New money (or money unearned through hard work) shows it off... old money doesn't have to...
Typical scenario here is young girl carrying $1500 dollar LV bag, $400 Dior/Gucci/Prada sunglasses, $300 True Religion jeans (before, played out now) leaving the mall in her $18K Jetta... I wonder if she even has the cash in the amount of her jeans in her Gucci wallet?? Not likely... See and be seen is great for some... you can take any tramp, dress her in nice clothes and jewelry, and she's still a tramp, albeit a well-dressed one... :lol:
I have a different philosophy... I'm not one to tell someone how to spend their money... they can buy whatever they can "afford"... but I feel that only a certain type of person can rock certain items and make the clothes/jewelry work, not the other way around...