Designer clothes are designed clothes. The pretentiousness of looking like you have money was still there, just people do it differently now. You don’t scream “money” by wearing a suit you could’ve got tailored at Macy’s. There’s douchebag designer shit you can wear where it’s clear you spent a lot on it, and people recognize it.

Clothes and dressing nice has always had a pretentious side. Some people used to just be showing off they could afford a suit and nice clothes. Now it doesn’t mean as much. You show off you can afford to spend extra money on designer jeans.