[mousepod]

I guess I found the OP a little flame-baity too (sorry, GD).

Back when I was a single guy, the idea of spending any kind of money (insert your own dollar amount here, based on whatever scale applies today) on clothing was silly to me. The concept of spending $100 on a piece of cloth that you tie in a knot around your neck was retarded (actually, I still don't own that many ties). Once I met and fell in love with someone who owned as many dresses as I did LPs (we're talking in the thousands, here), I started to understand the concepts of fashion a little bit better.

If a beloved Mickey hat that was once $6 was now $50, I'd understand the disgust - but you are talking apples and oranges. These are not souvenir t-shirts. These are not even "nice clothing". They are a Disney version of a fashion item that is even more pricey when sold in other places in the world.

I am sure that everyone to a person I have ever met at a DL meet owns at least one item of clothing that someone else considers extravagant. How much do you think the Disney Hawaiian shirts are marked up?

The clothing in question takes up one small section in THE LARGEST DISNEY GIFT SHOP IN THE WORLD (oops. guess my caps lock got stuck).

If the thread was about the bizarre spherical character pillows (ugly, yes. but I bought one anyway), the $5 map, the overpriced jewelry, the Shag stuff (it ain't all $15), then it might make sense. But it would be boring, because we all know that gift items and souvenirs are all famously overpriced.

If a visitor Disney fan who normally spends $200 on t-shirts at Fred Segal visits the WoD and sees a similary constructed shirt with a favorite character on it and plunks down her cash and leaves happy, I don't see how a frugal APer is part of the equation. It wasn't made for you.

And that's why I found the OP to be a little snide. If it said "Why does Disney feel the need to pursue a high-fashion audience?" or "High fashion is stupid," I think it would be more honest.