oh no, dont get me wrong, Im not saying it SHOULD be about fashion or that I do it for those reasons.
I was just equating the gear that we wear to golfers who look forward to putting on THEIR best gear ( not meaning a $700 rod and $500 reel) but whatever they have and value. For example, I dont have simms, or a king pin or islander reel, but I do have decent "starter" gear and I look forward to wearing it every time I go out. I think you should enjoy what your wearing and what your fishing with because for me, thats also part of the experience.
I HATE though, when people look down on others because they have "crappy" gear. I started fishing when I was 5, came to Canada at 9 years old and been fishing here ever since with my dad. We didnt come with much, and certainly are not rich right now. We started with canadian tire gear and valued every hook and sinker we had because it was expensive. Now that I have a decent job, paid off university...I can allow myself to have the things I always wanted but never allowed myself...and that makes me enjoy the decent gear that I have so far accumulated. But because I know where I came from and knowing that having $1000 gear doesnt give you any better chance of catching a fish than the guy with $100 gear, I never, ever look down on anyone that has "cheap" stuff.