Plaid, plaid, everywhere... but not a scarf that's cheap.

Just a quick comment on plaid. First off, I noticed a coworker wearing the ever-recognizable Burberry pattern yesterday. Then, on the way to work today, my bus passed the prestigious Connecticut Avenue Burberry store. I also passed at least three other people this morning, all wearing Burberry accessories. Now, I ask you, what is so special about this brand? It’s plaid, people. I mean, honestly.

Did you know that Burberry has been around since about 1850? Today, it’s a $1 billion plus business, traded publicly in the UK. One BILLION dollars! A billion dollars worth of plaid. It’s not even that cool… or, is it?

I did some research on the Burberry Web site. The average scarf is about $200. The average wallet is also about $200. They have hats, umbrellas, gloves, skirts, coats, even a children’s line. And it all has a touch of that classic plaid pattern. Can you believe they subject little kids to this? Little 3-foot tall kids, clad in plaid. Scary.

Well, maybe someday, I too can own a Burberry accessory. Someday when I have money to burn. Someday when I really want to be super preppy. Someday when I join a country club. Someday when I care about status symbols, no matter what they cost… or how out of style they really are…