conspicuous consumption

It seems to me that jeans have replaced designer purses as the new status symbols for American women. I found a Slate article from November 2005 that discussed this in ways far more articulate than I could. Check out the end--this piece was written a year and a half ago:

When it comes to fashion trends, it's difficult to say what is fleeting and what will endure. There are already signs that the premium jeans market has peaked. With too many cognoscenti, too many who speak the language of the back pocket, it is bound to lose its appeal. Perhaps we'll even see a return to a conspicuous consumption of a more conspicuous nature. I recently saw a Seven for All Mankind cropped jean cuffed with real rabbit fur, for $295.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure the premium jeans market is still alive and kicking. Everywhere I look, I see girls in R&Rs and Citizens of Humanity, and Sevens are EVERYWHERE. Its true what the author (Louisa Thomas) says in the article--that designer jeans are the perfect example of inconspicuous conspicuous consumption. We only buy them because we know people will be checking out our butts!

And it's not for the boys. We buy these jeans so girls will check out our butts. If you look good, boys don't care whether you're wearing Earnest Sewn or Target. It's our fellow women that we are trying desperately to impress.

Check out the entire article here