Reply To: Brand Names�Wasting Money

“then what they choose to spend it on is their own choice and no one else’s business.”

That is not correct. It is the business of Hashem: I am simply reminding them of that.

There are two issues: Spending money on “extra” things that could go to tzedaka which is ok but should be limited and spending money on things that are for status and not for pleasure which is not ok. Your case of spending money on designer brands for the purpose of pleasure exclusively would fall into the former category- though to claim that it is the primary motivation of rov people would be to delude yourself for there are many ways of making such things known to others apart from an outer brand.