Lakewood Luxury Lifestyles

[shulem92]

It's irrelevant if they're spending more or not, its not about the money as much as the standard they are setting, where everybody needs to have the best highest quality of evrything. Its completely anti yidishkiet to be so concerned with materialism.

Hence this:

I got married very recently, and no one is expecting custom suits

[aygart]

I got married very recently, and no one is expecting custom suits

Yet

FTFY

[Dawie]

I'm not criticizing Mrs Kushner for dressing her kids like royalty. - they are royalty!
But Mrs Goldberg etc is not royalty and she doesn't need to buy the same brands (on layaway).

last weeks daf yomi
רשב"ג ורבי שמעון ורבי ישמעאל ורבי עקיבא כולהו סבירא להו כל ישראל בני מלכים הן
תנא משום רבי עקיבא כל ישראל ראוין לאותה איצטלא

[Fish Tank]

It's irrelevant if they're spending more or not, its not about the money as much as the standard they are setting, where everybody needs to have the best highest quality of evrything. Its completely anti yidishkiet to be so concerned with materialism.

You seem a bit out of touch. Custom suits today, are not what they used to be. They can made at top designers for $500-$600, and the cheaper ones for $300-400.
It's not a luxury like you're making it out to be. They offer it to make the chosson feel good.
He obviously isn't getting to choose from the best quality materials, but its still a suit that supposedly fits him perfectly, and has (or doesn't have) all the extra options.

[Sport]

You seem a bit out of touch. Custom suits today, are not what they used to be. They can made at top designers for $500-$600, and the cheaper ones for $300-400.
It's not a luxury like you're making it out to be. They offer it to make the chosson feel good.
He obviously isn't getting to choose from the best quality materials, but its still a suit that supposedly fits him perfectly, and has (or doesn't have) all the extra options.

Call me out of touch, perhaps I am. But my point is, it has little to do with price, it should not be necessary for a chosson to need a costum suit in order to feel special. The hyper focus on materialism is the bigger issue of which people living beyond their means  is symptomatic of.

[Emkay]

As someone already posted, they don't pay more than the price of regular suit at your local suit store.

Not a chance thats true. Not even a small one.

[shulem92]

Not a chance thats true. Not even a small one.

Why not? Do you the numbers at all? Next time I bump into the head of this fund I'll ask him for the real numbers

[Emkay]

Why not? Do you the numbers at all? Next time I bump into the head of this fund I'll ask him for the real numbers

Yes I do, pretty much. And it's ridiculous.

[thaber]

You seem a bit out of touch. Custom suits today, are not what they used to be. They can made at top designers for $500-$600, and the cheaper ones for $300-400.
It's not a luxury like you're making it out to be. They offer it to make the chosson feel good.
He obviously isn't getting to choose from the best quality materials, but its still a suit that supposedly fits him perfectly, and has (or doesn't have) all the extra options.

I don't care all that much, but you are absolutely missing the point. For any ben Torah to feel he 'deserves' or even 'should have' a custom suit is sad. Nothing to do with money. More to do with..

, it should not be necessary for a chosson to need a custom suit in order to feel special. The hyper focus on materialism is the bigger issue of which people living beyond their means  is symptomatic of.

[Fish Tank]

Not a chance thats true. Not even a small one.

Okay. You can say what you want. Doesn't mean you know what you're talking about.

[Fish Tank]

I don't care all that much, but you are absolutely missing the point. For any ben Torah to feel he 'deserves' or even 'should have' a custom suit is sad. Nothing to do with money. More to do with..

Who said anything about "deserving" or "should have" ??

It's what the organization offers. No one requested that.

[Emkay]

Okay. You can say what you want. Doesn't mean you know what you're talking about.

[yuneeq]

As someone already posted, they don't pay more than the price of regular suit at your local suit store.
 
Besides for their negotiated rate, we aren't in 1995 anymore where a custom suits costs $900 .

The negotiated rates for regular suits is way cheaper than the negotiated rate for custom suits.
#Fact

[thaber]

Who said anything about "deserving" or "should have" ??

It's what the organization offers. No one requested that.

Why would a tzedaka organization,  which raises funds to exist,  and is presumably administered by volunteers,  offer something which is more difficult to administer,  more complicated,  and conventionally more expensive if no one was interested?

[yzj]

I think we are missing the point here. When even financially strapped families (who may have just spent $20,000 for a year in seminary) feel compelled to spend $4,000-10,000 on the chosson kallah watch, ring, machzorim, etc. and several times that on the actual wedding then a $400-$500 suit is just a data point and is in consonance with all of the other expenditures.  There is no sense in hyper focusing on the suit when it is just part of the general problem of living a luxurious lifestyle beyond one's means.

[Sport]

I think we are missing the point here. When even financially strapped families (who may have just spent $20,000 for a year in seminary) feel compelled to spend $4,000-10,000 on the chosson kallah watch, ring, machzorim, etc. and several times that on the actual wedding then a $400-$500 suit is just a data point and is in consonance with all of the other expenditures.  There is no sense in hyper focusing on the suit when it is just part of the general problem of living a luxurious lifestyle beyond one's means.

The fact that  a gemach, which uses tzedakah funds and is meant to provide for people of lesser means, provides custom made suits is not just a data point, it underlines and exposes the extent of the issue.

[PlatinumGuy]

IMHO we are completely missing the point. The problem here is people who aren't educated for basic financial literacy and responsible debt.

Borrowing irresponsibly is certainly wrong. Living high lifestyles is a debate.

[cmey]

IMHO we are completely missing the point. The problem here is people who aren't educated for basic financial literacy and responsible debt.

Borrowing irresponsibly is certainly wrong. Living high lifestyles is a debate.

The issue the Voice Of Lakewood article the OP was referencing was specifically the luxury lifestyles becoming prevalent in Lakewood which is changing the Lakewood landscape. Financial illiteracy is a separate though related issue. The disscusion in the Voice was primarily centered on those ( mostly newer transplants) living the high lifestyle in Lakewood , even those who have the financial wherewithal to do so. The way I read it was not a condemnation of the lifestyle per se which is the norm in some communities such as the Five Towns etc. but specifically the introduction of that lifestyle to Lakewood and its effects on the "tzurah" of the town....

[Sport]

IMHO we are completely missing the point. The problem here is people who aren't educated for basic financial literacy and responsible debt.

Borrowing irresponsibly is certainly wrong. Living high lifestyles is a debate.

I disagree, this is the big issue- we've created a culture where the standard of living is focused on materialism and living way beyond what it should be. Everything else is symptomatic.

[churnbabychurn]

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