By Chris Cosci

Hiding the truth is a natural habit for many people. When it comes to age, people are known to either keep quiet or provide a lower number. When talking about one's job or salary, some people like to exaggerate or embellish a little. Even when we're having a bad day and somebody asks us how we're doing, we usually respond with "fine, thanks."

However, there is one topic that people seem all too eager to tell the truth about: what we wear. It seems to be a rule that we must tell the truth about our clothing, our jewelry and other accessories. We'll lie about our age and we'll tell people we make more money than we actually do. But if somebody says, "Hey, I like your shirt," we don't hesitate for a second to say, "Thanks. You know how much I paid for it? Five dollars!"

We just can't seem to keep such secrets to ourselves. Jewelry is a perfect example. Diamonds can be very expensive. Because of the high price tag, people often buy cheaper gems that look just like the real deal. But as soon as somebody comments on how nice the jewelry looks, we are compelled to shatter the illusion and reveal the truth. "They're not really diamonds, they're just cubic zirconium. But who can tell the difference?" Actually, everybody can because you keep telling them.

This also goes for knockoff items - items that look identical to the ones sold under such high-end brand names as Gucci, Kate Spade and Versace. Wherever you buy these unofficial items, you usually pay hundreds of dollars less than you would for the exact same item in a department store. To recognize the difference between your faux item and the original, you would normally have to be a certified expert in the product. But no interrogation is required when you keep talking about how fake it is and how real it looks.

And when the item is actually real, we certainly can't let people assume we paid full price (no matter how great we tell them our job is). Instead, we excitedly reveal how little we paid, showing off our terrific skills at shopping and finding great discounts. "These pants were originally $400. But they were marked down to $100, and the store was having a 50% off sale, and I had another coupon for an additional 20% off. So I only paid $40! Can you believe it?" And while our jealous friends all ooh and ahh over the great deal, there is always somebody waiting around to top us. "Oh, yeah? Well, this watch was marked down from $1,200 to $300 - and I got it for just $100 because it was Customer Appreciation Day."

Apparel and accessories are really the only items we do this with. We never invite guests over for a nice dinner and then say, "Those steaks? I got them on a manager's discount because they only expired yesterday. Three bucks each!"

It's a strange sort of paradox. We buy these items to impress people with our great designer taste in fashion, yet we're quick to tell people not to be impressed by our cheap imitations. What is the message we're trying to send? I think it has something to do with beating the system. We found a way to look exactly like the people who earn much more than us without having to spend the same amount. Or maybe it's because most sane people can't comprehend spending $2,500 for a watch when you can get one that tells the same time for just $20.

Of course, this all leads to the unusual exception to the rule. If we do wind up buying a genuine, high-priced item, we will keep this information top secret. We can purchase a $300 pair of genuine leather shoes and be happy to wear them to many special occasions. But if somebody compliments us, we would never say, "Yeah, they cost me $300." Instead, we'd probably say, "Thanks. But take a look at these socks. Three pairs for a dollar!"