Katie’s Beer

A recent radio discussion of the value of designer labels reminded me of my years working at the Ridgedale Dayton’s books and records department in the mid-70’s. On Sundays, wealthy Wayzata people would come in to purchase their reserved copy of the New York Times newspaper which had been flown in for them. The supervisors would make sure we knew who they were ahead of time and as they paid with their Dayton’s card I would note their last names. Sometimes I knew the name, but mostly I didn’t. These supposedly wealthy people had a very quiet and low-key style; they wore certain labels (Izod, for example), but never flashy clothes. I think, for them, that they depended on certain stores (Dayton’s, The Foursome, etc) over labels, however those stores always carried “their” labels. It was my impression that while these people were never bargain shoppers they did demand quality and endurance out of a clothing label. That time period was the start of my knowledge of old money versus new money and I learned that old money people wore certain labels but never flashy clothes. New money people wore expensive flashier clothing and that penchant extended to cars and homes. I was even taught this concept in my college sociology class in 1979. I wonder if this concept is still as true; it seems that most wealthy people today would be labeled as new money people, even if they were the children of old money people.

My daughter, here in 2008, loves to learn and talk about designers and their wares. She works at a designer outlet store; not one of those outlet malls, but a true multiple designer outlet store. She comes home with bargains each week, impressed that it is a Betsey Johnson or a Coach. Her purse collection is already impressive! She owns a faux-Coach (not purchased at her store) purse which she recently loaned to me. It is a $60 imitation of a $400 purse. It should be noted that I have never paid even $60 for any purse I own. At Walgreen’s the other night, I was complimented on this fake Coach purse. I immediately offered the explanation of the purse (a habit my mother despises) and the clerk finally answered that I shouldn’t have told her. What is it about my age group that wouldn’t want anyone to think that they owned an expensive accessory item. My daughter isn’t saddled with that notion!

Tags: fashion, my childhood //