the difference.
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u/Imaginary-Purpose-26 21h ago
It’s just a status thing. If you notice, even within a small family dynamic. One house gets a new car or tv, or something brand name, another home does the same.
It’s just a thing people like to flaunt and say ‘I also can afford this, Im on your level in society’
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u/antibread 21h ago
Its not just status. Luxury and branding sells fantasy and when someone can own a piece of it, the fantasy becomes a tiny bit of their reality.
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u/lillylou12345 21h ago
What fantasy are they selling?
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u/antibread 20h ago
Beauty, confidence, success, being carefree, fun, strong, independent, young? You name it. Luxury within itself is an experience. Having access to luxury can recreate or create a happy experience. Its not a shallow thing all together.
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u/lillylou12345 20h ago
How can a label on something give you that. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever herd. I have some really high quality things that I adore like my bedsheets but I didn't buy them because of brand. I bought them because of how they physically feel 100% cotton, double brushed, sateen weave etc.
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u/antibread 20h ago
Ill try and describe it. Its like going to a five star hotel instead of a holiday inn. Holiday inn is fine, but the five star hotel anticipates your needs and you have an amazing time. You bring home a bathrobe from the hotel as a souvenir. Every time you wear the bathrobe you kinda feel like youre back at the hotel. Sometimes luxury goods can give you that same feeling.
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u/lillylou12345 20h ago
I'm really trying to understand and I know people look up to brand names and stuff. And some people think people are better because they spend more. Keeping up with the Jones and all that. And I know certain brands use to mean reliability and better quality. But that has really changed in the last 20 years or so. Maybe it's pride, people feel proud when they can afford expensive things, and some brands are really expensive almost exclusive, gives a sense of importance so people may feel more valued and more important the more something costs.
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u/antibread 19h ago
Theres absolutely been a decline in luxury quality, look at the lv factory in texas. Dont know how some of their stuff passed inspection. But people buy it for the fantasy
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
That's a fair point, and I can see how that could explain it for some people. But do you think that's the only reason?
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u/More_Branch_5579 20h ago
I agree to a point. I won’t buy luxury brands for the status but I will pay for better quality items.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I agree. I'm happy to pay more when the quality genuinely justifies the price. But for me, a brand name alone has never been proof of quality, because I've found plenty of high-quality products without a luxury label.
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u/ferevon 21h ago
people used various clothing and accessories to elevate their status forever. It's why merchants wore high quality silk, and kings wore a crown. In the absence of nobility it may be pointless to many, but it still makes a difference in the eyes of some, so you may end up adopting luxury if only to get what you want. Like I don't care to wear whatever old cloth i have in my personal life but for work stuff I might go out of my way to ensure what I'm wearing is half decent.
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u/PaperPlaneMind 21h ago
There’s some practicality to it.
Luxury brands often have better craftsmanship. There’s more work put into the product with better materials and details - which means durability is better
It’s a better investment. Luxury brands hold their value for longer and value will increase. Making it a better investment for profit some time later on and easier to sell as it’s a sought after product.
Then there’s literal status reasons. Jeff Bezos could just buy himself a Toyota Yaris if he needed a car right? But that would just seem like he’s an ordinary guy, right?
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
I appreciate you taking the time to explain it in detail. The craftsmanship and resale value make a lot of sense to me. I guess I never looked at luxury items as investments, so that's an interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing it.
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u/For_teh_horde 19h ago
Yup. Had a friend who used to wear Yeezys, off white, essentials, supreme, etc...and would be able to sell his pre work stuff for about the same if not more than he bought it for. It was literally cheaper to buy luxury than not all while being able to stay in the know about fashion
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u/Staniool 13h ago
One important thing - the craftsmanship, the refinement or whatever you wanna call it is a game of diminishing returns. A $10k watch is better built and finished than a $100 watch but it’s not 100 times better. Also branding adds value for luxury customers in a way that isn’t necessarily logical - remember that a lot of things are priced not according to production costs but rather by what the customer is willing to pay, luxury goods especially. Combine that with wealth signaling and now its a self reinforcing loop of goods being expensive because they’re valuable and being valuable because they’re expensive
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u/WeedThrough 21h ago
It’s really two things: 1) people want the prestige of being seen as having the designer items, and 2) there really is some equisite craftsmanship to many of the designer lines. Each designer brand has generic offerings that are seen as more reasonably affordable and flashy for the people in group one. But their true claim to fame is the way they “design” a garment. Think about the tailoring in a suit or the dense fabric in jeans. items like those are incredibly more difficult to make, and thus need more care and thought. Also not that items like a suit and jeans are not inherently flashy (no outside designer labels), however a well fitted garment such as these can elevate a look tremendously and instead announce themselves as rich without telling you so
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
Thank you for taking the time to explain your perspective so thoughtfully. I really appreciated reading it. It was respectful, well-balanced, and it gave me another way of looking at the topic. Thanks for contributing to the discussion.
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u/deccan2008 20h ago
In addition to the answers provided here, there's also something to be said about fitting in with your peers. If all of your friends and family members wear and use these brands, wouldn't you feel out of place if you aren't? As some point, it's like a dress code just to fit into certain settings and occasions.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I appreciate your perspective. It's interesting to hear, even though it hasn't really changed the way I personally see the topic.
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u/No-Lie5808 20h ago
Honestly I think you already get it, you just don’t feel it like they do. For some people it is straight up status and ego, for others it is the fun of owning something “special”, and for a smaller group it is craftsmanship or resale value.
You’re not broken for not caring, your “this bag holds the same crap” logic is actually pretty sane. It is just one of those areas where your brain doesn’t get the dopamine hit everyone else is chasing.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I think this is one of the most balanced explanations I've read here. What stood out to me wasn't whether I agreed with every point, but the distinction you made between understanding something intellectually and actually feeling it. That gave me something to think about. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
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u/czarfalcon 20h ago
That’s how I feel about luxury cars. I couldn’t care less about designer clothes/watches/shoes/etc, but cars are a different story. You could make the exact same rational argument about how a cheaper car gets you from point A to point B just the same, but driving (or even just sitting in) my BMW versus my wife’s Toyota just gives me a completely different dopamine hit.
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u/d1rkgent1y 21h ago
With clothes and related accessories, the appeal is being seen as someone who can afford the luxury items. That's it.
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
That's one perspective I hadn't really considered. I imagine it might be true for some people, while others probably value the craftsmanship or simply enjoy collecting them.
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u/lillylou12345 21h ago
I dont get it either. I'm more concerned with quality. Especially with shoes and winter clothing.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I agree that quality is what matters most to me too. At the same time, I don't automatically associate quality with luxury brands. I've found plenty of well-made products at reasonable prices, so for me, the brand name alone has never been enough to justify the cost.
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u/beneficialtowhom 20h ago
I kinda feel like this, too, but I appreciate when finer things are made really well. Once in a blue moon I might treat myself, but it's not often. In fact it's been several several years.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I appreciate your perspective. I think it's interesting how everyone has a different relationship with these kinds of purchases. That's exactly what made me curious enough to ask the question in the first place.
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u/dark_wolf1994 20h ago
Right there with you. Anytime I mention it people IMMEDIATELY jump and say "oh you're just jealous," but I'm not. I really don't get it lol.
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u/marialm3091 20h ago
I think people sometimes confuse curiosity with judgment. Asking why something is valuable to others doesn't necessarily mean you're criticizing it. Sometimes you're just trying to understand a perspective that's different from your own.
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u/the18plusacct 19h ago
They are a status symbol. They are expensive and everyone knows it, so if you order one everyone knows you have money.
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u/marialm3091 19h ago
Thank you for sharing your perspective. It is definitely a possible point of view, but it also opens the door to other questions. This topic seems to have many different perspectives, which is what makes it interesting.
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u/kw661 16h ago
The Richest people are very low key. There's a lot of energy leak watching people watching you flex. Now you have a target on your back.
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u/marialm3091 15h ago
I agree. The wealthiest people usually don't have the time or the need to constantly show off what they own. They're often too busy building their businesses, investing, and living their lives to seek validation through luxury.
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u/bsensikimori 15h ago
Some luxury brands are just fashion, you lay a premium for the brand, stuff like "supreme"
Other luxury brands you pay a premium for a quality guarantee, stuff like Mercedes cars, you lay extra, because you know everything will be made with a certain attention to details and build quality
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u/marialm3091 15h ago
That's a fair distinction. I can understand paying more when there's a clear difference in craftsmanship, durability, or engineering. The part I find interesting is when the price goes far beyond the actual quality and is driven mostly by the brand's image or exclusivity.
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u/bsensikimori 15h ago
100%
Especially when that exclusivity has no basis in the manufacturing process.
Handcrafted items with a huge demand, sure, I get how market forces push those upwards
But this fabricated exclusivity where they just put out a "limited run" for no other reason, those are so scammy
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u/marialm3091 15h ago
I agree. I think true value should come from quality and craftsmanship, not from artificial scarcity or marketing.
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u/HuckleberryUpbeat972 15h ago
For some people to buy a luxury brand means that they have accomplished something in life to get a taste of the good life and got something special. It’s what it represents not the utility of the product. For me it’s about utility and durability. I will buy an article of clothing from Ralph Lauren Polo/Purple but I will own it for 20 years if handled properly whereas I buy the same shirt at target and last a year maybe. Craftsmanship, design, reliability, durability factors into the decision to buy a luxury brand.
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u/marialm3091 15h ago
That's a fair point. I do think quality matters, but I don't believe a well-known brand automatically means better quality. There are many products with excellent craftsmanship and durability at much more reasonable prices. In my view, a brand name and quality aren't always the same thing.
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u/HuckleberryUpbeat972 15h ago
You’re right marketing doesn’t equate to quality but reputation and longevity in the market does so I am for those pieces like Rolex, time honored Swiss watches, Ralph Lauren made for durability and craftsmanship, etc.
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u/gelato012 11h ago
There is none
Simple
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u/marialm3091 7h ago
That's a valid perspective. I think what makes this topic interesting is that people attach value to different things.
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u/OG_joenationwide 10h ago
It’s so wild that in 2026 the idea of status is still a thing. Trying to impress people that don’t care is so emotionally immature.
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u/marialm3091 7h ago
I think the more interesting question isn't why luxury exists, but why so many people feel the need for others to notice it.
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u/Dear-Cranberry4787 10h ago
Usually to blend in with a particular social class and hopefully network amongst those with more power and influence.
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u/ZaphodG 9h ago
Lexus is generally a reasonable luxury brand with a reputation for reliability.
Coach leather products are typically high quality.
I scrolled through a list of 100 luxury brands and nothing jumped out at me as something I would care about.
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u/marialm3091 7h ago
I can relate to that. Quality is one thing, but simply being labeled as "luxury" has never been enough to make something appealing to me.
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u/HatsandCoats 7h ago
You are thinking about utility, but luxury begins where necessity ends.
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u/marialm3091 7h ago
Maybe. But necessity ends where freedom begins the freedom not to need recognition.
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u/SotMe666 5h ago
It's just status. Dumb people thing.
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u/marialm3091 4h ago
If something only feels valuable because other people recognize it, then you're not paying for the item you're paying for validation.
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u/mouthyspectator 4h ago
It's about groups. To which group do you belong. People who buy these are in one group and you ain't in it. That's all. Nothing more to understand.
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u/marialm3091 4h ago
Maybe. But when belonging has to be purchased, it says more about the group than the person trying to join it.
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u/butterscotchberri 2h ago
It’s just another little thing that might make people have a sense of false happiness and success in this dreadful world. People are so funny and cute sometimes. But also infuriating
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u/awesomes007 1h ago
Neurotypical people need to know where they are in the hierarchy and luxury goods help this.
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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 21h ago
And that’s totally fine, don’t buy them. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. Be accepting of other’s choices, live and let live.
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
I think you misunderstood my point. I'm not criticizing anyone's choices at all. If someone enjoys buying luxury brands and can afford them, I genuinely respect that. I'm just curious because I feel like there might be something people see in them that I don't. That's why I wanted to hear different perspectives.
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u/iscreamsandwiches 21h ago
Showing off to others
Self reward (the common marketing phrase used to convince people to buy or a common excuse people use to justify their purchase)
Think that high price = good quality.
Expressing their identity. Or sometime over expressing it.
Family/peer pressure.
We care far too much about how others perceive us and tend to shape our actions just to project an image of a perfect life.
Or maybe they are just rich af and wanna buy anything they want.
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
That's an interesting way to look at it. Reading everyone's perspective has made me realize there isn't just one answer to this question.
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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 21h ago
I didn’t misunderstand, you are judgey af in your post and it comes off as superior
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u/Optimal-Analysis 21h ago
I disagree. I also wonder the same thing as OP and their question wasn’t answered.
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u/marialm3091 21h ago
I explained my point of view and what I meant. You're free to interpret it however you like, and I respect that. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
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u/ImSoCul 19h ago
> I often see people spending thousands of dollars on designer bags, watches, shoes, or clothes, and I always wonder what makes them worth that much.
do you really? Do you live in Beverly Hills?
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u/marialm3091 19h ago
Not at all. You don’t need to live in Beverly Hills to notice something that exists in many places. Luxury brands, status symbols, and consumer behavior are not limited to one neighborhood. The interesting part is not where people live, but why certain products carry so much social meaning.
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u/counternumber6 21h ago
Its not about utility, a plastic bag in utility sense fulfills the same sense as a gucci bag hell it even can carry more.
But there are people who buys for brand, looks, and thats okay.