I personally don't mind buying signature clothes as long as the items are worth it and the money I spend won't compromise anything important that I need to always have budget for. I don't mean to sound like an @$$, but I think it's hypocritical of some people to just blurt out their despise of the finer things in life with much fervor but if they had a chance to acquire something considered as high-end without losing much, they'd buy it in a flash. I think it's a function of spending capacity AND priorities.
We have our own unique spending priorities; we may classify purchasing something as negative spending (or senseless/unnecessary spending) while others see it as otherwise. Also, the general trend is if one's income increases, then his or her spending somehow increases as well. Spending doesn't stop at buying signature clothes or high-end musical equipment; it can also mean financing insurance policies, buying a nice car, visiting the dentist or dermatologist regularly, among others. For example, person A may like signature clothes and bags while person B may prefer to buy electronic gadgets or computer parts. Assuming that both have the ability to shell out some serious dough, the one who only likes signature stuff naturally downplays the need of buying high-tech gadgets or upgrading to the latest Core 2 Quadro Intel processor, all this while Mr./Ms. Techie feels the same way about purchasing products created by the major proponents of fashion capitalism such as Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, etc.
My personal stand is that we should have a more holistic view of spending. Buying designer clothes isn't bad as long as it won't rob us of our budget for providing good and healthy lives for ourselves and for our loved ones. The truth is that there aren't too many Mother Teresa wannabes in this world and we all have our own high-end thingamajig that we'd want to buy someday, if our wallets or bank accounts allow it. The "signature/designer = coolness" equation doesn't stop at clothing or luggage; practically everything has cheapo-level and exclusive/boutique-level varieties. Heck, even coffee has a lot of options ranging from Blend 45/Great Taste to Blue Mountain or Kopi Luwak blends. If one says that the way to go should always be to buy entry-level clothes, to wear entry-level shoes, to use entry-level wallets and bags, to invest on entry-level watches and to spray entry-level perfume on ourselves even if we have, say P50,000,000 at our disposal, then I say it's ludicrous.
Spending is one thing but spending wisely and proportionately to your own budget is a whole new ballgame
