What is quality?

This week in class we discussed the topic that the upper class determines what quality is. For example, when it comes to fashion, what makes Chanel better than Gap? Because the hierarchical ladder factors into consumer branding, there is a social misconception of what quality really is. All of the major designer brands out there have one thing in common: pricing. The designers market themselves as “better” by making their goods extremely expensive and purchasable only to the upper class that has money. So when someone from the middle class can get a hold of one of these items, it is no wonder they feel the need to justify their outrageous splurging by saying, “But its better quality.”

Does buying something that costs more mean it is better? I think that there is a major misinterpretation of what quality really is. Designer labels have created such a high status to the public that they are able to market themselves as being more expensive and of higher quality because only the upper class can purchase the items on a regular basis. Although I do think that some designer brands do make true quality items, I also think that they have conjured a false image by allowing people to believe that quality equals price.