Have you noticed the change?

[Izzy]

Hi Folks

I just wondered has anyone esle noticed that more and more guys at a much younger age are purchasing higher quality items?

I say this because I was at my local men's clothing store on Saturday where I got talking to the manager. He was commenting that more and more men are now spending money on higher priced classic items at a much younger age.

He said that they appear to finally be realising that spending that extra money will get them an item that will last them 10 years as opposed to 10 months and the average age of his customer was now 31 as opposed to 40!!

He said sales were up by

25% on Mens Jackets/Coats (above £200.00)
40% on Mens Leather Shoes (above £110.00)
30% on Mens Shirts (above £30.00)
60% on Mens Traditional Shaving Products (soaps, brushes etc) and Colognes!!!!!!
35% on Mens Knitwear
30% on Mens Suits (above £350.00)
30% on Mens Leathergoods (wallets, cases etc above £45.00)
40% on other Men's related items

I have myself noticed this in my home town, people are starting to realise that like in years gone buying quality may cost a little more, but in the long run works out cheaper (my grandfather used to say this all the time, a prime example was his tan leather briefcase, cost a small fortune, about 3 weeks wages when he got it, but it still looked fantastic when he died 50 years later!!!, my brother now uses this daily and my grandfather died 9 years ago and it still looks great)

I have always spent a little extra on good quality classic items (never been into fashionable stuff) and found they have outlasted cheaper fashion items by several years.

Kind regards
NIGEL

 

[Woknblues]

I would say, "yes, but.."...

Maybe replace the word "high quality" with "expensive"...

Every guy I know around my age (33) seems to have had several expensive cars, bug SUV's, a house or condo they could barely afford. I myself had my "dream car" at the age of 28. I know guys who have done better than that. Some of it has to do with priorities, some with opportunities, and some economics. I am still not married, have no children, and have spent my time and money traveling, by and large. I plan on having a family, but I have not prioritized it, like they did two generations ago, as a whole.

My grandfather at my current age had a wife, two children and a mortgage...(I am a sucker for a good grandpa story, by the way, thanks for yours.) only bought used cars and owned them for 10 years+ at a time, had only one television in the house. The family went out on Saturday's to the drive in to watch a movie, and went out to eat in restaurants maybe once a month. He made darn sure that Grandma was well taken care of, good medical coverage and enough to live comfortably, and he raised his family as best as he could. When he retired, and until he passed, he had allowed himself a caddy, though again he bought it used.

I don't know what is better, nor do I see if we are talking about the same thing, I think I just went out on a wide tangent.... . I guess time will tell. They are nearly apples and oranges in comparison. I guess grandpa could have been one who had nicer things, but to him, they were just things. He placed little importance in material possessions.

 

[Izzy]

I would say, "yes, but.."...

Maybe replace the word "high quality" with "expensive"...

Every guy I know around my age (33) seems to have had several expensive cars, bug SUV's, a house or condo they could barely afford. I myself had my "dream car" at the age of 28. I know guys who have done better than that. Some of it has to do with priorities, some with opportunities, and some economics. I am still not married, have no children, and have spent my time and money traveling, by and large. I plan on having a family, but I have not prioritized it, like they did two generations ago, as a whole.

My grandfather at my current age had a wife, two children and a mortgage...(I am a sucker for a good grandpa story, by the way, thanks for yours.) only bought used cars and owned them for 10 years+ at a time, had only one television in the house. The family went out on Saturday's to the drive in to watch a movie, and went out to eat in restaurants maybe once a month. He made darn sure that Grandma was well taken care of, good medical coverage and enough to live comfortably, and he raised his family as best as he could. When he retired, and until he passed, he had allowed himself a caddy, though again he bought it used.

I don't know what is better, nor do I see if we are talking about the same thing, I think I just went out on a wide tangent.... . I guess time will tell. They are nearly apples and oranges in comparison. I guess grandpa could have been one who had nicer things, but to him, they were just things. He placed little importance in material possessions.

Hi Woknblues

Thanks for the reply, like you I place little importance in material possesions but in the quality of the possesions I do have (my grandfather was the same) I never buy something because XYZ has it or its a latest craze or fashion.

Yes I suppose to buy quality is more expensive these days but this is not always the case.

I personally collect fountain pens (some very expensive one's, and I use them all) but some of the less expensive one's perform as well (and sometimes better) than the more expensive one's, I also have a small collection of watches (mainly Omega's) and now this damned shaving aquisition disorder has taken hold, but I look at the quality of what I am buying first and work out is it worth the money and will it perform the way I want it to.

For example, my mother bought me a squashy black leather briefcase 7 years ago, it still looks brand new today, in contrast, I bought myself a basic black leather briefcase (box type) prior to my mothers purchase, after only 16 months it looked terrible, scuffed, frayed edges, locks kept popping open, handle fell off although this was £30 cheaper than my mother's gift to me!! So which was the better value?

Kind regards
NIGEL

 

[Woknblues]

see? I knew I was off on a tangent..

to answer your question more directly, I see people having more disposable income today, able to purchase higher quality goods. So in effect, yes I agree.

I hope I didn't give you the impression I was judging your taste in "the finer stuff". Nothing wrong with that. Why else are we here in the first place?

 

[Izzy]

see? I knew I was off on a tangent..

to answer your question more directly, I see people having more disposable income today, able to purchase higher quality goods. So in effect, yes I agree.

I hope I didn't give you the impression I was judging your taste in "the finer stuff". Nothing wrong with that. Why else are we here in the first place?

How true!!! By the way, mines bigger than yours

Kindest regards
NIGEL

 

[kwk285]

The shabby grunge look is still popular in the Seattle area. It is probably expensive shabby grunge.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I'm 26 and I haven't noticed a cultural shift to "old world" or more luxury goods. I do notice it here on this board and in a few of my friends, but I do not believe we are indicitive of an entire social shift. I wish we were though, I like the changes that I and others I know have made.

 

[coop1960]

Izzy,
I had the great pleasure of visiting your country last summer for 15 days. We spent most of our time in London. One thing that I noticed was difference in how business people dress. England definatley dresses nicer than America. Men in tailored suits with cuff links and quality shoes. More women seem to wear dresses and to carry quality purses. America seems to be on a permanent "casual friday". This is not a knock on America just a difference that I noticed.

 

[Holton181]

I'm 26 and I haven't noticed a cultural shift to "old world" or more luxury goods. I do notice it here on this board and in a few of my friends, but I do not believe we are indicitive of an entire social shift. I wish we were though, I like the changes that I and others I know have made.

I have to agree. I'm 27, and I'm the only one in my group of friends who:

-Owns a shaving brush
-Owns more than 2 pairs of dress shoes
-Owns made to measure clothing
-Drinks single malt scotch, or even craft beer for that matter
-Enjoys a good opera (Okay, this isn't fair, because I used to be a classicaly trained musician, but still)

With my friends, I drown myself in golden swill and wear my $200 blue jeans. No, the classics are not back, but spending a lot for the name always will be.

 

[Izzy]

Izzy,
I had the great pleasure of visiting your country last summer for 15 days. We spent most of our time in London. One thing that I noticed was difference in how business people dress. England definatley dresses nicer than America. Men in tailored suits with cuff links and quality shoes. More women seem to wear dresses and to carry quality purses. America seems to be on a permanent "casual friday". This is not a knock on America just a difference that I noticed.

Hi coop1960

It would appear then that maybe this change is mainly taking place here in the UK then (and maybe other other parts of Europe).

Have to say it seems a change for the better.

Kind regards
NIGEL

 

[BMWRider]

Have to say it seems a change for the better.

Funny thing is I am in my 40s and have started to make the very change that you are talking about occuring in your 20s. For me it was the end of a military career. Also having a lot more disposable income in my life. Nice things that I can pass down to my sons are now important to me.

 

[analog_kid]

My friend's call me "The Old Man". Cigar smoking, scotch drinking, shaves like my grandpa, "fancy" coffee drinking old man.

The fancy coffee part came from me telling a story about something that happened while I was at Target checking out the burr grinders. The burr grinders led to me ranting about over roasted coffee and now I'm a coffee snob. I guess.

 

[JokerJon]

On the high street I don't think there is much of a real change. It is just that well known brands have been moving towards supposedly luxury/high quality products; As the brand is known and the products sold in aspirational terms they're bound to sell in greater numbers, and for more money than the quality dictates. In my opinion anyway.

In general (for lifestyle products: clothing, toiletries, music, whisky etc) I've always kept away from anything heavily branded, or mass marketed. My thinking being that a single TV advert in the UK costs that brand in the region of £30,000-£100,000 which is money I would much rather have spent on making certain the product was well made. Though, that may just be me being a belligerent snob.

Spending a fair deal more for quality is certainly a better idea than continually replacing shoddy goods, but I think it is getting harder to find goods which are expensive (subjective that I know) due to worth or merely brand fame.