Can You Spot the Difference? $20 shoes vs $600 shoes? (guys, supply, clothes)

[miu]

Originally Posted by leaana

as for the higher end clothes, bullcrap. i've had higher end clothes and most of it you cannot tell. period. period until you look at the label. i can find plenty of nice and sophisticated items in every imaginable muted colors, in-between as well as bright at tjmaxx, ross, marshalls, you name it.

Eh. It all comes down to personal tastes and what details are important to each individual. Just as I think when eating foods, we have our individual preferences and I don't think that our taste buds react the same way.

Every designer markets to a different audience and ideal body shape. Years ago, I would have to pass on Calvin Klein clothing because the waists were cut to small for me. I found that Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren clothing fit me better. And I do like their high end lines better than the other designers. I don't buy the basics like polo shirts. And I do like their colour palettes and cut of their jackets and dresses.

However, if their clothing does nothing for you, then of course, it's your prerogative to buy where you do.

I find the same when dealing with antiques. There are many different antique flatware patterns. Many are made in sterling, some in coin silver and others in silver plate. Old Tiffany silver is really quite nice because each piece is fairly heavy compared to other brands. Otherwise, there are subtle differences between handling a sterling silver fork, a coin silver fork and a silver plated fork. To someone unacquainted with antique silver, they all appear to look and feel the same. But to a dealer or collector that has handled old silver for many years, the differences are obvious. I frequently find sterling or coin silver items that an antique furniture has marked and priced as silver plate.

Another analogy would be compared jewelry made of white metals. There is sterling silver jewelry. Then 9k, 14k, 18k white gold. Plus platinum. And I see steel cased watches set with diamonds. From a short distance, they all look very similar. My own personal preference is for 18k and platinum jewelry. Sure I could get the same look cheaper, but since I buy everything secondhand, I get the benefit of the lower prices and ending up with nicer pieces. Also, right now, the precious metals market is very strong, so some of my jewelry purchased years ago is worth more just based on its scrap metal value.

Also, in the long run, buying designer label and better quality jewelry and antiques means that they hold their value better and can be sold for more than no name items. Not everyone keeps their purchases until they fall apart. Many people will send their designer goods to a consignment shop or to eBay when they are tired of using and wearing them. No one is going to pay very much for used no name clothing from Target or Marshalls. Real designer handbags sell very well on eBay, sometimes for more than the original purchase price.

I do think some people, especially women, spend too much time shopping. Shopping has become a recreation sport for many. As Suze Orman has said, how many pairs of earring does one woman need? Apparently, she has only one pair, and she wears those daily. And I suppose she'd feel the same way about multiply shoe purchases... She's a person that doesn't support buying multiples of anything, not designer, no name knockoffs. But she would approve of a purchase that lasted a long time and was worn or used often.

Anyway, I feel that there is no real right or wrong on this issue of buying designer versus knockoffs. If the purchase makes us happy, we use it a lot, our bills are paid and something is going into our savings accounts, all is good.

[leaana]

Originally Posted by miu

Eh. It all comes down to personal tastes and what details are important to each individual. Just as I think when eating foods, we have our individual preferences and I don't think that our taste buds react the same way.

Every designer markets to a different audience and ideal body shape. Years ago, I would have to pass on Calvin Klein clothing because the waists were cut to small for me. I found that Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren clothing fit me better. And I do like their high end lines better than the other designers. I don't buy the basics like polo shirts. And I do like their colour palettes and cut of their jackets and dresses.

However, if their clothing does nothing for you, then of course, it's your prerogative to buy where you do.

I find the same when dealing with antiques. There are many different antique flatware patterns. Many are made in sterling, some in coin silver and others in silver plate. Old Tiffany silver is really quite nice because each piece is fairly heavy compared to other brands. Otherwise, there are subtle differences between handling a sterling silver fork, a coin silver fork and a silver plated fork. To someone unacquainted with antique silver, they all appear to look and feel the same. But to a dealer or collector that has handled old silver for many years, the differences are obvious. I frequently find sterling or coin silver items that an antique furniture has marked and priced as silver plate.

Another analogy would be compared jewelry made of white metals. There is sterling silver jewelry. Then 9k, 14k, 18k white gold. Plus platinum. And I see steel cased watches set with diamonds. From a short distance, they all look very similar. My own personal preference is for 18k and platinum jewelry. Sure I could get the same look cheaper, but since I buy everything secondhand, I get the benefit of the lower prices and ending up with nicer pieces. Also, right now, the precious metals market is very strong, so some of my jewelry purchased years ago is worth more just based on its scrap metal value.

Also, in the long run, buying designer label and better quality jewelry and antiques means that they hold their value better and can be sold for more than no name items. Not everyone keeps their purchases until they fall apart. Many people will send their designer goods to a consignment shop or to eBay when they are tired of using and wearing them. No one is going to pay very much for used no name clothing from Target or Marshalls. Real designer handbags sell very well on eBay, sometimes for more than the original purchase price.

I do think some people, especially women, spend too much time shopping. Shopping has become a recreation sport for many. As Suze Orman has said, how many pairs of earring does one woman need? Apparently, she has only one pair, and she wears those daily. And I suppose she'd feel the same way about multiply shoe purchases... She's a person that doesn't support buying multiples of anything, not designer, no name knockoffs. But she would approve of a purchase that lasted a long time and was worn or used often.

Anyway, I feel that there is no real right or wrong on this issue of buying designer versus knockoffs. If the purchase makes us happy, we use it a lot, our bills are paid and something is going into our savings accounts, all is good.

i don't know what you are talking about considering i wasn't even talking about cheap clothing from target. it usually falls apart faster than some things i've purchased at walmart. the style may be better though.

i'm talking about outlet malls or even the mall where you can purchase ralph lauren, hilfiger, donna karan, and a host of other brands. and no you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for nice clothes, purses or shoes. you also don't necessarily have to pay an arm and a leg for real jewelry. if you have the money to be extremely particular that's good but it doesn't mean those who don't have that kind of money or those who don't want to spend that kind of money need to to be well put together, find quality or be fashionable. also, when i buy fashionable clothes i am not planning on keeping it for years because i've found i never do wear it that long.

i've got a nice leather liz claiborne wallet, ralph lauren makeup bag, guess watch and some other items i bought at tjmaxx. all very low price. i know that you don't have to spend a fortune to have decent things. it's like saying you have to go to the clinique counter rather than the drug store to find good cosmetics. there is so much variety out there that's not the case. i don't even like the fragrances of most designers as i think they stink. i prefer lighter natural fragrances and they are usually less expensive too. i have bought some stuff from missha online and i think their products are good quality. i also liked skin food and innisfree in korea. i like them and i don't think i need to spend hundreds for a cream.

[miu]

Originally Posted by leaana

lol, I have 200, 400 and 500 thread count sheets. i stopped buying them and now just buy the 200 because i realized i don't particularly like the higher thread count. it does not feel nicer to me, as a matter of fact, i find they just feel worn especially after you wash them a couple times, they feel even more gross to me.. some people call that soft. lol

i prefer my sheets on the crisper side but that's me.

as for the higher end clothes, bullcrap. i've had higher end clothes and most of it you cannot tell. period. period until you look at the label. i can find plenty of nice and sophisticated items in every imaginable muted colors, in-between as well as bright at tjmaxx, ross, marshalls, you name it.

I was replying to this post. Your personal tastes are that you actually prefer the feel of 200 thread count sheets, and don't like the feel of the higher thread count sheets. However, there are other people that prefer the higher thread count sheets.

And I do disagree with you about higher end clothing being noticeably better than non-designer label goods. As to what you find discounted at TJMaxx, Ross and Marshalls, actually much of what you find there and at the designer outlet stores are things that never would have made it to the pricier shops. Many labels have a lower end line that is especially designed and made for the discount and outlet shops. Sure some excess pricier store stock does make it to the shelves of the discount department stores, but not all that much. Those stores need high volume to make their profits as their overhead is high, and they can't count on the misfortunes of the high stores to fill their shelves on a regular basis. As it is, Neiman Marcus has their own discount store somewhere in NY or NJ (I can't remember it right now) so none of their sale things ever make it to the discount stores you mentioned.

However, this is a moot point as we are not in the same room together and comparing your examples to my examples.... right?

[leaana]

Originally Posted by miu

I was replying to this post. Your personal tastes are that you actually prefer the feel of 200 thread count sheets, and don't like the feel of the higher thread count sheets. However, there are other people that prefer the higher thread count sheets.

And I do disagree with you about higher end clothing being noticeably better than non-designer label goods. As to what you find discounted at TJMaxx, Ross and Marshalls, actually much of what you find there and at the designer outlet stores are things that never would have made it to the pricier shops. Many labels have a lower end line that is especially designed and made for the discount and outlet shops. Sure some excess pricier store stock does make it to the shelves of the discount department stores, but not all that much. Those stores need high volume to make their profits as their overhead is high, and they can't count on the misfortunes of the high stores to fill their shelves on a regular basis. As it is, Neiman Marcus has their own discount store somewhere in NY or NJ (I can't remember it right now) so none of their sale things ever make it to the discount stores you mentioned.

However, this is a moot point as we are not in the same room together and comparing your examples to my examples.... right?

i don't know what 'good enough' or 'quality' is to you. i once bought a pair of ralph lauren jeans that were very thick in material and soft as well as cut more real to fit. i thought they were better than some of the ones i've found that were 4 or more times the price. they were around 40 bucks. i know for a fact you wouldn't look at those jeans and say they look cheap or feel cheap if you wore them unless you were nuts. they were very good quality as well and sturdy.

my grandmother bought me a dress from nordstrom and i did not think it was better than the ones i saw at much less expensive stores.

it also depends on what you are buying for instance diamonds have different grades depending on clarity cut etc. but even then prices can vary.

you don't always get what you pay for. for instance, antiaging creams have been tested and sometimes the most expensive creams don't actually perform as well. with clothes, of course, you usually get better quality if you pay more but after a certain point, you are just paying for the prestige to wear it nothing more. now this is different with specialty items like wedding dresses where real satin, silk or pearls may be used etc. it depends.

i also don't like the more expensive bulky towels. i find the thinner and smaller sized towels absorb liquid much better and those more expensive bulky towels feel like i'm trying to dry with a sheet. nothing is getting accomplished and if it does takes much longer, lol. it's great for wrapping yourself in it but that's it. i could just wear a terry robe for that.

[Nelly Nomad]

Again, it all comes down to taste. As long as your family affairs are properly taken care of, spend your discretionary income any way you please. I might prefer to buy a bigger house and fancier car as opposed to designer clothes and accessories. You love your 800-thread smooth-as-silk sheets, I just as happy with 200-thread (I'm asleep!). You may prefer 3-ply toilet tissue, whereas I'm happy as a clam with single-ply.

There's no right or wrong.

[GTOlover]

I am a guy so no

[miu]

Originally Posted by leaana

i don't know what 'good enough' or 'quality' is to you. i once bought a pair of ralph lauren jeans that were very thick in material and soft as well as cut more real to fit. i thought they were better than some of the ones i've found that were 4 or more times the price. they were around 40 bucks. i know for a fact you wouldn't look at those jeans and say they look cheap or feel cheap if you wore them unless you were nuts. they were very good quality as well and sturdy.

my grandmother bought me a dress from nordstrom and i did not think it was better than the ones i saw at much less expensive stores.

it also depends on what you are buying for instance diamonds have different grades depending on clarity cut etc. but even then prices can vary.

you don't always get what you pay for. for instance, antiaging creams have been tested and sometimes the most expensive creams don't actually perform as well. with clothes, of course, you usually get better quality if you pay more but after a certain point, you are just paying for the prestige to wear it nothing more. now this is different with specialty items like wedding dresses where real satin, silk or pearls may be used etc. it depends.

i also don't like the more expensive bulky towels. i find the thinner and smaller sized towels absorb liquid much better and those more expensive bulky towels feel like i'm trying to dry with a sheet. nothing is getting accomplished and if it does takes much longer, lol. it's great for wrapping yourself in it but that's it. i could just wear a terry robe for that.

So YOU don't like high thread count sheets and thick expensive towels. However, there are enough people willing to pay extra to own them, which is why they are standard stocked items in luxury stores. Just because YOU and your grandmother are not impressed by high end goods, doesn't mean that the rest of us feel the way YOU and your family do. Since these designer labels are all doing well sales wise, there are obviously more people that like and are willing to buy these designer goods than people like you who aren't impressed by them. Right?

YOU and your grandmother's opinions are not the standard by which all items are judged. Geesh.

And the reason that stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms and Tiffany stay in business is because they consistently have an excellent selection of high quality goods. While it's fun to shop for bargains at TJMaxx and the like, rummaging takes time and even if one finds a great piece of clothing at a bargain price, usually there is only one or a few of them, and none in my size. Sometimes it's just nice to shop at a place with a good selection and be guaranteed the perfect outfit for a special occasion. High end shops offer great selection, convenience and guaranteed shopping satifaction. And if one is on a tight schedule, then it's worth it. After all, what is my time worth?

[Nelly Nomad]

Originally Posted by miu

So YOU don't like high thread count sheets and thick expensive towels. However, there are enough people willing to pay extra to own them, which is why they are standard stocked items in luxury stores. Just because YOU and your grandmother are not impressed by high end goods, doesn't mean that (the rest of us) (OTHER PEOPLE) feel the way YOU and your family do. Since these designer labels are all doing well sales wise (are they?), there are obviously (more) (MANY)people that like and are willing to buy these designer goods than people like you who aren't impressed by them. Right? (No, not necessarily "right".)

YOU and your grandmother's opinions are not the standard by which all items are judged. Geesh.

And the reason that stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms and Tiffany stay in business is because they consistently have an excellent selection of high quality goods. While it's fun to shop for bargains at TJMaxx and the like, rummaging takes time and even if one finds a great piece of clothing at a bargain price, usually there is only one or a few of them, and none in my size. Sometimes it's just nice to shop at a place with a good selection and be guaranteed the perfect outfit for a special occasion. High end shops offer great selection, convenience and guaranteed shopping satifaction (really?). And if one is on a tight schedule, then it's worth it. After all, what is my time worth?

Whoa, Miu, bristles down, please. Leaana has expressed her own preferences. In what I read, she did not say you or anyone else had to purchase the items she prefers. I did not see her implying that her opinion and her grandmother's should be "the standard by which all items are judged."

While you can say that there are MANY people who feel that paying more money is equvalent to getting more quality, please consider that there are many who don't. I think it's a bit presumptuous of you to speak for "the rest of us" or to state as a fact that there are "obviously more people" who think your way than there are people who think Leaana's way. Where's your evidence? I believe there are many people in BOTH camps (and many who straddle camps, depending on the items in question).

In my opinion, neither "side" should have to explain or defend themselves for their choices. With any luck (the economy aside) there will continue to be enough big dollar stores and little dollar stores to keep everyone satisfied.

[gentlearts]

I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference, but I would never buy $600 shoes. I have found that cheap shoes are not worth it, though. Although I have many pairs of shoes, I only wear the same 4 or 5 all the time. With my funny big old feet I need to spend $100 or so for decent quality and I think my sneakers were about $200. but I'm not spending two seconds in uncomfortable shoes ever again.

[shoegal111]

Originally Posted by Nelly Nomad

Good Morning America (ABC News) recently did a test to see whether people could tell the difference between a $600 () pair of Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps (with 4-inch heels ) and a pair of nearly identical $20 black patent leather pumps. Because the $600 pumps had a "signature" red sole, ABC painted the $20 soles so they'd look identical. Then, they performed three tests.

First was a sight test. They stopped people on the street and asked them to pick which was which. According to the reporter, 40% of the people they talked to incorrectly identified the shoes.

Second was a wear test. They had identical twins walk a mile in the shoes (with 4-inch heels!!! ) then rate their comfort, 1 to 10 with 10 = PAIN!!! The twin wearing the $20 shoes said she was "up there in the 9s", while the $600 twin said "I'm just going to go with the 10". In other words, neither shoe was comfortable, as was evidenced by shots of the twins' feet with obvious rub marks. The twins both ditched the shoes immediately.

The final test involved cutting the shoes in half to look at construction. The interior of the less expensive shoe was layers of rubber and cardboard, whereas the more expensive was made of leather, through and through.

I wish I could link the segment for you but every time I pull it up, it comes with an advertisement embedded and I don't think C-D would like that. If you want to see the segment, you can go to ABC News and type "$20 shoes" in the search box.

As for me, I can guarantee I wouldn't be able to tell the shoes apart. Not by sight (I'd never even heard of Christian Louboutin before this news segment), probably not by walk-test (I doubt I'd be able to walk 20 feet, much less a mile, in 4-inch heels). Secondly, I can't think of any reason why I would EVER waste $600 on a single pair of shoes. Heck, I have a hard time justifying spending $100 on shoes. I'm sooooo not a shoe person . I own maybe 5 pair of shoes, none of which cost over ~$60.

So, my fellow shoe-wearers, how about you?

Actually, I saw that piece and for test # 2 I have a few corrections. The payless tester was in pain almost immediately after starting to walk and her feet began getting red and blistered at the same time. The Louboutin tester felt pain much later in the walk and had no redness or blistering at the end.

Also, you failed to note that the person who sawed the shoes in half was a cobbler who really didn't want to saw the Louboutin's in half (I'll get to why later in my response).

I was raised on cheaply made shoes as was my mother. You know the kind where you've been told you need to break them in before wearing out on the town. My mother's feet are a terrible mess because of it. She can only wear sneakers now.

I learned all about good shoes as a young adult in the fashion world. A good shoe should fit like a glove and you should be able to walk out the door of the shoe store with them on and not experience any pain.

Now with that said the reason Louboutin's are so expensive is because the shoe is made by hand of the best materials. Nor are they overproduced thus the price. Louboutin's range in price from $350 to sky's the limit.

Think about the cheaply-made, mass produced shoes with less than top quality materials that women are paying $75 to $150. Most make it through a season or two, if that, and many cause pain and discomfort walking just from the car into a restaurant, etc. Sounds like a poor investment to me.

I own several pairs of Louboutin's and they are an excellent investment. I can walk out of the store with them on my feet and have no discomfort. I am supporting an artform and true craftsmanship. And I they last and last.

Now as for the cobbler. I have moved around and always maintained a relationship with a cobbler. In each case, the cobbler has always commented on the fact that they cannot understand why so many women buy such cheaply made shoes that they go thru in quick fashion when they could save and invest in a shoe that will last them a lifetime if they care for it properly. I whole-heartedly agree.