When my son unboxed a Gucci hoodie his face lit up with surprise and excitement. I’d heard of Gucci of course and figured the sweater was probably around $500. A lot for a sweater but nothing too shocking. I kept my thoughts to myself not wanting to dampen his happiness in front of everyone.
The evening went on and after all the kids were in bed the adults started talking about the sweater. That’s when someone casually mentioned the price: $2500. I thought they were joking. But then someone pulled it up online to show me. Sure enough there it was a $2500 hoodie. I couldn’t hold back a laugh and said “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I probably shouldn’t have said it but I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of spending that much on a single item of clothing especially a hoodie. My comment sparked a bit of tension. Some people seemed offended and others chuckled along. Still I couldn’t shake the thought why would anyone think this was a reasonable gift for a kid.
For the record I didn’t say anything negative about the sweater while my son was around. I didn’t want to ruin his excitement or make him feel bad about receiving it. But in private I couldn’t help but express my honest thoughts.
After sharing this story people had a lot to say.
One person asked “Who gave him a $2500 Gucci sweater? That’s such a ridiculous gift.”
Another suggested “Why not ask your son if he’d rather sell it and keep the $2000 instead? I bet most kids would jump at that.”
Reflecting on the situation I wonder if I was too blunt but I stand by my feelings. It’s hard to understand spending so much on something that will likely be outgrown or out of style in a few years. My son loves it though and at the end of the day I suppose that’s what matters most.