Recent purchases - Part II

[BB1]

A more interesting question is why do so many people feel their car is a reflection of themselves, similar to how clothing is often viewed?

With clothing the link is far more direct since people will frequently mistake a perfect fitting, well styled outfit as being one in the same as the person wearing it. The psychologist J. C. Flugel even coined the term "confluence" to describe this phenomena of mistaking one's clothing as being an actual part of the person themselves. But with a car this association is far weaker.

Yet in American society most people spend hugely disproportionate amounts of their income on new cars every few years, and relatively little on clothing. If you spend a while watching the cars come and go in a parking lot, it is not difficult to spot $40,000+ new vehicles with the people getting out of them looking like they buy all their clothing form Walmart or Costco.

To the average American a $500 pair of shoes is an unthinkable level of luxury! (Recall the big deal made a couple years ago over John McCain's $500 shoes). Yet a $40,000 car is seen as very sensible to many or perhaps even a level of luxury that one deserves, never mind that $15,000 cars exist that might suit their transportation needs too.

How did we get this point? Why the difference?

 

[Meis]

Originally Posted by BB1

To the average American a $500 pair of shoes is an unthinkable level of luxury! (Recall the big deal made a couple years ago over John McCain's $500 shoes). Yet a $40,000 car is seen as very sensible to many or perhaps even a level of luxury that one deserves, never mind that $15,000 cars exist that might suit their transportation needs too. How did we get this point? Why the difference?
Yeah, I still don't understand this. More-so, why so many people feel the need to buy a new car every 3-4 years- that's the biggest waste of money IMO. There seems to be so many people that buy cheap food, clothing, etc. and talk about how they aren't well off, yet then buy new cars every few years. Buying a new car half as often will do far far more for their finances then cutting down or removing their starbucks addiction or bringing lunch to work instead of eating out.

 

[pfurey]

Good question.

A car doesn't gain weight. American's do.

 

[RFX45]

I don't know why people always ask this as if it's a phenomenon?

Not everyone are into clothes and shoes, to some, they rather wear GAP & Old Navy and drive an M3 than wear Lanvin & Margiela and drive a Corolla.

 

[grizzlybear]

Originally Posted by randomkoreandude

jpress for UO

found these randomly on sale rack at UO in gtown today for $18. the hand/feel of the wool is el terrible ... 60 wool/40 viscose??? but its a perfect beater work pant to just throw on

i tried those on and theyre garbage, fit was horrible too

 

[jet]

Originally Posted by RFX45

I don't know why people always ask this as if it's a phenomenon?

Not everyone are into clothes and shoes, to some, they rather wear GAP & Old Navy and drive an M3 than wear Lanvin & Margiela and drive a Corolla.

You need to enroll in intro to logic.

 

[Meis]

Originally Posted by RFX45

I don't know why people always ask this as if it's a phenomenon? Not everyone are into clothes and shoes, to some, they rather wear GAP & Old Navy and drive an M3 than wear Lanvin & Margiela and drive a Corolla.
I think its not so much the preference as it is people's reactions to the spending, if that makes sense. The second group you mentioned probably drive the Corolla b/c they either want to free up more money to buy the L&N or because they just don't care to spend $$$ on cars. The former while yes, is perfectly happy with ON... they also see the L & N as irresponsible/unthinkable luxury. I think what BB1 is trying to say is that both are a sort of "luxury spending", yet the people spending it on the cars perceive it differently (that it isn't luxury spending)

 

[PaulYAY]

Originally Posted by BB1

Why the difference?


One point that comes to mind is that a car is a shareable luxury.

 

[Meis]

Originally Posted by PaulYAY

One point that comes to mind is that a car is a shareable luxury.

Uh you can share clothes too....

its just that men do it far less often than women

 

[nahneun]

A car is easily recognizable as a status symbol and as a measure of wealth. Clothes, not so much. You can be lower-middle middle class and buy nice clothes with considerable more ease than you can an Aston Martin, Lambo, etc. Not sure why this is so difficult to figure out.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by PaulYAY

One point that comes to mind is that a car is a shareable luxury.

******* is too, does that make me ballin?

 

[PaulYAY]

I saw that semantic flaw as I typed it, but this is an internet forum

The statement is full of implications but I'm not looking to write a paper on what is obvious to me.

 

[Meis]

Originally Posted by nahneun

A car is easily recognizable as a status symbol and as a measure of wealth. Clothes, not so much. You can be lower-middle middle class and buy nice clothes with considerable more ease than you can an Aston Martin, Lambo, etc. Not sure why this is so difficult to figure out.
That's completely the opposite of what the argument is about. The point is that people think of the 40k+ car as sensible and not as much of a luxury as the purchase of the $500 shoes. It's that they don't think of the 40k+ car as extravagant but think the shoes are.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by PaulYAY

I saw that semantic flaw as I typed it, but this is an internet forum

The statement is full of implications but I'm not looking to write a paper on what is obvious to me.

It's ok Paul. I love you because you hooked me up with W+H sweats

 

[pfurey]

just got a grey lova suit in. pretty impressed, really good fit, decent construction.

going to pair it with a gitman x oc leopard shirt, jil shoes, and crush kids at a wedding next month.