@laurasaprincess I think I totally understand how you’re feeling. I have two Birkins that I worked hard for and just adore and love to wear but I often wonder if I’m “worthy” of them. We (hubby and I) are very upper class and likely wealthy by many standards, but we have to keep working for what we have, we have a mortgage, expenses etc, still saving for retirement, all the things that the upper class but not .1 % have to worry about. I have friends in that .1% who look at my bag and say things like “I could never afford that” when clearly they can if I can. So I ask myself am I supposed to own a Birkin if she won’t even buy one? Do I need to be in the uber wealthy first? Does it not make sense to have one and have a mortgage? Is Hermes only for the billionaires and celebrities and not for people like me? I struggle with this and wonder if people look at my bags and think I look “off” or that I don’t make sense because I’m not in that .1%. At the end of the day I try to tell myself I worked for it and I earned it so I shouldn’t have these insecurities but they are still there. I wish I could be one of those people who doesn’t care what others think!
Am I too poor for Hèrmes?
- Thread starter laurasaprincess
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@DoggieBags, I hear you, and I don’t begrudge regular customers getting first crack at rare merchandise. I’m just saying that while I’m not too poor to afford a Kelly (my dream bag), I am too poor to afford a Kelly directly from the boutique because I can’t spend an unknown amount of money on other items in the mere hope of being offered a Kelly with the specs I want.
@classybags4ever, I don’t think that bags should be treated as indicators of overall wealth or lifestyle, such that the cost of your bags should equate with the cost of your clothes and your cars and such. I think bags, especially special ones like the Birkin and (for me) the Chanel classic flap, can be one off special items that we buy to treat ourselves. If I see a beautiful piece of crystal, I may buy it because it makes me happy, even though the rest of my tableware is ordinary. I do the same with bags. So I don’t think Hermes is necessarily for the 0.1% who don’t have to work. It’s just as much for people like us who work hard and earn enough to treat ourselves to a few special things that bring us joy.
I don't think you should have to explain yourself or care what others think. You & your DH have goals for your futures
& this is what you should focus on. You are "worthy" of anything you want & work for. Period.
Buy what you love because you can obviously afford it & like/want it.
Peoples impressions are often way off the mark & their have been many rich celebrities & billionaires that
have been perceived as such & have fallen on hard times with their wardrobes of "Birkins" &
other high ends items..So for me it all has to be put in perspective, IYKWIM
Enjoy what you have & your life as that is what is important at the end of the day at least for me it is
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The question is: Am I too poor for Hermès?
OP asked the question and then in one of her posts she stated that she can comfortably buying few Birkins a year, obviously “being too poor in the bank account” isn’t applied to her current situation and the reason started this thread, perhaps the topic should be “am I mentally prepared for Hermes?” ?
In my view, if someone can’t pay their next month’s mortgage (ykwim) then s/he probably is too poor for Hermes. Other than that, it’s more of self conscious how people sees the value of the item and if the item can comfortably fits into their lifestyle and make them happy at the same time.
OP asked the question and then in one of her posts she stated that she can comfortably buying few Birkins a year, obviously “being too poor in the bank account” isn’t applied to her current situation and the reason started this thread, perhaps the topic should be “am I mentally prepared for Hermes?” ?
In my view, if someone can’t pay their next month’s mortgage (ykwim) then s/he probably is too poor for Hermes. Other than that, it’s more of self conscious how people sees the value of the item and if the item can comfortably fits into their lifestyle and make them happy at the same time.
The question is: Am I too poor for Hermès?
How can a stranger intelligently answer this question?
Only one way to find out: Do the math.
Add up all of your net monthly income.
Subtract all of your monthly expenses(utility bills, food transportation, etc)
Compare what you have left to the prices of what you want.
Add up all of your net monthly income.
Subtract all of your monthly expenses(utility bills, food transportation, etc)
Compare what you have left to the prices of what you want.
Logical, however, many will be in debt & get in debt for some of their "wants"
The obsession for H goes on & on & on....
If you really want to find out if you are too poor for Hermes, speak to your money managers / investment advisors / home office team and ask them to run numbers for you. They can let you know if you can afford Hermes both from a net worth and a cash flow perspective. Hard for us to answer your question without seeing your financials!
Wealth is relative. I’d ask myself “would I really be drawn to this Hermès bag if it wasn’t so exclusive?”
I think I’m being misinterpreted... I understand finances and budgeting. The issue is not can I literally go and purchase Hermes pieces after monthly expenses and investment deposits? Yes. But if one was to read my initial posts - I feel like Hermes is for the ultra wealthy. As in flying private not first class. It seems to be very elite, and I wanted the opinion of Hermes shoppers who may not be .1%ers.
Please refer to my previous post. This is not a budgeting question. It is an exclusivity question. Am I too poor for Hermes... as in am I not worthy to enter because I’m not a .1%er
What do you want to buy? If you want a “normal” Birkin then yes you are going to have to pre spend to get a quota piece like A Birkin or Kelly. If your are someone generally nice to sales staff with a pleasant attitude assume it’s a 1:1 spend. If not, assume more. If you criteria is narrow then assume a longer wait than someone more open. If you want a rare piece like a Himalaya birkin or special order that’s a whole other category but if you want a scarf or a purse generally available (garden party, Evelyne etc) you can go in and buy it as long as it’s on stock. The website also has many many pieces available for anyone to buy and then you do not even need to go into a store
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to
The 1%er's in the world are not what most business plans are based on.
As far as being "worthy" because you may not consider yourself to be a 1%er, that really is something that
you have to come to terms with.
While H is being thought of as being so exclusive, they probably sell more scarves than handbags because
more people can afford that price point than 10k+ on bags. The inventory on H scarves in the stores that
I have been in including FSH are plentiful..
And not every 1%er wants H or for that manner any high end designer bag.
There are many wealthy people who consider spending that kind of money on a bag absurd.
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