My Affair with Luxury: Beyond the Superficial

Just about everyone knows I'm a super shopaholic, seemingly obssessed with luxury brands. I maintain that my affair with luxury is really beyond the superficial. I do not love luxury brands only because they are luxury brands, but actually do research my purchases very meticulously. A brand has to have a real story behind it for me to want to invest in it. I look for rarity, exclusivity, uniqueness, impeccable design / craftsmanship, and price points that are not at all over-inflated. I don't want anything that just anyone else can obtain. And I budget.

This is why I disagree with people who contend that anything branded is all hype and worse still, that luxury brand consumers are selfish, superficial, and clueless.

How are we selfish, superficial, and clueless when we've got the intelligence to know what is best for us and the confidence to go ahead and pursue it?

Aren't their comments about luxury brand consumers just a little bit selfish, superficial, and clueless - plus bordering on jealous?

I don't care. I've already made up my mind to save up for my very first Hermes Birkin - or the Hermes Kelly - or both - come deeper recession or recovery.

And is it just me, or does Tim Geithner have a very good eye for luxury with his eye-catching Hermes tie? That guy is stylish and definitely not superficial!