A tale of two shirts

A few years ago I discovered a gem of a thrift-store find: a blue Thomas Pink travelers shirt with my exact measurements, for $7. For those unfamiliar with the brand, these are top-quality handsewn shirts that sell for well over $150 each...a cut (literally) above anything you might otherwise consider superb (think: Brooks Brothers or Jos.Bank).

For all intents and purposes, it's my favorite shirt. I wear it for headshots, high-profile dates, and job interviews. But it's not the shirt I wear the most. (In fact, it's probably the shirt I wear the least.)

What is? Enter the overpriced $45 IZOD blue flannel shirt my Mom got me from Khols last Christmas. It's not pretty (comparitively), it was probably made in China by a machine, but it is really comfortable. And--considering I sport it as a de facto robe--you can find me wearing it pretty much every other day.

It gets worn the most often, but it's not my favorite. How can this be? Value is subjective (and contextual). And preference isn't always a function of utility or price. (Keep that in mind the next time you make something to buy).