And you're buying that?

Recently, the ObSpouse needed new glasses. Off we went to the optometrist for a new prescription, etc, etc. Then came the time to choose frames.

There are a wide variety of frames out there at varying prices. Some of this makes sense - plastic rather than metal, steel rather than titanium, lightweight rather than heavy (i.e., better engineered to get the same lifetime with less weight). There's a certain amount "paying for the brand" here, no doubt - same as in any other consumer field. Xyxenhugl Corp may make just as good a product as well known brands, but most people will want some dividend for their bet.

And then there are the fashion glasses. These cost upwards of twice as much for no discernible difference in construction. That would still make sense if they were beautifully and stylishly crafted. But.... they're not.

My favorite in the group were a pair of sunglasses that had their maker's name picked out on the lenses in Bedazzler sequins. You might as well just have "stupid fashion victim" tattooed on your forehead; at least that wouldn't block any of your vision.

But, people buy this rubbish. A week later at work, I saw someone wearing an almost identical pair - these at least had the name written on the sides rather than the lenses. It still looks like you've let your 6-year-old kid design them for you, and the only thing it conveys to this curmudgeon is "look at me, I had more money than sense!". Because of course, now you have less money than you used to, because you paid far too much for your glasses.

Ironically enough, as I type this I am wearing a t-shirt given to me as a present a couple of years ago by my sister-in-law. It has the name of a well-known sportswear brand in large letters across the front. In my defense, I will only say that it's a functional shirt, and I paid no extra for it.

I think a lot of this stuff is equivalent to the tail of the peacock - status symbols, and the more expensive the better. I do wonder if the engineering mindset - emphasizing superfunctional feathers and showing off by flying really fast - is just another strategy. Or in my case, pointing out the poor aerodynamics of peacock tails and remarking how one is too smart to lumber oneself with such a thing.

Certainly it is just one of the ObSpouse's attractive qualities that I can be perfectly confident that she would never pay good money for such a poorly designed piece of advertising hype.

Peacock's tails at least have the redeeming quality of being intrinsically attractive, which is far too rare in fashionable clothing over the centuries. After all, if it looked good in and of itself, everyone would have it already, and it wouldn't be fashionable, now would it?

You people are not quite sane.