French vs Asian/American Spending

What I've never been truly able to understand is how we spend out disposable income on consumer goods. To have some context, let's talk about handbags.

The French Way: Purchase select, perennial, lifelong (or hella long) pieces.
The Asian/American Way: Buy whatever's on sale, the cheaper the better.

There are a lot of self-help books about learning to think about spending your disposable income the "French" way; lord knows the French have tiny closets, but in those closets contain pieces of clothing and accessories that have been carefully picked out. In our closets (even mine) are heaps of cheap clothes picked because they were on sale, in fashion, or just cheap. Apparently, we don't think and buy; we just buy. I suppose it's kind of true. There are a lot of items of clothing I bought, wore <10 times and now have scattered over my floor. But being a packrat (as many of us are), I cling on to the hope that maybe it will come into use again, that maybe I will have a reason to wear it, that I will be "into" it again. As I'm writing these words, I realize I have to clean out my closet as I really only wear about 50% of the clothes I own. I won't even get to shoes; because I do need that white pair of peeptoes occasionally <_< >_>

But onto handbags. A lot of people have problems with buying a handbag that isn't on sale. Or just buying a handbag over $100. I'm not talking about Louis Vuitton and Gucci and all the other bags everyone else has because it's a popular brand. I'm talking about good quality bags. Tasteful bags. Bags that the French would pick because it complemented and added to what they already had. I'm hard-pressed to find a bag I'm satisfied with in any sale that I go to, and more than once I had bought a less-expensive handbag similar to the one I actually wanted with the thought that I could live with the cheap, PVC substitute until I had enough money to afford a nice leather one. Well, that PVC satchel has spiders living it while I'm mooching off of my mother's handbags (the tasteful ones *surprisingly* not bought in a sale or outlet). Maybe it's something about handbags going on sale. 70% 80% 90% off! But when I look at the selection, I wonder why anyone would buy these handbags even though they're so cheap. They're ugly. They're random. Sure, they're name-brand, but why would you want to a neon-green cotton argyle messenger bag even if a company like Louis Vuitton made it? Why would you buy a bag just because it's Cole Haan or Juicy? Just because it's cheap and leather doesn't mean it's not totally fugly.

Having this kind of mentality towards these things doesn't make me a snob. It doesn't make me bougey. It means I spend my money (or will try to more often) carefully on good quality, tasteful, lasting items, and who wouldn't want to do that?