What justifies an "expensive" kit
 

Ive been looking for more interesting kit and ive noticed that the ones i gravitate towards tend up being at least $100 just for jersey or bibs

I understand the cost of bibs more since thats the more important piece that affords comfort to your jiblets

What justifies spending $300 on a fancy shirt and pair of shorts ?

Vanity

Comfort.

Past a certain point a lack of understanding what marginal gains are is a big contributor as well.

Style.

If you ride in a group, there is a social aspect to "dressing up nice". So beyond comfort, it might make you feel better and ride better.

I am bad to neglect fashion when I am out running errands that don't involve a lot of human interaction. My daughter describes my attire as "an odd mix of post apocalyptic and neo homeless"

An Assos FI:13 bib costs $400. $300? That's a bargain. ;)

EDIT: PLUS TAXES!!!

I paid a completely stupid price for a Rapha kit, it was my first kit actually.
I've decide to buy something top of the line because I knew I wouldn't wear an ugly and uncomfortable kit full of logos.

Comfort i can understand completely, but how is my jersey gonna be any more "comfortable" if it costs 4x as much as a plain black one?

Unless that bib is giving you a constant orgasm while riding that is dumb.

Nothing justifies it, the question is..."do I have this much money, do I want to buy this with it?" Also, "how "hip" am I?"

So far, I've received more comments on my cheap miller high life jersey than anything else I have.

Why do Gucci jeans cost more than Levi's?

With stuff like Rapha and Assos, along with paying for quality stuff, a big part of it is the name. Sorta like Seau's Gucci jeans example. Made almost exactly the same, but that name jacks the price up.

fits good

looks good

i would like to point at that though i have $125 jerseys, my favorite jersey is still a used one i bought for $15. it doesn't get all the comments, nor is it particularly special. i like how i look in it and it fits great.

i have $110 bibs and they ride sooooo great compared to my cheaper $30-40 stuff. the chamois is great quality, super cushy, AND it's in all the right places.

fwiw, i do think rapha is some pretty good stuff. i would like to get some more pieces down the line.

Levi's also cost significantly more than Old Navy jeans.

And Old Navy jeans last for about a year at most.

Old Navy jeans are absolute ****.

Their t shirts are ok though.

So far I've bought about 3 Old Navy jeans in a row and they're having a pretty good run. My oldest pair is like, 3 years old right now.

You are right though, all except one of my Levi's are still running strong.

I've taken a liking to Cheap Monday jeans over the past couple years, but that's neither here nor there until they start making bibs.

i work at the gap, ON & banana republic are all owned by them

their quality is tiered

old navy (crap)
gap (mostly crap)
banana republic (more expensive crap)

+1 My first bike kit was bottom of the line pearl izumi stuff. Later I got a castelli bib that was about twice the price (and it was on sale!), it was 10x more comfortable than the pi stuff. The castelli chamois sat perfectly in my nether regions. I got a Rapha jersey this last fall and I was really impressed. The fit isn't as tight as a castelli jersey. It looks a lot better and the wool blend is comfy in mild temps. Oh and it doesn't stink like other synthetics do. I want to try a Rapha bib, but i only get the stuff when i can find it on sale or cheap on ebay.

Depends on the Levi's...
http://www.mrporter.com/product/312255

Bigger ugly logos

Yeah, and Assos is insanely overpriced...like Rapha.

The bibs are nice, I was dubious at first, but now most of my bibs are Rapha -- considerably better fitting than my Assos bibs.

Material and construction. R&D costs.
A better example/ place to not skimp out on for comfort are bibs/ shorts, a higher end pair has more panels sewn together providing a more ergonomic and less restrictive fit that better hugs your body providing more freedom in addition to a chamois that is likewise with such bells and whistles as variable density foam, etc.
All of which require more man hours, materials, hardware, skill to produce.