Saint Laurent Brass v. Hermès Silver

my Hermès silver bracelet on the beach the Maldives

Saint Laurent brass and silver plated bracelet - HK$21,340 (approx 2,754 US Dollars!!!!) on www.net-a-porter.com

If you google the price per ounce of brass, you keep getting websites in America for scrap metal sellers, and the price is quoted in pounds rather than ounces. Per pound, the price seems to average between 2 and 3 US Dollars.

Silver on the other hand, costs about 20 US Dollars per ounce.  A pound has 16 ounces, so that's about 320 US Dollars per pound for silver.

I suppose we often don't buy fashionable things for their true value. If there is enough hype, or if we believe the item we covet could be a fashion investment, we may forget the material value of the item is rather non-existent.

I have been seduced by Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent as much as the next fashion victim, but this is too stupid even for me. My classic silver Hermès bracelet costs approximately 900 US Dollars less than the costume jewelry version by Hedi Slimane. When have you ever read such a sentence before? A costume jewelry copy bracelet cost 900 US Dollars more than a silver Hermès bracelet.

Here in Asia, we hear reports every day that the retail industry is not doing well. And you wonder why. We as consumers need to wake up and demand quality and value for money (i.e. not buy ridiculously overpriced brass bracelets by Hedi Slimane, but go to Hermès instead. I never thought I would be able to say that but I am loving every syllable of that statement).