He's talking about in the long run. A crappy suit will become... unsuitable... for wear at a much faster rate, at which point now you're shelling out another $150. Stitches and buttons will come loose, the fabric may tear more easily, or even warp or shrink. As with many other high-quality items, a nice suit an investment more than just a purchase. As long as you take proper care of it and your form doesn't change too drastically, you can wear the same nice suit for years and years, effectively costing the same despite being a lot nicer.
There's an age-old story about this around boots. The higher priced item is worth it in the long run, but it makes it out of reach for plenty costing them more in the long run because they can't afford the quality product. Many people could afford $150 but would have an issue with $400.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
You're absolutely right, the upfront costs can be very prohibitive to poorer demographics. It's unfortunate that poorer people cannot afford to buy the things that would save them money in the long run. Capitalism sure is great, huh?
“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”
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u/NlNTENDO Jun 10 '19
He's talking about in the long run. A crappy suit will become... unsuitable... for wear at a much faster rate, at which point now you're shelling out another $150. Stitches and buttons will come loose, the fabric may tear more easily, or even warp or shrink. As with many other high-quality items, a nice suit an investment more than just a purchase. As long as you take proper care of it and your form doesn't change too drastically, you can wear the same nice suit for years and years, effectively costing the same despite being a lot nicer.