Just say you’re buying it for the brand, and be done with it. We all have weaknesses.

As BD mentioned, the more expensive brand in purses may not be the one that does it’s job better or last as long.

I think you misunderstood BD. She said she’d gone through 3 cheap bags recently, and that she preferred the higher end Coach bags. In this case, the expensive bag is the better value, just like buying a quality wool suit that will last forever and never go out of style.

For the record, I’ve never spent big bucks on a purse or a television, nor can I taste the difference in an expensive bottle of wine. But I understand the people who do, and so long as they can afford it, there’s certainly no harm in enjoying the finer things.

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You do bring up an excellent point about asthetics. However, who is to judge asthetics? As HC mentioned she gets compliments on her straw-purse so to many asthetics can be purchased on a budget. Another person mentioned that her designer purses fall apart more often than the budget purses, so one could assume that it’s possible to buy quality on the cheap as well.

I suppose if you really can tell the difference and it’s worth it to you, then it makes sense. However, I think typically the designer pocketbooks are more a reflection of status much like a diamond and not a reflection of great stitching.

The differences are both in asthetics, as well as quality. A designer purse, handcrafted in Italy (I’m way beyond Coach here) is a work of art and old world craftsmanship. The materials are also of the highest quality. Plus, the beauty of the design is something to appreciate. These are subtle issues that may not matter to some people, but do matter to others. Like wines, most people cannot tell a $10 wine from a $100 bottle. But, there are clearly those who can and for whom it is worth it.

Someone pointed out that there is vast differentiation between TV functionality and therefore, a big TV is worth it. But, to whom is it worth? We still have our old tube-technology TV from 10 years ago. In fact, we’re not so sure we like the flat screen TV’s all that much. My wife is like, why am I seeing all the dots and action pictures look kind of blurry – this is suppposed to be better, but it’s not. Yet it costs several times what we paid for the old technology.

Worth is in the eye of the beholder.

My $50(?–a gift) Nine West purse is still around after four, although a bit banged up around the edges.

It’s worth paying a little extra for better craftmanship, sure, but I feel the same way about premium purses that I do about premium jeans; I don’t argue that they’re better quality, just that they’re not $120-$200 worth of better quality.