BY Mackenzie Maher
You go to the mall to buy some new items. To the left is the Gucci store, a high end luxury brand, and to the right is Gap, a more affordable casual brand. Which store do you walk into to do your shopping?
“If I buy cheap leggings from Forever 21, they are see through and will rip in a week,’’ said sophomore Lizzy Szachacz. “I would rather spend more money on a pair from Lululemon because they are much better quality and will last me a lifetime.’’
Many students say that the overall better fabric quality of designer products are what make the larger price tag on luxury items worth it.
“I will spend a lot of money on something if I have always wanted it,’’ said junior Kayla Castro. “My Gucci crossbody bag is great quality and I get a lot of use out of it, so I was willing to spend a lot of money on this item.”
According to Gucci’s website, their Signature leather belt retails for $470.
Junior Sarina Campos has had her Range Rover, a luxury car, for over three years and says she does not regret the purchase because of her car’s continued reliability.
“I have barely had any problems with my car all these years, whereas many of my friends cars break down and the cost of them being able to fix these issues adds up. My car is great on gas and drives amazing in the snow and bad weather. Even though it does cost a lot of money it is worth it in the long run,” said Campos.
For Szachacz, buying luxury items has been passed down through generations and has become something her family has bonded over throughout the years.
“My family has always had luxury items so it’s the way things have always been. Eventually once I hit a certain age where I became more responsible I began to get interested in these items and one day I will be able to pass them down,” said Szachacz.
However, many students say they do not buy luxury items because of how expensive they are.
“I absolutely hate spending a lot of money on one item. I am the biggest bargain shopper you will ever meet,” said senior MaryKate Magliozzi. “There have been times when I will not buy something that I loved solely on the fact it was too expensive of a shirt in my eyes.”
Some students say that luxury items do not fit their style.
“Sometimes when I walk past the Gucci store and look in the window I find some things to be cool,” said junior Christopher Abbate. “I do not believe I would ever actually buy anything because some of the items are just too crazy with tiger prints and not made for everyday wear.”
For some students, there are other things they value spending their money on instead of luxury items.
“I would rather put my money towards experiences like travel and concerts than materialistic items,” said sophomore Abigail Hoey.
