How much is it

Based on true story.

I was at the wedding of one of my colleagues. I had worn an elegant dress and with that I had worn pearl accessories. Those pearl accessories really pretty. The necklace was very delicate and looked a really fantastic. A lot of my friends and colleagues had already complimented that it looked really gorgeous. But then there was a colleague who wanted to know everything about it.
"Where did you get it from?" Her eyes glued to my neck staring intensely at my necklace.
"I bought it from Amazon. Do you want the link for it?" I provided her with adequate details along with a polite enquiry.
"How much did you pay for it?" She asked me as if it was an appropriate question.
"I will share the link with you. You can see it for yourself," I tried to keep it as polite as possible.

A lot of people will question if this question was inappropriate at all? The answer is yes. It was definitely inappropriate. In the old times they used to say that a man's salary should not be asked and a woman's age should not be asked. This should for the extended in the modern times that nobody should ask the price of your outfit or accessory.

Let me share the explanation towards this. Nowadays people are judged based on their lifestyle choices. Though it is completely wrong this still happens. If someone buys something expensive then they are accused of contributing to the cruel capitalism. If someone by something from a well known brand then it is considered to be a showoff or open display of their wealth. If someone buys something that is inexpensive or cost effective then they are considered to be taking advantage of the poor. They are questioned if they have thought about how much did the worker earned from this purchase. If someone is buying something inexpensive then they are labelled as the promoters of underpaid industry. If someone purchases something mass made then they are judged as someone who is not supporting the handcrafted or artisanal articles. If someone buys handcrafted articles, then they are judged as being "behind the time" and not using the modern means. Every purchase invites judgements. All these judgements are completely incorrect. Yet these judgements continue in the modern times. Nobody likes to be judged but everybody is willing to judge others in a heartbeat.

When there are questions asked about the price of the product then a lot of judgements come in play. A simple answer will invite more questions and more judgement. Hence according to me it is really in appropriate to ask the price of anything in today's world. If you are curious then simply ask the person if they are comfortable in sharing the link of the product or they would tell you from where they have purchased it. If they tell you then find out for yourself if that item is within your budget or if you are willing to pay the price for it. But do not directly ask the question how much it is.