Originally Posted by noimagination

Some of us "of a certain age" remember the J. Peterman catalog. Same kind of thing. It it a cycling jersey? Is it a lifestyle choice? Is it a personal statement? Is it a philosophical statement? Some find this amusing, some ignore it completely, some buy into it - an American phenomenon (no longer uniquely American - see "Crazy Rich Asians"), substituting "things" for a personality and an ethical system. Some are able to look past all of that and un-ironically wear their stuff because it works for them.

I remember bikesnob was on an "artisanal" tear a few years ago (remember the artisanal hatchet?). Rahpa's adverts are part of that "artisanal" trend, which seems to mostly(?) have died out.

(Disclaimer: I have zero experience with Rapha's products, I've only seen a couple of their ads long ago, I don't know if they've changed in the past couple of years.)