From Ralph Lauren's Bandhani-inspired skirt to Vetements' 'Iron Burnt' shirt: Why ultra-rich buy what others consider bizarre and 'garbage'

From unconventional fashion choices to almost-weird accessories, the bizarre choices boil down to the fact that ultra rich will buy whatever the luxury brands offer.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. The adage has long been associated with how things that are deemed useless by the rich are dearer to the poor. But the tables have turned now.

A common man's garbage is now the ultra-rich's popular fashion choice.

Don't trust us? See this.

Balenciaga's Rs 2 lakh red hot chips bag that resembled a Lay's chips packet, a tape bracelet that was the replica of a roll of transparent adhesive tape, Vetements's "Iron Burn" shirt that sells for Rs 1 lakh, which resembles the mistakenly burnt shirts that our mothers are now using for mopping the house and the list goes on.

Then comes the luxury brands' brilliant move of profiting by replicating Indian designs that sell for Rs 200 or less in local markets. Take for example, the recent Bandhani-inspired Ralph Lauren's skirt that is selling for a whopping Rs 44,800 as listed on their website.

Louis Vuitton Auto-Rickshaw Bag sells for Rs 35 lakh 

In the end, it all boils down to the fact that ultra-rich will buy whatever the luxury brands offer.

And what is even surprising is the fact that there are actually buyers for such stuff, of course those are definitely the ones with deep pockets, but this doesn't make the fact any less important.

But what drives this fascination for unnecessarily super expensive items that bite dust in the closet after a use, if at all?

Experts believe it usually stems from peer pressure.

"Buying these commodities could be a manifestation of peer pressure or signalling a shift in social standing, could also be a representation of need to possess valuable and exquisite collectibles, which in turn fuels a sense of confidence and accomplishment and improves self-image," Dr Sharadhi C, Consultant - Psychiatry, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, said.

Moschino Ink-Stained Shirt sells for Rs 50,000

This, coupled with the fear of missing out, sometimes drive people into impulsive buying.

"At the very end of behavioural spectrum though, hurrying into buying expensive items without proper planning, followed by regret, mostly at the spur of the moment, could indicate a difficulty in impulse control and a tendency towards impulsive decision-making styles," Dr Sharadhi added.

And then there's the rat race of who hops on the trend first. Because the first to join the trend is often as respected as the one who started it, if not more.

Of course, then there's the brand name which influences people's buying decision because the luxurious the brand, the higher is one's status in the society.

So much so that the brand's name often dominates one's buying decisions.

"Our brains are conditioned into believing that the costlier the better. With this, humans are trained into believing that whatever these high-end luxury brands are selling is trendy and a must-have. And if we don't buy it, we are missing out in life," Dr Sharadhi said, while adding that this can be one of the biggest reasons why the ultra rich don't think twice before buying such questionable clothing and accessories.

And with all the money in the world, it goes without saying one would like to invest in something that raises their social standards and satisfy their quirky demands.

Amid all this, it's always the brands that cash-in on people's emotions.