No. Some of us don’t wear makeup, don’t waste money on “age defying” products, etc. If I go to Walmart to buy a pair of jeans, regular retail cheapest pair for me is going to be $20. If I’m lucky I find something on sale. My husband I can walk right in and grab a pair for about $11. Always.
The other item proportionately overpriced are children’s clothes. They are using about half the material and charging the same price as adult clothes.
I was raised by parents who grew up during the Great Depression, so they were thrifty, and I adopted many of their ways. It's all right to spend a little more on a few extravagances, but I can't see squandering money on something just because society says you have to be a certain kind of “beautiful” or you have to look young in order to be accepted. If society doesn't like the way I look, **** ‘em.
I feel your pain since I am a woman. The increase in cost is due to the constantly changing fashion trends. It would be wonderful to find a brand that didn't change from year to year. Sometimes when I find a very comfortable shoe or item of clothing, I stock up because next year it won't be there.
For example, two years ago Fruit of the Loom made a terrific long underwear tee. The next year, the fabric and cut of the arms changed slightly and it was very uncomfortable. I gave these to my daughter. Her arms are very thin.
Shoes are another item. My husband buys a pair of shoes and ten years later he can get the same brand and style.
Regarding children's clothing:
The major cost is not the fabric. It is the labor and the constantly changing styles.
And, for every one of you, there are 20 women who own 30 pairs of shoes and enough skin creams to tan an elephant hide.
And, as for the jeans, the manufacturer knows that your husband doesn’t care his his jeans have a baggy butt. But women will not buy stuff that makes them look less than they imagine they should look.
Only for the imprudent.
Only Nana pays retail for my daughter's clothes. We buy brand name, new stuff, on e-bay, then sell it again when she out grows it.
We hardly notice the expense.
Of course, my wife is a diligent bargain hunter.
Another couple factors would be the man will wear out that $11 pair of jeans in much less time than the woman will wear out the $20 pair. But then without the woman forcing the issue, he will continue to wear the worn out jeans until they are publicly indecent, thus getting more for his buck than the woman.