Both…depending on the budget.
I see a lot of girls in LA with insanely expensive wallets.

I totally agree with the WSJ article. Why else would Tiffany’s have become even more successful in recent years if it wasn’t for all the $150 bracelets and $75 keychains? It gives the consumer a chance to purchase an aspiration brand at a “reasonable” price.

I agree with both. I have one friend who has no style at all and will buy anything that screams EXPENSIVE! The more expensive the better. She won’t even buy drugstore panthose…
Me? If I covet a really luxe designer item that I can’t afford I will definitely look at their other stuff and often I’ll find something. This is because the original item endeared me to the brand.

i agree with both but i am learning just a little bit more towards the NY Times article, only because i’ve seen it in my own business. when i increased my rates i started closing more and more sales! people feel that just because something costs a lot more it must be better.

Both make interesting arguments for the mass consumer market. However, neither references the fact that luxury markets are immune to the pitfalls of inflation by economic principle. There will always be a market segment wealthy enough to buy because price just doesn’t factor in at all.

i think it’s both, but the nytimes article makes the false assumption that most of their style coverage does: that everyone is really, really rich and has tons of disposable income. so maybe for those people, high prices make something more desireable. but for alot of other people, it makes them buy things that are cheaper to make in much larger numbers. as someone once told me, it’s the girls buying LV pochettes who are paying for the fashion shows and the ad campaigns, not the few-and far-between RTW shoppers.

I agree 100 percent with the WSJ article. Everytime I’m shopping for something in a high-end store (brick or online) I feel so slighted that I can’t buy the top items that I think, “Well, I can afford this t-shirt.” Even though I bitch that a $120 t-shirt is ridiculous. It’s a total trap.

How many scarves has Hermes sold to those of us who can’t afford bags or cashmere blankets?

Both articles make valid points, but the WSJ article holds the most truth. We all buy the $120 tshirt, the Dior & Givenchy cosmetics, the Hermes scarves & pen. I guess the next questions is, how many of us made a guilty (or not so guilty) rtw splurge with holiday bonus money or tax return funds??

xcept there is no 120$ balenciaga shirt…

i don’t think both of them are wrong. the smart shopper will buy what they like at reasonable prices. increasing price just for sake of increasing price will only succeed with the really tasteless shoppers who crave things not because they are fashionable but because the price makes the item appear fashionable.

i don’t think both of them are wrong. the smart shopper will buy what they like at reasonable prices. increasing price just for sake of increasing price will only succeed with the really tasteless shoppers who crave things not because they are fashionable but because the price makes the item appear fashionable.

i agree with both– — average people who want a piece of designer ass will shell out for something they think is justifiable compared to other things in the line that cost more, thus making money on cheaper things. but then again, a good example of the times opinion is pretty much anything from louis vuitton, or the birkin– there are a billion fakes out there that aren’t that different from the original, but the price makes all the difference and that way people want to buy it because it makes them feel rich, special etc.

Both of these have a good point. By making the top items pricier, they appeal even more to those who buy thing because of their “it” factor or simply because they are expensive. “It costs more, therefore it must be better.” And, for those of us who can’t afford the $5,000 bag, it’s easier to rationalize the $75 keychain as being a “good buy”. Luxury items are luxury for a reason – they aren’t necessarily that much better, but they make you feel good and are unmistakeably a sign of wealth. And for that, you can charge whatever you want.

I agree with both. The first one if you have lots of money. The second one if you’re on a budget.
Another thing about the first article, I think people often assume that if the price is higher then the quality will be as well and that makes them more likely to buy the product. (I know that I think like this a lot…)