Aww...BA, I feel your pain! How many of us haven't felt like that at one time or another, especially in some of the "snobbier" stores? It's good to remember that we are usually the only one having those thoughts about us, though!
I felt like that one day at Barney's. I'd only ever gone in to look at shoes, and then one day I walked upstairs because I was looking for a pair of jeans and Nordstrom's didn't have them. There were all these gorgeous clothes I'd only ever seen online. Not the super expensive stuff downstairs like Stella McCartney. But the Acne, Isabel Marant type things. The fabrics were so nice. The prices were very high, but I tried them on anyway. Ya know what? Nobody cared. I had fun! And ya know what else? I actually realized I preferred some of my "lower priced" things at home, in that they suited my needs better. THAT was a great feeling. One I wouldn't have had if I hadn't "braved" the dressing room :).
At the same time, it's nice to have that moment where you realize that you do desire to have better for yourself...not necessarily more expensive, but better quality fabrics, cuts. It's like raising the bar on what you allow yourself to have. I have found it's part of the education of what's out there vs. what I want vs. money to spend. There are ways to find wonderful stylish things and with thrift, ebay etc., less funding doesn't have to hold us back. I found the exact same 800 dollar leather jacket (that I paid $300 for on sale at Nordstrom's) brand new with tags on ebay for $39.00. Seriously, the exact same jacket!
With the new collaborations of designers with Target, H & M, etc. there is more opportunity for nicely designed things at lower price points, too. I have several things from Gap and Target collaborations, oh, Urban Outfitter too, that are really nice, with lots of details that often are what makes the price go up.
