Indulgent is middle name of many Indonesian yuppies

JAKARTA (JP): "Riches are for spending," wrote 17th century English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon.

Three centuries later and halfway round the world, those words ring true for many of Jakarta's young well-to-do.

Occupying prominent job positions which bloat their bank accounts, Indonesian yuppies claim consumerism is now more often a necessity than a luxury.

Some argue that they are merely sampling the rewards of their hard-earned money.

"For me it is relaxing," said Martin Tanu of Fastindo.

"It's just natural that I can spend as much as I make," said the 32-year-old executive, who quickly shrugs of any suggestion that his lavish spending is ostentatious and self-indulgent.

"Wouldn't you want to primp yourself if you could? Doesn't everyone want to make themselves look good?" he said, contending that only a matter of personal opinion separates looking glamorous and appearing presentable.

Like Martin, many others claim their high-profile professions demand such indulgence.

"It would be inappropriate for me to wear ragged attire to work," argues Herlina Chandra, 30, who says she spends a hefty sum on clothes.

The director of Ongko Securities can spree on new clothes two or three times a month, but will also hold off for several months if "not in the mood".

Sartorial finery cuts into much of the yuppies' income, as brand name clothes often carry significant personal value.

The actual amounts vary, but an average of up to 40 percent of their monthly salary is spent on clothing.

Arleta Darusalam, 27, says she is crazy about shoes.

"I buy shoes once a week," said the director of EF English First, an international English language school.

"As long as they fit my small feet and match my clothes, I will take them, no matter how much they cost," she said of her collection of 60 pairs of shoes in sizes 34-35.

Her shoes, priced at between Rp 200,000 to Rp 300,000 a pair, are comparatively inexpensive compared to her clothes or handbags. The latter can cost more than Rp 1 million each.

She favors Loewe for handbags and Moschino for clothes, which cost between Rp 3 million to Rp 5 million for an ensemble.

Brand names are not the selling point for Molek Suryanti, 27, who nevertheless confesses to a penchant for Versace designs and Louis Vuitton handbags.

Even though the purchasing manager of Bali Jeff Group buys clothes at least once at the end of each month, there is always space for "new arrivals" in her closet.

"I get bored easily with my clothes," she said. "After three or four months, I give them to my sisters or relatives."

Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall, Plaza Indonesia and Sogo top the favored shopping destinations. But places such as Mangga Dua are also becoming attractive to people like Molek.

Given their high mobility and increasing cross-border commercial dealings, many are in the habit of shopping overseas.

Arleta, whose work requires her to travel abroad regularly, professes to broad tastes in her choice of shopping locales.

"I can go shopping at any place, but I mostly buy my clothes in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok in Asia, and in New York or Washington D.C. in the U.S.," she said.

"But last month I was in Stockholm for a conference and I spent some time shopping, too."

Apart from attire, dining and entertainment are other expense mainstays for both sexes. For men in particular, electronics and electronic gadgets figure prominently in their purchasing habit.

Arleta prefers to unwind in a pub after a tiring nine-hour work day.

Checkers at the Mandarin Oriental, BATS at Shangri-La Hotel and Garasi at Bapindo Plaza are among her regular haunts.

"After dinner, I might spend two hours at Checkers and then move to another pub for another couple of hours before ending up eating bubur ayam (chicken porridge) at Hotel Indonesia or nasgor kambing (lamb fried rice) on Jl. Kebon Sirih ... it's a kind of bar hopping," she said.

Martin Tanu prefers to relax at one of the many cafes in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Cynics deride this high living and lavish spending on brand name goods as grasping for acceptance, a slavish yearning to be one of the "in" crowd.

But the yuppies answer that they only want quality.

"I don't think brand names are an absolute," Martin said. "I'd get a non-brand name if it looked good -- its the quality that counts."

Sarah Yana, an account manager at Bates Advertising, said quality and brand names often come together. "I don't really care about brands. As long as it is good quality and I like it, I'll buy. But you know, quality items usually have brands."

Sarah has developed a taste for alternative goods. "I love shopping for ethnic stuff," she said.

Widya Saraswati, deputy managing editor of lifestyle magazine Tiara, noted a growing trend for art work purchases among yuppies. But their knowledge and appreciation of art trends remains rudimentary at best, she added.

"They'll ask who the painter of the day is, and buy the paintings without any understanding of the significance or aesthetic value of the work," she said.

To spend or not to spend is no longer the question for yuppies here. What to spend it on and where is now the issue.(aan/mds/sim)