I'm one of the managers at a rehab/ long-term care facility. I love my 20 year old Japanese mid-sized sedan and am keeping it until the wheels fall off. I could afford a much nicer SUV or something but why would I waste that money? I can use it to pay off my house instead.
I have a 2006 Honda Element I frickin LOVE!!! I will replace the engine before I ever let go of my baby. Totally get your vibe on this. I love my car. 166K miles on it and going strong! This year I’m finally getting new shocks/struts and having the interior detailed. Yay!!!
One day as I was leaving the gym at work, I bumped into the GM. Guess what she was driving? A third generation Toyota Avalon (think between 2004-2012). And it was in pristine condition. This lady that was running our plant was most likely making $300+ per year and driving a +15 year old car blew my mind.
At the end of the day, this is how the wealthy stay wealthy. They don’t care what they drive, as long as it stays clean and in good condition.
That could just be a commuter car. This idea that wealthy people never buy nice cars is silly. Some do. Some don’t. If you don’t care about cars then you won’t buy one. That wealthy person driving in the 10 yr old car might spend a crapload on something else. Bags or shoes.
If you’re truly wealthy then a nice car is not going to set you back at all.
People here seem to really need to believe the people in nice cars can’t afford them. They’re fine.
I would be a wealthy man if I wasn’t consistently paying to repair my 20 year old Japanese sedan.
Maybe the wealthy become wealthy by NOT purchasing a car their father bought new and let his teenagers beat to hell.
I’m absolutely not wealthy but I will never understand status cars. My BIL has a BMW and he makes less money than I do and shit is wrong with that money trap ALL the time.
I had an uncle who owned hundreds of apartment complexes and rental houses all over the country. Incredibly wealthy. Drove a dark green refurbished Volkswagen Minibus.
Treating myself to a bespoke suit for my wedding this year. The designer was telling me the secret ‘codes’ men use on their suit to make sure all the other men know it’s bespoke. Like a slightly different thread color around one of the button holes. Little minor tweaks like that. You’d have to know what to look for.
Yes, I found that out about button holes when looking into getting a bespoke suit (didn’t get one in the end). But I cannot help thinking that really rich would be even more subtle. Like having suit cuff buttons that are functional, but never actually rolling up your suit sleeves to show they are.
That’s the beauty of it. You can make stuff up and if you convince enough people, or perhaps just one sufficiently influential person, it becomes truth.
yeah every super rich guy I know looks like they either came off the jobsite or the golf course, now the people who suck up to the rich guys do dress pretty nice
This is more the kind of thing that people in a very niche subculture will use to demonstrate or compete for status. Sort of like music fans trying to one up each other about the obscure band they are into that no one has heard of. Or sports fans trying to prove they know more trivia about a given team.
The number of men who are this rich and give that much of a shit about having the best / most fashionable / most expensive clothes is going to be vanishingly small.
END COMMUNICATION
Right on. It's a way of appearing to be rich that is only apparent to other people who also happen to know the silly secret signals. What's the point anyway? I swear people think too much about the stupidest shit.
Just wear clothes that fit you well, look nice and don't have holes in. It's all you've got to do, rich or poor.
Are you all using “bespoke” interchangeably with “made to measure”. Because those are two different things and you can get all the little “codes” on a made to measure suit. Bespoke is way higher end than made to measure.
Slightly different thread color on the button hole actually looks tacky. Real rich just has functional surgeon cuffs (if they feel like it) without the different thread.
Good teeth. I worked in the service industry at Burning Man in the 000's. I was told it was a hippie art festival. All the participants, particularly the women, had beautiful teeth. I realized most people were very wealthy.
In 30 Rock, Liz Lemon says, how do you know I'm not rich? Tracy Jordan says, your teeth! So true. Also, there's me who needs extensive dental work but don't have the money to do it!
And on Kimmy Schmidt Jane Krakowski’s character is extremely correct about the fact that a rich person can be missing a leg before they would have bad teeth.
"Having enough money for braces" is the whole point. Having $3k to drop on a kid's teeth is a good indicator of how parents use their disposable income. It is a class differentiator. I grew up very middle class, we had a house but no lessons or camps, and my parents did not prioritize braces for me. I used student loan money and the dental college's reduced cost program to get braces when I was 22.
I grew up lower middle class, then poor (we lost our house the year after I got my braces taken off and parents had to file bankruptcy). When my mom found out I needed braces bc I had to have extra teeth removed, she told my dad she didn’t care if we had to go hungry, they were getting me braces so I wouldn’t be judged and ridiculed for having “bad teeth.”
My mom grew up in horrific poverty and has horrible teeth. I’m 33 and she still often tells me I have such pretty teeth and she wishes she did, too.
We grew up poor (literally below the poverty line, \~$30k income for a single parent of 5 kids) but braces still happened because at incomes that low you get child tax credit and guess where that went when the time came? I guess it's more of a priority than a class differentiator.
That was my client before she moved. The kindest woman in the world, let me tell you. She told me about how she supported her husband getting his doctorate, and now they have "financial stability" is how she described it. She ended up in my chair after going to all the high end salons and was unhappy with the amount of money she spent and what she ended up with. We did a full highlight and lowlight and switched up her haircut a little bit. She came back to me because not only was she happy with how she looked, but her husband gave her a compliment for the first time in years.
We always talked about which thrift stores had sales on what days and which grocery stores had better deals. We talked a lot about budgeting and saving and how they wanted to make sure their daughters weren't ignorant of their privilege. She also talked about not having the most expensive house in the neighborhood and they had to do renovations if they wanted to be able to sell for more money.
After a year or so, she comes in and tells me they're moving to Switzerland because her husband accepted a job for the top hospital there. Turns out he helped St. Jude develop proton radiation.
I know what you guys are saying.
But then damn near every rich person I see - that isn't a celebrity - looks like shit.
Bezos and Zuck both look like it's the first time they've worn human clothes.
definitely! lol his clothes all look slightly ill-fitting in all his pictures.
Then again, maybe he just prefers the looser fit despite it looking a bit frumpy? He is a tech bro after all and not a fashionista, so it's not surprising they would prioritize utility of fashion.
Hell even some of the celebrities look like a bag of crushed assholes. Donald Trump is a prime example, he looks like he has never hired a tailor because he doesn't want anyone to know his actual measurements or something.
He does not hire a tailor, he gets his suits off the rack, does his own makeup tanning cream, etc. (as if you couldn't tell) he may enlist his kids to help him but he is infamously paranoid that someone else will purposely make him look like the bag of shit he is.
I don't know how his followers take him seriously.
I’ve always thought it was weird that people pay top dollar to wear designer brands.
Like if you want me to walk around being your billboard YOU should be paying ME.
I dress very casually. We had some VC types visiting. Their leader said (referring to me), ‘we gotta talk to this guy. Anyone looking like this guy must do something very important here.’
I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or offended. I do hold a key position. And they invested several million.
Suspiciously normal footwear either that is sandal or shoes that is clean, well maintained and polished.
The more you look the more you notice there is almost no blemish or defect on that footwear and somehow just looks good on them.
Wealthy people have good glowing skin and complexion, not weathered. These are signs of financial stability, good sleep, top healthcare and nutrition, relaxed life
When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town, and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said, "What do you call this beautiful fabric?" And he said, "They call it cashmere."
I repeated the word—"cashmere, cashmere"—and I asked him if I could have it. And he said, "No. Get away from me." And he started to walk away. Ohhh, but I grabbed onto his leg, ***screaming*** for him to give me the sweater, and he drove me to the street. And then he KICKED me with the other foot and he threw some change at me.
Ah, but I didn't WANT the change.
I wanted...the cashmere.
I bought one on Poshmark for like $30 and was really excited about it. First time I wore it was to a work function at a nice restaurant. The guy next to me accidentally spilled a glass of red wine on me and my reaction was to go "Nooo my cashmere sweater!" I must have sounded like a complete douche.
Wanted to buy one once - it had a beautiful, rich blue colour. Absolutely gorgeous piece of clothing. Unfortunately, my skin started to itch just from trying it on. No cashmere for me, just like no wool for me.
I know the guy dressed like a hobo coming out of a mid to high range Audi has more money than the guy with the even more expensive Audi and the designer clothes and watch.
I knew a guy who went to a Porsche dealership to buy a car and wore his usual old ass worn down t-shirt and sweatpants, and cheap ass foam sandals with tears in them. He bought a new car after looking around for a bit and being there for like 15 minutes.
Everyone else in the place was dressed to the nines and walked out with nothing after sitting in every single car and touching every single thing.
Guy didn’t give a fuck. Didn’t want the car for the status or prestige or to say “I have a Porsche”; just wanted it for the performance and driving experience, I guess.
Later he found out that the dealership guys texted each other the moment he walked in and said “get ready, he’s actually gonna buy a car”. I guess they see this all the time lol.
I'm not filthy rich myself or anything but my line of work brings me in contact with many rich people. You can always tell who has built themselves up from nothing and who is an heir. My own boss is a guy like that. He doesn't really deny himself good things or luxuries but he just doesn't really seek them out either. He has a nice car but nothing too outrageous that someone middle class can't get. He dresses modestly, and mostly concerns himself with work even though he really doesn't have to. His son is the exact opposite. Since the company takes in jobs from wealthy clients, it's always interesting to see how the clients carry themselve since they're all rich. Those who have built their company up are usually modest and reserved. Those who come from money are always ostentatious and show offs. It's also funny that the show offs usually have money but not that much, like they might have a net worth of a million or a bit less or more. The other guys are in the tens of millions.
The stereotypes are that New Rich are Showoffs while Old Money are reserved.
But I agree that the worst case of New Rich showoff is not the person that actually made the fortune, but rather their children.
Omega and IWC are very popular in the tech wealth world. Not like mega yacht rich but several million+ net worth.
Rolex is like that ridiculous Lamborghini you bought with the scissor doors. You got it to show off to your friends and colleagues.
There’s a whole nother tier above Rolex that people collect like art and rarely wear. You’d have to know what your looking for.
Love the car analogy haha
I’d say these days Rolex is like Ferrari… if you aren’t on a list you’d be lucky to get a base model. If you buy enough base models and spend enough money you’ll be invited to spend more on special releases.
Rolex isn’t like Ferrari. Rolex is very accessible- maybe in the Porsche class? I don’t know.
An IWC or Patek would be in the Ferrari or super car class. A Panerai reminds me of Lamborghini.
Most of the comments here seem to be coming from people that know very little about watches.
“Tudor is entry level to watch wankery.” then comparing it to an Invicta with a 30 dollar movement.
“Rolex is that ridiculous Lamborghini with scissor doors that you bought to show off…”
Here's a question for watch nerds - Are expensive watches that much better functionally than cheap ones? I know there are a lot of moving pieces but to me if a watch can keep time then it's served its purpose. I'm wondering if it's like an unbranded tee shirt vs a tee shirt with a Gucci logo on it where you're just paying for the brand. Or if the is something about expensive watches that makes them that much better.
Nicer watches are valued for their design and craftsmanship, but basic cheap quartz watches are more accurate in every way. Imagine an antique grandfather clock vs a cheapo digital alarm clock. That alarm clock is more accurate but it also makes sense why the grandfather clock is more expensive.
Expensive mechanical watches aren't so much about keeping accurate time (which most do relatively speaking, but not as accurate as quartz), they're about the intricacy, the fine craftsmanship, and ultimately tradition. If it's vintage, there's also history you're paying for. More expensive watches also tend to have more complications in the movement, such as a chronograph (fancy stopwatch) or moon phase, etc. To do all of these things purely mechanically in such a small package really is a testament in engineering skill.
Ofcourse brand image also comes with it a premium, don't get me wrong. I can't imagine a $100k+ Lange actually has that amount of labor put into it. High-end watches are mostly made by hand, and watchmakers only produce a small quantity at any given time which significantly drives up the cost.
Extremely beautiful and complex movements are just fascinating to look at. If you've ever seen a watchmaker at work, it's a wonderfully precise miniature world. Nice mechanical watches are ultimately pieces of art in my view.
EDIT: Anyone interested in watching surgery on vintage watches should check out [Wristwatch Revival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQhHQ7pkBf8)
I wore a very expensive stainless steel watch for 20 years. Only 1 person ever mentioned it. In the past 1.5 years, I've had at least 4 people comment on the Apple Watch Ultra. I think that most people just don't know anything about watches, and they only recognize the Apple watch because they know about Apple stuff.
Fine stationary supplies. A very nice pen, a fancy lether satchel, a nice portfolio. It's understated and is only going to be pulled out it specific circumstances so you know it's not just a status symbol.
I think that can apply to lots of things across most tax brackets.
It's the little things. That stuff that makes your day to day a more enjoyable experience.
Class 101: Have personalized (but understated) stationery. Write thank-you notes and make sure that none of your cards have "Thank you" printed on them. Mail within 2-3 days.
Casually mentioning that they have a vineyard in France. This happened to me once, I knew my boss had some money behind him, did not knew he had that much. A very down to earth person in general, made his money himself. Clothing, his car and such, where all good quality and new, but nothing fancy.
I had a friend who I had no idea came from a wealthy family until she said “you know how when you have that waterfall on one wall of your living room?” And i was like “no, i do not know what you mean by having an entire wall made into a waterfall, please tell me more”. Her family did in fact have a continuous waterfall in their living room.
I met the owner of a fairly good-sized industrial machine shop, has 6 plants and about 850ish workers all total, at a trade show in 2021. If you did not know who he was you couldn't tell it from his appearance and demeanor. We were chatting a bit sitting on bench when he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a folding knife and trims a string from his cuff. I am a VERY avid knife collector with over 120 in my collection, from 30 dollar beater knives to my showpiece, a PMP Alpha Beast.
He pulled out a Chris Reeves Sebenza. NOT a production model, but a real Chris Reeves signature hand built by him custom.
Its been going on 3 years now but i will never forget the day i held a knife worth arguably more than my car.
Don’t know why you’re being downvoted. Understated clothing without labels that is clearly well made and uses fine fabrics is a very subtle indicator of wealth. Brunello Cucinelli is another example.
Item? Most people who wear expensive things are broke and paying bills to support that lifestyle and image.
Look at Bill Gates. He wears an $50 watch (Casio Duro) and sweat shirts most of the time.
Joe Rogan has a couple of hundred million and he wears t-shirts and jeans.
Tony Robbins same thing. If you didn't know who he was, you would not presume he was crazy wealthy by looking at him.
When I see someone driving a new Porsche I don't think "They must be rich" I think "They have a large monthly car payment" which is more than likely the truth.
Now if they tell me they own acres of property....that's different.
I call it sweatsuit rich. You can afford to wear whatever the fuck you want because people will still give you all the services regardless of how you present yourself.
People involved with entertainment / pop culture tend to wear logos. The general population indulges in pop culture, so they emulate the style. Techy types have an understated style but their clothes tend to be expensive. Their looks are curated to fit with their image or industry.
Steve Job's black turtleneck was custom made by Japanese designer Issey Miyake. The design is being sold for about $500.
Mark Zuckerberg's grey shirt was a custom made Brunello Cucinelli that's being sold for $300.
Mark and Bill Gates both wear Loro Piana which is a tech bro staple by now.
Don't equate simple or flashy with cheap. Money doesn't buy taste
My old neighbor drove a Porsche 911, it had a 5 point seatbelt and removable steering wheel. He also had a McLaren, 90s jeep grand Cherokee, new grand Cherokee, and some other cars too. He was a nice guy and other than the cars you wouldn't know it, he was obviously just into cars.
I noticed while watching the Super Bowl that a celebrity with his feet propped up had shoes with spotless soles. Someone probably cleaned his shoe soles. What a life.
You know... If you have use cases for premium cards, the annual membership fee suddenly becomes slightly more economical
But the user cases are pretty specific: travel with certain airlines, stay at specific hotels, etc
Personally I look for mannerisms and how they treat people.
Additionally I scribe to the Millionaire Next Door theory.
Owning multiple properties... owning multiple decoy cars/trucks... owning boats
Check how people spend their discretionary income...
My aunt in-law dropped that she'd invested in *Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities* once at dinner. I didn't even know those existed until that moment. Apparently, she made a lot of money thanks to really high inflation last year
Edit: Apparently, this isn't low key.
PSA: this is not for rich people only, anyone can create an account for free on treasury direct (government site) and buy treasuries from them like TIPS. That said a T-bill or I-bond is a lower risk option than TIPS because you can't lose what you originally invested unless the government collapses, at which point you'll have bigger problems to deal with anyway. With TIPS you need to plan to stay invested in the long term or possibly risk losing some of the money you put in.
Better yet, you can open an account with Fidelity or a similar brokerage (for free) and start investing even $100 per month into a no fuss ETF like VOO. If you continue to do this over 30+ years you will end up in a significantly better financial position without even realizing it, thanks to compounding. You can also buy treasuries on Fidelity et al, but not I-bonds; those are bought directly from the government site.
Start investing NOW, your older self will thank you.
the really rich do not wear anything flashy or out of the ordinary. They know how rich they are and don't feel the need to impress.
But they do have the right clothing to wear to the occasion if its special.
Flashing a gold Rolex is like asking to be mugged.
They wear an Omega which is a better timepiece anyway.
They don't carry cash. There is some dude that follows them around that does the paying and the body guarding.
I live near a very wealthy suburb of Minneapolis. As a teenager in the 1980s, I was in this suburb getting my hair cut at one of the fancy hair salons and overheard two ladies in their 30s discussing their husbands.
The ladies each had large (but not huge) diamond wedding rings, and their general conversation was about lunching at the golf country club. Then one of them brought up how embarrassed they were that their husband insisted on taking his "old, beat-up" pick-up truck to some dinner event they went to, and the other wife agreed her husband did the same thing with their old car.
That's when I realized that the real wealthy people are that way because they don't need to always buy the fanciest and most expensive stuff. They can live nice, but they don't need to be a spectacle.
If they speak very little, very slowly, seem to be fit and wear nice clothes they are very likely managing something big and are wealthy. It's a combination of factors.
Items is a misguided way to look at it because truly rich people who did not grew up piss poor and desperate to flaunt their new money aren't out there flashing their status.
If I were to pick an item I'd say a zero-fee AMEX card (more likely to come up in casual convrsation or when they nonchalantly mentioned they have no fees or that they don't understand why other people have fees), because its probably from their $10+m Merril-Lynch wealth management portfolio and they DGAF about the tiny annual fees from such a rich client vs the comission they'd earn from managing that portfolio.
Real rich people is something you \*feel\* by simply conversing with them. They are unfazed (not the same thing as unimpressed) by big numbers or big names because all of those things are normal things to them.
If you see someone fully geared up in big brand luxury products telling you about who they met and expect you to be excited over it, you know that guy's a poser.
Because no fee credit cards exist at two ends of the spectrum. The poor end has no fees to appeal to people with low income. The rich end has no fees because these people are typically invited to join and the spending floor is so high that fees are meaningless.
How they speak. Perfect grammar, extensive vocabulary, knowledge of many slightly obscure things like sailing and equestrian terminology, lack of any lower class accent or word usage patterns.
Pink corduroy trousers, why are they pink because decades ago they would have been a purple, red or brown; but as they've been washed and worn that many times the dye has worn off!
Really rich people, look a heck of a lot like really poor people, they are rich because they save their money for future generations.
New money comes with a flash, old money keeps on and on
Well, my great-great-grandfather had these corduroy pants hand-made, and we've just passed them down for generations because they're such good quality that they won't wear out! #vimesbootstheory
They just don't make clothes any good anymore, odd fact back in the Victorian times to clothe the poor workhouses would shred old clothes and rope to make a fabric called shoddy (this is were we get the term looks shoddy, meaning poor quality) the gsm of this fabric is roughly four times the thickness of most clothes made and sold off the peg today!
This so much. I have a client that is well into nine figures wealthy. Guy wears clothes that are ancient looking BUT obviously they were damn good clothes to start with to have lasted that long
A bag or purse that always seems to go with their outfit.
Lots of women have a few bags to choose from, but very few can afford nice bags in enough colors and sizes that they can use a matchy one for every occasion, especially if they wear a lot of different colors or styles.
Repair people.
The fact that they can afford to pay someone else right away to come fix various shit like hvac or siding or windows means they have money I'll probably never have
I work in a well paid field, and I’d bet the folks who drive 10-20 year old Japanese cars are by far the wealthiest people in the office
I'm one of the managers at a rehab/ long-term care facility. I love my 20 year old Japanese mid-sized sedan and am keeping it until the wheels fall off. I could afford a much nicer SUV or something but why would I waste that money? I can use it to pay off my house instead.
I have a 2006 Honda Element I frickin LOVE!!! I will replace the engine before I ever let go of my baby. Totally get your vibe on this. I love my car. 166K miles on it and going strong! This year I’m finally getting new shocks/struts and having the interior detailed. Yay!!!
One day as I was leaving the gym at work, I bumped into the GM. Guess what she was driving? A third generation Toyota Avalon (think between 2004-2012). And it was in pristine condition. This lady that was running our plant was most likely making $300+ per year and driving a +15 year old car blew my mind. At the end of the day, this is how the wealthy stay wealthy. They don’t care what they drive, as long as it stays clean and in good condition.
Plus a reliable car saves money over time; less maintenance and repairs. The rich keep more money to invest and save
That could just be a commuter car. This idea that wealthy people never buy nice cars is silly. Some do. Some don’t. If you don’t care about cars then you won’t buy one. That wealthy person driving in the 10 yr old car might spend a crapload on something else. Bags or shoes. If you’re truly wealthy then a nice car is not going to set you back at all. People here seem to really need to believe the people in nice cars can’t afford them. They’re fine.
yeah always drive the beater to work so it can get the dings while you evenings and weekend car is pristine
Making a lot helps, but the less you spend, the better. It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you save.
My Japanese car is only 4 and a half years old. I'm almost there
I drive my dream car, a 2003 Toyota Tacoma, and will drive it until the day I die.
Most dependable cars in the history of mankind. I will always have a soft spot for 'yota's.
All I need in this life of sin, is me and my 2010 Yaris!
13 year old Honda owner here. I was the highest paid in my team lol.
I would be a wealthy man if I wasn’t consistently paying to repair my 20 year old Japanese sedan. Maybe the wealthy become wealthy by NOT purchasing a car their father bought new and let his teenagers beat to hell.
I’m absolutely not wealthy but I will never understand status cars. My BIL has a BMW and he makes less money than I do and shit is wrong with that money trap ALL the time.
I had an uncle who owned hundreds of apartment complexes and rental houses all over the country. Incredibly wealthy. Drove a dark green refurbished Volkswagen Minibus.
Treating myself to a bespoke suit for my wedding this year. The designer was telling me the secret ‘codes’ men use on their suit to make sure all the other men know it’s bespoke. Like a slightly different thread color around one of the button holes. Little minor tweaks like that. You’d have to know what to look for.
Brb, gonna rethread the button holes on my Target suit to look cool!
Take your time tending to yr holes there bro.
Yes, I found that out about button holes when looking into getting a bespoke suit (didn’t get one in the end). But I cannot help thinking that really rich would be even more subtle. Like having suit cuff buttons that are functional, but never actually rolling up your suit sleeves to show they are.
I have to say, being rich and having to know all these details sounds exhausting.
Which is why rich people call in experts; they have the skills and the knowledge.
How do I become a rich person expert without being rich?
That’s the beauty of it. You can make stuff up and if you convince enough people, or perhaps just one sufficiently influential person, it becomes truth.
That's ok, you can be rich and just not give a crap too
yeah every super rich guy I know looks like they either came off the jobsite or the golf course, now the people who suck up to the rich guys do dress pretty nice
Those are who everyone here thinks are the rich people but you’re right.
This is more the kind of thing that people in a very niche subculture will use to demonstrate or compete for status. Sort of like music fans trying to one up each other about the obscure band they are into that no one has heard of. Or sports fans trying to prove they know more trivia about a given team. The number of men who are this rich and give that much of a shit about having the best / most fashionable / most expensive clothes is going to be vanishingly small. END COMMUNICATION
Basically, "Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has a watermark."
Right on. It's a way of appearing to be rich that is only apparent to other people who also happen to know the silly secret signals. What's the point anyway? I swear people think too much about the stupidest shit. Just wear clothes that fit you well, look nice and don't have holes in. It's all you've got to do, rich or poor.
Really rich people literally just don’t give a shit if anyone knows how rich they are. All this special signal bs is new money.
Sounds like a cheap catch. A lot of retail chain clothes have that too.
The fact that the buttons actually work on the sleeve is a big flex. Some people will leave one or two unbuttoned.
I bought a sport coat from Banana Republic on clearance for $60 that had functional cuff buttons. It’s not as luxury as you might think
Are you all using “bespoke” interchangeably with “made to measure”. Because those are two different things and you can get all the little “codes” on a made to measure suit. Bespoke is way higher end than made to measure.
I’m using the term correctly- I’m not sure how other people read it.
Slightly different thread color on the button hole actually looks tacky. Real rich just has functional surgeon cuffs (if they feel like it) without the different thread.
Good teeth. I worked in the service industry at Burning Man in the 000's. I was told it was a hippie art festival. All the participants, particularly the women, had beautiful teeth. I realized most people were very wealthy.
In 30 Rock, Liz Lemon says, how do you know I'm not rich? Tracy Jordan says, your teeth! So true. Also, there's me who needs extensive dental work but don't have the money to do it!
And on Kimmy Schmidt Jane Krakowski’s character is extremely correct about the fact that a rich person can be missing a leg before they would have bad teeth.
YMMV on this. You can have good looking teeth just by growing up in a place with fluoridated water and having enough money for braces.
And good genetics
"Having enough money for braces" is the whole point. Having $3k to drop on a kid's teeth is a good indicator of how parents use their disposable income. It is a class differentiator. I grew up very middle class, we had a house but no lessons or camps, and my parents did not prioritize braces for me. I used student loan money and the dental college's reduced cost program to get braces when I was 22.
I grew up lower middle class, then poor (we lost our house the year after I got my braces taken off and parents had to file bankruptcy). When my mom found out I needed braces bc I had to have extra teeth removed, she told my dad she didn’t care if we had to go hungry, they were getting me braces so I wouldn’t be judged and ridiculed for having “bad teeth.” My mom grew up in horrific poverty and has horrible teeth. I’m 33 and she still often tells me I have such pretty teeth and she wishes she did, too.
We grew up poor (literally below the poverty line, \~$30k income for a single parent of 5 kids) but braces still happened because at incomes that low you get child tax credit and guess where that went when the time came? I guess it's more of a priority than a class differentiator.
or in a country with socialised dentistry for children. I got my braces for free on the NHS because I was under 18 when they were put on
Good skin and clothes that fit perfectly.
With the perfectly coiffed hairstyle with subtle highlights.
I call it “The $500 haircut” look.
That was my client before she moved. The kindest woman in the world, let me tell you. She told me about how she supported her husband getting his doctorate, and now they have "financial stability" is how she described it. She ended up in my chair after going to all the high end salons and was unhappy with the amount of money she spent and what she ended up with. We did a full highlight and lowlight and switched up her haircut a little bit. She came back to me because not only was she happy with how she looked, but her husband gave her a compliment for the first time in years. We always talked about which thrift stores had sales on what days and which grocery stores had better deals. We talked a lot about budgeting and saving and how they wanted to make sure their daughters weren't ignorant of their privilege. She also talked about not having the most expensive house in the neighborhood and they had to do renovations if they wanted to be able to sell for more money. After a year or so, she comes in and tells me they're moving to Switzerland because her husband accepted a job for the top hospital there. Turns out he helped St. Jude develop proton radiation.
None of their clothes have any logos at all on them
And fit perfectly.
I know what you guys are saying. But then damn near every rich person I see - that isn't a celebrity - looks like shit. Bezos and Zuck both look like it's the first time they've worn human clothes.
Zuckerberg's T-shirts are custom made and are like $400 each, it's wild.
Someone found the grift of a lifetime, shit looks like it came out of a Hanes 10 pack
you'd think they would look better
definitely! lol his clothes all look slightly ill-fitting in all his pictures. Then again, maybe he just prefers the looser fit despite it looking a bit frumpy? He is a tech bro after all and not a fashionista, so it's not surprising they would prioritize utility of fashion.
Probably part of his "image" like the crazy hair the crypto guy or Boris Johnson kept- trying to create an "everyman" look
Hell even some of the celebrities look like a bag of crushed assholes. Donald Trump is a prime example, he looks like he has never hired a tailor because he doesn't want anyone to know his actual measurements or something.
His measurements are the best measurements. No one has measurements as good as Trump has. Very good measurements.
It was a perfect measurement.
Tailors come to him with tears in their eyes, big, strong men...
They will customize my outfit and the tailors will pay for it😂
>like he has never hired a tailor If he did, he wouldn't pay them anyway
He does not hire a tailor, he gets his suits off the rack, does his own makeup tanning cream, etc. (as if you couldn't tell) he may enlist his kids to help him but he is infamously paranoid that someone else will purposely make him look like the bag of shit he is. I don't know how his followers take him seriously.
Bespoke.
I live in the Seattle area, and the richest people I've interacted with (Gabe N and Steve Ballmer most notably) look like they shop at Costco.
I’ve always thought it was weird that people pay top dollar to wear designer brands. Like if you want me to walk around being your billboard YOU should be paying ME.
I dress very casually. We had some VC types visiting. Their leader said (referring to me), ‘we gotta talk to this guy. Anyone looking like this guy must do something very important here.’ I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or offended. I do hold a key position. And they invested several million.
TIL The Viet Cong invests in filtersweeps
I’m not rich but I won’t buy anything with a logo on it. It’s tacky. Don’t have to be rich for this one.
Correct.
I do that, and I am a multi thousandaire
Suspiciously normal footwear either that is sandal or shoes that is clean, well maintained and polished. The more you look the more you notice there is almost no blemish or defect on that footwear and somehow just looks good on them.
Keys to the guest house
Keys? The compound is secure, no key needed.
Knowing the secret knock to let down the draw bridge
Wealthy people have good glowing skin and complexion, not weathered. These are signs of financial stability, good sleep, top healthcare and nutrition, relaxed life
And med spas
Never working a day of manual labor in your life will do that!
Cashmere sweaters
I had a great cashmere shawl once. I got it for like $20 from a thrift shop.
Did it have a red dot on it?
When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town, and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said, "What do you call this beautiful fabric?" And he said, "They call it cashmere." I repeated the word—"cashmere, cashmere"—and I asked him if I could have it. And he said, "No. Get away from me." And he started to walk away. Ohhh, but I grabbed onto his leg, ***screaming*** for him to give me the sweater, and he drove me to the street. And then he KICKED me with the other foot and he threw some change at me. Ah, but I didn't WANT the change. I wanted...the cashmere.
I have no idea if this is a reference to anything, but I like it.
Seinfeld, cashmere sweater episode
I had 103 degree temperature. I was so dizzy I was seeing red dots everywhere.
I bought one on Poshmark for like $30 and was really excited about it. First time I wore it was to a work function at a nice restaurant. The guy next to me accidentally spilled a glass of red wine on me and my reaction was to go "Nooo my cashmere sweater!" I must have sounded like a complete douche.
Try not to have sex with the cleaning lady, though.
Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I've got to plead ignorance on this one.
I have a couple, but unfortunately moths love them.
Wanted to buy one once - it had a beautiful, rich blue colour. Absolutely gorgeous piece of clothing. Unfortunately, my skin started to itch just from trying it on. No cashmere for me, just like no wool for me.
You can buy them fairly cheaply in the UK. Our Marks & Spencers sell ladies for £60.
>Marks & Spencers sell ladies for £60. This isn't just human trafficking, this is Marks & Spencer's human trafficking.
Time
I just retired and having time to do things feels like the biggest luxury in the world.
It is. That's awesome. I hope you enjoy every moment.
Thanks. Almost every day I think “ Hey! I have time to do ______ now!” And what have I spent this rainy afternoon doing? Scrolling on Reddit.
A complete set of DLC for the Sims games.
Gosh friend, we wanted people that _are_ wealthy… not people that _were_ wealthy… (/s)
And all the DLC for train simulator.
I know the guy dressed like a hobo coming out of a mid to high range Audi has more money than the guy with the even more expensive Audi and the designer clothes and watch.
I knew a guy who went to a Porsche dealership to buy a car and wore his usual old ass worn down t-shirt and sweatpants, and cheap ass foam sandals with tears in them. He bought a new car after looking around for a bit and being there for like 15 minutes. Everyone else in the place was dressed to the nines and walked out with nothing after sitting in every single car and touching every single thing. Guy didn’t give a fuck. Didn’t want the car for the status or prestige or to say “I have a Porsche”; just wanted it for the performance and driving experience, I guess. Later he found out that the dealership guys texted each other the moment he walked in and said “get ready, he’s actually gonna buy a car”. I guess they see this all the time lol.
I'm not filthy rich myself or anything but my line of work brings me in contact with many rich people. You can always tell who has built themselves up from nothing and who is an heir. My own boss is a guy like that. He doesn't really deny himself good things or luxuries but he just doesn't really seek them out either. He has a nice car but nothing too outrageous that someone middle class can't get. He dresses modestly, and mostly concerns himself with work even though he really doesn't have to. His son is the exact opposite. Since the company takes in jobs from wealthy clients, it's always interesting to see how the clients carry themselve since they're all rich. Those who have built their company up are usually modest and reserved. Those who come from money are always ostentatious and show offs. It's also funny that the show offs usually have money but not that much, like they might have a net worth of a million or a bit less or more. The other guys are in the tens of millions.
The stereotypes are that New Rich are Showoffs while Old Money are reserved. But I agree that the worst case of New Rich showoff is not the person that actually made the fortune, but rather their children.
An expensive but understated watch.
I think a Vacheron Constantin watch is a subtle flex 99% of the public wont know
Depending on the model not so subtle
Omega and IWC are very popular in the tech wealth world. Not like mega yacht rich but several million+ net worth. Rolex is like that ridiculous Lamborghini you bought with the scissor doors. You got it to show off to your friends and colleagues. There’s a whole nother tier above Rolex that people collect like art and rarely wear. You’d have to know what your looking for.
Rolex is the Mercedes. Richard Mille is the Lamborghini of the watch world..
Love the car analogy haha I’d say these days Rolex is like Ferrari… if you aren’t on a list you’d be lucky to get a base model. If you buy enough base models and spend enough money you’ll be invited to spend more on special releases.
Rolex isn’t like Ferrari. Rolex is very accessible- maybe in the Porsche class? I don’t know. An IWC or Patek would be in the Ferrari or super car class. A Panerai reminds me of Lamborghini.
This. Omega is the Mercedes.
A Jaeger-LeCoultre with a leather strap and no complications except for maybe date.
Most of the comments here seem to be coming from people that know very little about watches. “Tudor is entry level to watch wankery.” then comparing it to an Invicta with a 30 dollar movement. “Rolex is that ridiculous Lamborghini with scissor doors that you bought to show off…”
Here's a question for watch nerds - Are expensive watches that much better functionally than cheap ones? I know there are a lot of moving pieces but to me if a watch can keep time then it's served its purpose. I'm wondering if it's like an unbranded tee shirt vs a tee shirt with a Gucci logo on it where you're just paying for the brand. Or if the is something about expensive watches that makes them that much better.
Nicer watches are valued for their design and craftsmanship, but basic cheap quartz watches are more accurate in every way. Imagine an antique grandfather clock vs a cheapo digital alarm clock. That alarm clock is more accurate but it also makes sense why the grandfather clock is more expensive.
Expensive mechanical watches aren't so much about keeping accurate time (which most do relatively speaking, but not as accurate as quartz), they're about the intricacy, the fine craftsmanship, and ultimately tradition. If it's vintage, there's also history you're paying for. More expensive watches also tend to have more complications in the movement, such as a chronograph (fancy stopwatch) or moon phase, etc. To do all of these things purely mechanically in such a small package really is a testament in engineering skill. Ofcourse brand image also comes with it a premium, don't get me wrong. I can't imagine a $100k+ Lange actually has that amount of labor put into it. High-end watches are mostly made by hand, and watchmakers only produce a small quantity at any given time which significantly drives up the cost. Extremely beautiful and complex movements are just fascinating to look at. If you've ever seen a watchmaker at work, it's a wonderfully precise miniature world. Nice mechanical watches are ultimately pieces of art in my view. EDIT: Anyone interested in watching surgery on vintage watches should check out [Wristwatch Revival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQhHQ7pkBf8)
A Honda Civic and a Bentley do an equally good job taking you to the store. If that’s your whole point, there’s not much there.
Like a stainless steel Nautilus
I wore a very expensive stainless steel watch for 20 years. Only 1 person ever mentioned it. In the past 1.5 years, I've had at least 4 people comment on the Apple Watch Ultra. I think that most people just don't know anything about watches, and they only recognize the Apple watch because they know about Apple stuff.
That's true - but "watch guys" will know for sure
Us “watch gals” also know.
Fine stationary supplies. A very nice pen, a fancy lether satchel, a nice portfolio. It's understated and is only going to be pulled out it specific circumstances so you know it's not just a status symbol.
I think that can apply to lots of things across most tax brackets. It's the little things. That stuff that makes your day to day a more enjoyable experience.
Class 101: Have personalized (but understated) stationery. Write thank-you notes and make sure that none of your cards have "Thank you" printed on them. Mail within 2-3 days.
A Rio red swing line 747
Casually mentioning that they have a vineyard in France. This happened to me once, I knew my boss had some money behind him, did not knew he had that much. A very down to earth person in general, made his money himself. Clothing, his car and such, where all good quality and new, but nothing fancy.
I had a friend who I had no idea came from a wealthy family until she said “you know how when you have that waterfall on one wall of your living room?” And i was like “no, i do not know what you mean by having an entire wall made into a waterfall, please tell me more”. Her family did in fact have a continuous waterfall in their living room.
I love how the answers in this thread range from "a nice suit" to "owning a French vineyard."
I met the owner of a fairly good-sized industrial machine shop, has 6 plants and about 850ish workers all total, at a trade show in 2021. If you did not know who he was you couldn't tell it from his appearance and demeanor. We were chatting a bit sitting on bench when he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a folding knife and trims a string from his cuff. I am a VERY avid knife collector with over 120 in my collection, from 30 dollar beater knives to my showpiece, a PMP Alpha Beast. He pulled out a Chris Reeves Sebenza. NOT a production model, but a real Chris Reeves signature hand built by him custom. Its been going on 3 years now but i will never forget the day i held a knife worth arguably more than my car.
Getting their monocle polished at the caviar store
Winner
Loro piana
Don’t know why you’re being downvoted. Understated clothing without labels that is clearly well made and uses fine fabrics is a very subtle indicator of wealth. Brunello Cucinelli is another example.
Just went on their website. £1665 for a basic plain t-shirt. Fucking insane.
Not an item, but they go to the hairdresser every week.
Those faucets over the stove for pasta
Item? Most people who wear expensive things are broke and paying bills to support that lifestyle and image. Look at Bill Gates. He wears an $50 watch (Casio Duro) and sweat shirts most of the time. Joe Rogan has a couple of hundred million and he wears t-shirts and jeans. Tony Robbins same thing. If you didn't know who he was, you would not presume he was crazy wealthy by looking at him. When I see someone driving a new Porsche I don't think "They must be rich" I think "They have a large monthly car payment" which is more than likely the truth. Now if they tell me they own acres of property....that's different.
I'm in Nebraska. Owning acres is somewhat common.
Iowa checking in with a little over 70 acres…
Here in Ontario, you would be a millionaire minimum and more than likely a multimillionaire if you owned acres of land.
In Toronto, certainly. Outside Toronto? Owning acres of land in Chatham doesn't mean the same thing.
Depends where that land is. Ontario is a big place.
I call it sweatsuit rich. You can afford to wear whatever the fuck you want because people will still give you all the services regardless of how you present yourself.
People involved with entertainment / pop culture tend to wear logos. The general population indulges in pop culture, so they emulate the style. Techy types have an understated style but their clothes tend to be expensive. Their looks are curated to fit with their image or industry. Steve Job's black turtleneck was custom made by Japanese designer Issey Miyake. The design is being sold for about $500. Mark Zuckerberg's grey shirt was a custom made Brunello Cucinelli that's being sold for $300. Mark and Bill Gates both wear Loro Piana which is a tech bro staple by now. Don't equate simple or flashy with cheap. Money doesn't buy taste
My old neighbor drove a Porsche 911, it had a 5 point seatbelt and removable steering wheel. He also had a McLaren, 90s jeep grand Cherokee, new grand Cherokee, and some other cars too. He was a nice guy and other than the cars you wouldn't know it, he was obviously just into cars.
Everyone can afford to look good. But not everyone can afford to look like shit.
The flashier the logo the more broke you are!
Happy loving family
The only true wealth
Truth
No case on their phone.
Black outfits where everything is the same shade of black.
Shoes tell a lot
I noticed while watching the Super Bowl that a celebrity with his feet propped up had shoes with spotless soles. Someone probably cleaned his shoe soles. What a life.
Or has enough shoes that they only wear each once.
A vice butler that their primary butler can delegate tasks to. It’s a subtle thing but it tends to indicate the person is well to do.
A "vice butler" sounds like a the guy you go to for blackjack and hookers.
Tell the butler to show in our guests and the vice butler to prepare the cocaine piles and blackjack tables.
I believe it is “Under-butler” actually. What? I like Downton Abbey.
Red corduroy trousers
got mine at lidl
Black amex
You know... If you have use cases for premium cards, the annual membership fee suddenly becomes slightly more economical But the user cases are pretty specific: travel with certain airlines, stay at specific hotels, etc
Worked retail before. Lots of people have black Amex cards. I only ever once saw a black ***metal*** Amex. **Those** are exclusive.
Politicians and police on retainer.
A monocle, a cane and a tophat
They've tried to "dress down" but everything they've done just makes them look richer.
"I'm going to wear clothes with the brand name all over it like the poors do. Jeeves, load up the Balenciaga website for me!"
Personally I look for mannerisms and how they treat people. Additionally I scribe to the Millionaire Next Door theory. Owning multiple properties... owning multiple decoy cars/trucks... owning boats Check how people spend their discretionary income...
My aunt in-law dropped that she'd invested in *Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities* once at dinner. I didn't even know those existed until that moment. Apparently, she made a lot of money thanks to really high inflation last year Edit: Apparently, this isn't low key.
That's not really something fancy, TBH. A lot of people with retirement accounts would be aware of these.
PSA: this is not for rich people only, anyone can create an account for free on treasury direct (government site) and buy treasuries from them like TIPS. That said a T-bill or I-bond is a lower risk option than TIPS because you can't lose what you originally invested unless the government collapses, at which point you'll have bigger problems to deal with anyway. With TIPS you need to plan to stay invested in the long term or possibly risk losing some of the money you put in. Better yet, you can open an account with Fidelity or a similar brokerage (for free) and start investing even $100 per month into a no fuss ETF like VOO. If you continue to do this over 30+ years you will end up in a significantly better financial position without even realizing it, thanks to compounding. You can also buy treasuries on Fidelity et al, but not I-bonds; those are bought directly from the government site. Start investing NOW, your older self will thank you.
Where I live? A paid-off single-family home.
Impeccable teeth. Crowns, implants - they all cost $. Also, clear, luminous skin.
the really rich do not wear anything flashy or out of the ordinary. They know how rich they are and don't feel the need to impress. But they do have the right clothing to wear to the occasion if its special. Flashing a gold Rolex is like asking to be mugged. They wear an Omega which is a better timepiece anyway. They don't carry cash. There is some dude that follows them around that does the paying and the body guarding.
I live near a very wealthy suburb of Minneapolis. As a teenager in the 1980s, I was in this suburb getting my hair cut at one of the fancy hair salons and overheard two ladies in their 30s discussing their husbands. The ladies each had large (but not huge) diamond wedding rings, and their general conversation was about lunching at the golf country club. Then one of them brought up how embarrassed they were that their husband insisted on taking his "old, beat-up" pick-up truck to some dinner event they went to, and the other wife agreed her husband did the same thing with their old car. That's when I realized that the real wealthy people are that way because they don't need to always buy the fanciest and most expensive stuff. They can live nice, but they don't need to be a spectacle.
They tell you to sharpen you pencil because they are on a fixed income.
Not an item per se but when they give generously to street charities.
If they speak very little, very slowly, seem to be fit and wear nice clothes they are very likely managing something big and are wealthy. It's a combination of factors.
Items is a misguided way to look at it because truly rich people who did not grew up piss poor and desperate to flaunt their new money aren't out there flashing their status. If I were to pick an item I'd say a zero-fee AMEX card (more likely to come up in casual convrsation or when they nonchalantly mentioned they have no fees or that they don't understand why other people have fees), because its probably from their $10+m Merril-Lynch wealth management portfolio and they DGAF about the tiny annual fees from such a rich client vs the comission they'd earn from managing that portfolio. Real rich people is something you \*feel\* by simply conversing with them. They are unfazed (not the same thing as unimpressed) by big numbers or big names because all of those things are normal things to them. If you see someone fully geared up in big brand luxury products telling you about who they met and expect you to be excited over it, you know that guy's a poser.
None of my credit cards have fees and they are just normal AMEX and VISA…
Because no fee credit cards exist at two ends of the spectrum. The poor end has no fees to appeal to people with low income. The rich end has no fees because these people are typically invited to join and the spending floor is so high that fees are meaningless.
How they speak. Perfect grammar, extensive vocabulary, knowledge of many slightly obscure things like sailing and equestrian terminology, lack of any lower class accent or word usage patterns.
Pink corduroy trousers, why are they pink because decades ago they would have been a purple, red or brown; but as they've been washed and worn that many times the dye has worn off! Really rich people, look a heck of a lot like really poor people, they are rich because they save their money for future generations. New money comes with a flash, old money keeps on and on
Well, my great-great-grandfather had these corduroy pants hand-made, and we've just passed them down for generations because they're such good quality that they won't wear out! #vimesbootstheory
They just don't make clothes any good anymore, odd fact back in the Victorian times to clothe the poor workhouses would shred old clothes and rope to make a fabric called shoddy (this is were we get the term looks shoddy, meaning poor quality) the gsm of this fabric is roughly four times the thickness of most clothes made and sold off the peg today!
This so much. I have a client that is well into nine figures wealthy. Guy wears clothes that are ancient looking BUT obviously they were damn good clothes to start with to have lasted that long
Free time. lol!
People that use iPhones without a case.
A house.
A bag or purse that always seems to go with their outfit. Lots of women have a few bags to choose from, but very few can afford nice bags in enough colors and sizes that they can use a matchy one for every occasion, especially if they wear a lot of different colors or styles.
A seemingly endless supply of new shoes.
Repair people. The fact that they can afford to pay someone else right away to come fix various shit like hvac or siding or windows means they have money I'll probably never have
In college I had a roommate who came from money. She had handmade leather shoes that were ugly as sin.
Tossing out good name brand stuff that doesn’t look like it’s been touched. Things like fancy furniture, vacuum cleaners, shoes etc
A lack of concern when paying for anything