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The excesses of the rich and famous

Just because you pay a lot of money for an item of clothing does not indicate it was worth it.

By Cheryl E PrestonPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Meghan Markle spent $265,000 on her wedding dress by Givenchy, $157,000 on a Stella McCartney reception dress, and $12,000 for a ball gown. This is a total of $434,000 on 3 outfits. The average working American could have done the following with that money. Purchased a decent home and furnished it and bought a really nice vehicle and had money left over to save. This is not an indictment on Markle but using her as an example of the extravagance of those who live lives of privilege.

I can recall cringing when a woman said her church suit cost $400 from a local boutique. I shopped at that same store and was elated when I found suits on sale for $50.00. Truthfully you could not see much of a difference between her outfit and the ones I wore. I can understand someone purchasing an expensive vehicle or home because you get what you pay for. When it comes to clothing, however, this is not always true.

I once purchased a matching long sleeved blouse and skirt at Family Dollar during a closeout sale. It was only $5.00 but really pretty. When I wore it to church the next day I received so many compliments because no one knew where I bought it or how much it cost. They only saw that it complimented me. When I was a Deaconess I heard other women talking about hundred dollar suits but I purchased an off white suit at JC Penny on the sale rack for $29.00. Again I received many compliments because the outfit looked good and you could not tell what I had paid for it.

I love getting bargains and one day I received one that did not cost me anything at all. It was time for the Deaconesses to transition from white attire to off white again and I did not have the money for a new suit. I was prepared to wear the one I had the season before I until I unlocked a treasure. A coworker gave my mother several plastic bins with household items inside and my mom gave them to me. In the bottom of one was a dirty, faded cream colored 2 piece suit.

It had a rusty orange ring around the color and looked as if it were ready to be tossed, but I had an idea. I prayed over the suit, washed it, hung it outside to dry then ironed it. I wore it to church on Sunday and received more compliments than I had with any other outfit. Please do not misunderstand, as I was not looking for compliments. I was taking notice that my bargains got more attention than clothing that I or my husband paid a lot of money for.

The dollar amount you pay does not indicate that an item of apparel looks good or that it looks good on you. If someone feels good spending thousands of dollars on a dress then that is their prerogative. Thrifty people however would take that same amount of money and put it to better use and get more bang for your buck. As always there are different strokes for different folks but ask yourself a question. Do you really believe you look good in an outfit because it was expensive or are you caught up in the fact that you paid more for it?

When it comes to other items, most people will balk at finding out they paid too much money and desire a bargain. When it comes to shoes, purses, and clothing, however, many have been convinced that it is a status symbol to announce they spent a lot of money. My daughter and I make a habit of frequenting thrift stores where at times we find name brand items that look brand new or still have the price tag on them. We consider ourselves smart shoppers because we pay a lot less. It's only natural that those who are millionaires would spend considerably more money than regular working folk. Even so, $434,000 for 3 outfits is pretty excessive and there probably are celebrities who have paid more than that for one dress.

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About the Creator

Cheryl E Preston

Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.

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