This is kind of at work - I was at the company Christmas party and one of my coworkers was dressed in a heinous novelty 'ugly Christmas suit.' Like, suit jacket, pants, and tie that was Christmas-themed.
I overheard my significant other talking to another party guest who said, "Yeah, I was going to get that suit, too."
SO: "What?! Where do you even get something like that?"
Party guest: "Amazon."
SO: "Wow, it looks like it fits him so well."
Party guest: "He got it tailored. That's what I was going to do."
The suit is at least $100 and I don't know how much it costs to tailor a two piece suit that will probably never see the outside of the closet again. The coworker wearing said Christmas suit has complained about being in debt, from student loan and consumer debt (though I don't know the total figure). He drives to work in a sporty new car that, if I remember correctly, he wanted to get to go to race tracks (but he never has) and is being financed at well over $900/mo (he's been telling most people this... that this is why he "has to work overtime"), but he also owns 3-4 other cars, some of which don't work, and has to pay all the usual fees related to owning cars (insurance, etc.), but won't bother selling them and says it's "hard" because they're in his hometown at his mom's house nearly 400 miles away. He also bought the iPhone 10 when it came out (oops, I meant financed - he didn't pay for that in cash), along with those cordless ear buds and a fancy phone case and screen protector. He is on a Coachella payment plan for the second year in a row (he says it's a great idea because it's 0% interest), and also frequently goes to live concerts/festivals, almost every other week it seems. I hear a lot about him going out drinking a lot with other coworkers. I rarely see him in the same clothes, because he is always getting new stuff at fast fashion stores like H&M, and other places I'm sure. He has said he "can't afford to save for retirement," much less any money. We went to the same school, have the degree, have the same job, but have completely different priorities. It just really astounds me. But this is the norm, I've noticed, for people my age.
Also, our company isn't really like a huge company that turns over loads and loads or profits or anything but does OK I guess, and a lot of people were dressed in really overly fancy attire that didn't really seem to suit their current lifestyle because most of them definitely don't dress that nice to work. I overheard they specifically got outfits and accessories for the event (which is something they do for every Christmas party, apparently). It was also supposed to be a masquerade-themed party, so more money was wasted on masks and things like that. Lots of people were talking about how much they spent on dresses, shoes, etc. "The dress was only $150!" and "The shoes were only like $30, so it's like no big deal." And these were just the people who thought they got a great deal and wanted to talk, so I'm sure others spent more. Also talking about they bought some other dresses last time from online shopping but didn't like it, and couldn't be bothered to return because you know, it's just $100, $150, or $200 here or there... but these are the same people who complain they "don't get paid that much" and act like they can't afford to have a nice meal, but then go eat out every day instead of packing their own lunch or go out all the time to concerts and bars. They were all headed out to a club afterward to, you know, pay cover fees and pay more for expensive cocktails.
In contrast, I was wearing a $7 Goodwill dress that I got specifically because I wanted to get something simple to re-wear that could be dressed up or down. Since I already the basic shoes and coat, I didn't 'need' to buy anything else. I just can't justify or fathom spending more that for one event. Nuts. Good to remind myself that it's OK not to be "normal" because "normal" is being in a constant state of debt, or not putting yourself first.