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Look I admit I am a cheapskate, at best an enthusiastic bargain hunter.
But I just can't bring myself to pay much over $100 for a pair of bibs.
Am I being too cheap - are $200+ bibs really worth the cost?
How am I to criticize my partner's spending on fashion items if I am spending more on my hobby clothes?
@rvaughnmd I have cheap bibs and I have expensive bibs. The expensive bibs are more comfortable than the cheap ones. Especially on long rides. Kostume and Gore in particular seem to suit my derrière better… the cheap ones move around more and, I dunno, the pads aren’t as comfortable. All in the head? Maybe… but hey, does that matter? The result is the same… 
@barclakj I've had good luck with Gore in the past - but something changed recently with the fit - they seemed to have made the large larger.
@rvaughnmd I feel it's hugely variable per person and per brand. :( Like 5 yrs ago it used to be possible to snap up steeply-discounted bibs on ebay in off-markets. Aus summer ends, they'd flush their light summer bibs on ebay, etc.
Anyway; so I've ridden a lot of $200+ bibs that I got for like $80 shipped. A few of them I really liked compared to the mid-tier: PI (Pro etc), Castelli (Free Aero etc). A few of them I really thought were no better-fitting or -wearing: Gore (Ultimate), etc
@rvaughnmd But I have friends who find the high-end Gores and others I've tried to be more comfortable than their mid stuff and worth the extra $$. So: probably rump/seat/style specific to some degree?
@rvaughnmd I recently bought a pair of NeoPro bibs for well under $100 (Australian) and they're great,. Certainly not as well-finished as the $$$ ones, but the pad is firm and comfortable, and the construction is generally very good. I struggle to spend the big bucks on cycling gear, so these bibs (and jerseys from the same company) have been a godsend. YMMV of course.
@vandenberglegs thanks for the recommendation!
@rvaughnmd I like the ProCorsa McKenzie Summit bibs which are the Bike Tires Direct house brand. They have no gripper elastic on the legs, which I prefer. The lycra is fairly heavy. The model with the regular flat chamois is currently $96. The "Pro" model with the shaped chamois is $150. I generally like to have one pair of bibs with a really good chamois for the odd long ride and the rest with the cheaper ones.
@pws Thanks for the recommendation!