Hey Grace,
If it's any consolation, I know there is absolutely NOTHING pretentious about you!!
Wear those heels and work it, girl!
My Dad had only one splurge when I was growing up, and that was a membership at the local country club because golf is one of his passions.
Needless to say, between our family station wagon and my JCPenney/Kmart clothes, I definitely did not fit in.
But I always remembered what my parents told me... that a lot of people driving BMW's and wearing the most expensive clothes from the local downtown boutiques were living that lifestyle completely on credit, and didn't actually own a single thing they were showing off.
Paying things off as soon as possible is a very important rule in my family.
We won't impress you with what we have or how fancy/expensive it is, but our goal is to keep working and saving for what we have or need so that eventually, we won't owe anyone anything.
I have nothing against anyone who can afford nice things and has a humble attitude about it. But when I see people trying a little too hard to show off what they have or or just bought, the first thing I'm thinking about is how much their payments are, and how long they'll be a slave to them.