There are materialistic people out there who buy things for the sake of having/flaunting it, or even for the sake of spending money (I guess this coincides with a sort of status symbol, you know? like 'ooh I have THIS bag, therefore I am better than you' type of thing).
Then there are people out there, who use fashion as a way to express themselves, their feelings and ideas. Just as a painter, writer or musician would.
Nobody said you had to spend a lot of money for the sake of fashion. You don't even have to necessarily wear what's 'on-trend' or of a certain label/brand/designer.
I think Yves Saint Laurent made a valid point when he said, “fashions fade, style is eternal.” You can't buy style, you either have it or you don't.
YSL