On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:01:12 –0700, "KM" <kthyn...@aol.com> wrote:
x–no–archive: yes
http://tinyurl.com/ldxt
My understanding of pretentious is it is mostly used describing people
pretending to have things that they don't.
No, I don't think that's right. You're confusing "pretentious" and
"pretending" or fake. Pretentious is name–dropping and label
flaunting and generally showing off in a snobby way.
If you buy a Birkin just so you
can say you have a Birkin, that's pretentious.
That's not the same thing you said above, but yes, that would be
nearer the meaning. Buying a Birkin to say "oh, could you pass me my
Birkin" and hoping the listener gets the reference.
This would go along with
those who buy the fakes.
Nah, if you say "pass me my Birkin" and it's a fake, you're a fake. I
have a couple of those "Birkin–style" bags that Fiona Ho sells. To me
they're just bags, and that's all I'd call them. If I tried to pass
them off as the real deal (I'm sure I could in my crowd) that would be
damn sad. Mind you, if they _did_ know what they cost and thought I'd
paid that much for a bag, they'd probably have me certified. ;)
If you can actually afford a Birkin, then that's
just who you are and that's not pretentious, you just demand quality.
Absolutely. My point wasn't about _buying_ Birkins. If one can afford
them, likes them enough, etc then that's find and dandy. Everybody
has different priorities and different levels of what they think is
fair price, and more power to them. I was only saying that using "my
Birkin" as a phrase might be pretentious (and I'm not saying it is,
just raising the thought). Obviously if one needed to draw a
difference, as in "pass me my Birkin" when it's next to a LV of the
same size and colour, then it serves a purpose. To just say it when
"bag" (purse, etc) would serve seems _pointed_ to me.
I could say my car or I could say my Bentley, but the thing is, I am still
describing the same car.
Yes, but if you wouldn't say "Yugo" in the same situation, I maintain
there's a difference in motivation. My car is neither super expensive
nor embarrassingly cheap, so maybe if I swapped it for a Ferrari I
_would_ say "I'll fetch the Ferrari"... but I honestly don't think so,
and I don't really think I want to be the sort of person who does.
But there could be an amount of Britishness involved here!
Generalising is always difficult, but we tend not to like ostentation
as a rule. (Elton John is the clear exception. ;))
If I am in front of someone who has little, I
probably would be extra cautious not to use the word Bentley or I could say
my Arnage and they probably would not know what I meant.
Mmmm... why would you assume that?
Bottom line, if someone is going to call you pretentious, it's probably not
someone you want to be friends with anyway.
I'm sure that's true. I daresay the opposite is also true, that one
doesn't want to be friends with somebody one considers pretentious.
Birkins are fashionable and
that's what this group is about.
Sure, but it's interesting to discuss the deeper elements of fashion
occasionally, and it's place in society, rather than just "what colour
shoes did you buy", no? An interest in fashion does not, despite what
some folks think, have to equal "shallow", as many AFers show.
Namecallers are never fashionable, unless
green is the new black for the year. Not saying you are a namecaller,
Maudie. I know we are just discussing.
Good.
––
m a u d i e
Posting stats, a "when I feel like it" service,
at Yahoo! Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/af_geeks/
(latest date: August 11th 2003)