Things that are unintentional status symbols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wearing expensive yoga pants all day long during the week.

Being incredibly active in your kids preschool.

Both indicate to me that you gave the luxuries of money and time.

How about cheap, Old Navy yoga pants, all day every day. Does that count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1. Yup. This is a New England thing, though, I think. I'm from CT so I get this (though, sadly, I'm not one of the lucky ones). But yeah, we have friends with old family homes on the Vineyard and random little islands in Maine. They wear LL Bean fleeces all summer at said cottages (which are always extremely low-key, weathered, and rustic but at the same time perfectly tasteful and of obvious quality that has aged well). Old Volvos and Saabs and, back in the day, Jeep Wagoneers (remember those? LOVE). Very little jewelry or makeup, but they're always in shape so they can pull of the sporty look well. They ski, they sail, they know art, and they have interesting names for their grandparents. Point being, they don't have to broadcast their money with more high-end fleeces or white elephant summer homes. The low-key approach broadcasts their privilege and family background much more effectively to those who understand the code. I actually find it more refreshing than the flashiness around DC.

YES!!!!!!! Nailed it.

+1. I am from CT and this isn't my family but describes it to a tee. No flashy brands, cars, whatever. That would be considered totally gauche. Old LL bean anything, beat up Volvo or Saab. Weathered polos, etc.

Describing every other tool I would see in New England lining up for the ferry. Weathered polos, khaki ball cap from The Black Dog Tavern, carrying the "weekend duffle bag." Wives with sweaters tied around their necks just because and sporting perfectly broken-in boat shoes. UGH.

^ what you just described is the posers trying hard to *emulate* the authentic shabby New England elite! No true Brahmin would wear a Black Dog logo, and the LL Bean totes must be at least 40 years old, and worn/stained from having been used on a sailboat.

Interesting. So they weren't old NE elite I saw, but still douches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1. Yup. This is a New England thing, though, I think. I'm from CT so I get this (though, sadly, I'm not one of the lucky ones). But yeah, we have friends with old family homes on the Vineyard and random little islands in Maine. They wear LL Bean fleeces all summer at said cottages (which are always extremely low-key, weathered, and rustic but at the same time perfectly tasteful and of obvious quality that has aged well). Old Volvos and Saabs and, back in the day, Jeep Wagoneers (remember those? LOVE). Very little jewelry or makeup, but they're always in shape so they can pull of the sporty look well. They ski, they sail, they know art, and they have interesting names for their grandparents. Point being, they don't have to broadcast their money with more high-end fleeces or white elephant summer homes. The low-key approach broadcasts their privilege and family background much more effectively to those who understand the code. I actually find it more refreshing than the flashiness around DC.

YES!!!!!!! Nailed it.

+1. I am from CT and this isn't my family but describes it to a tee. No flashy brands, cars, whatever. That would be considered totally gauche. Old LL bean anything, beat up Volvo or Saab. Weathered polos, etc.

Describing every other tool I would see in New England lining up for the ferry. Weathered polos, khaki ball cap from The Black Dog Tavern, carrying the "weekend duffle bag." Wives with sweaters tied around their necks just because and sporting perfectly broken-in boat shoes. UGH.

^ what you just described is the posers trying hard to *emulate* the authentic shabby New England elite! No true Brahmin would wear a Black Dog logo, and the LL Bean totes must be at least 40 years old, and worn/stained from having been used on a sailboat.

Interesting. So they weren't old NE elite I saw, but still douches.

A-yup.

[Anonymous]

4 year olds in diapers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1. Yup. This is a New England thing, though, I think. I'm from CT so I get this (though, sadly, I'm not one of the lucky ones). But yeah, we have friends with old family homes on the Vineyard and random little islands in Maine. They wear LL Bean fleeces all summer at said cottages (which are always extremely low-key, weathered, and rustic but at the same time perfectly tasteful and of obvious quality that has aged well). Old Volvos and Saabs and, back in the day, Jeep Wagoneers (remember those? LOVE). Very little jewelry or makeup, but they're always in shape so they can pull of the sporty look well. They ski, they sail, they know art, and they have interesting names for their grandparents. Point being, they don't have to broadcast their money with more high-end fleeces or white elephant summer homes. The low-key approach broadcasts their privilege and family background much more effectively to those who understand the code. I actually find it more refreshing than the flashiness around DC.

YES!!!!!!! Nailed it.

+1. I am from CT and this isn't my family but describes it to a tee. No flashy brands, cars, whatever. That would be considered totally gauche. Old LL bean anything, beat up Volvo or Saab. Weathered polos, etc.

Describing every other tool I would see in New England lining up for the ferry. Weathered polos, khaki ball cap from The Black Dog Tavern, carrying the "weekend duffle bag." Wives with sweaters tied around their necks just because and sporting perfectly broken-in boat shoes. UGH.

^ what you just described is the posers trying hard to *emulate* the authentic shabby New England elite! No true Brahmin would wear a Black Dog logo, and the LL Bean totes must be at least 40 years old, and worn/stained from having been used on a sailboat.

Interesting. So they weren't old NE elite I saw, but still douches.

On a whim did a quick look on eBay. Here is a listing for a used vintage LL Bean duffle bag. Description includes "shows dirt, slight color wear.clean inside, stain from the label on the leather"

The current bid is $90.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/L-L-BEAN-Rare-Vintage-Brown-Green-Canvas-Leather-X-Large-Duffle-Bag-Tote-/171311318670?pt=US_CSA_MWA_Backpacks&hash=item27e2f3468e

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The starbucks cup is also a status symbol.

Like in 2000; but in 2014. No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The starbucks cup is also a status symbol.

Like in 2000; but in 2014. No way.

I see high schoolers carrying Starbucks cups. Not a status symbol.

[Anonymous]

We have a large collection of faded NPR / PBS pledge drive canvas tote bags collected over 2 decades from multiple cities (some came from my parents' house) that we use for groceries and the farmers' market.

Do these count since we paid $100+ for each bag that is actually worth $5?

[Anonymous]

nanny

[Anonymous]

I notice a lot of moms whose kids are in private school drive Suburbans or Escalades. It is too much of a coincidence so maybe it is some sort of status symbol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK. Who the hell is the thread cop who keeps dropping in to redirect us

"Not quite ..."

"You guys are missing the point of this exercise."

"Let me explain the assignment again."

"Remember, it's UNintentional. UNitentional...."

I didn't realize this was a facilitated discussion. Damn.

Because it is annoying when people derail the thread with an intentional status symbol. People who buy Mercedes, for example, are doing so to say they have arrived. Driving a decades old Mercedes Benz that your grandpa bought is a much more unintentional status symbol (though not to the New England elite, it sounds like). There have been lots of threads about intentional status symbols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I notice a lot of moms whose kids are in private school drive Suburbans or Escalades. It is too much of a coincidence so maybe it is some sort of status symbol.

Nah. Just group think. Middle school-level thought aged a few decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prius
smaller house/short commute
cloth diapers/breast feeding to over one year
beach vacation on Outer Banks
Children attending UVA/W&M or UMCP -In State
Attending certain Congregations
Summer pool memberships in NOVA with children on summer swim team and in year round swim programs
using the library for most of your children books under age 8
half day preschool
AAP
A child that goes to John's Hopkins for CTY

This is my family. And we have $4 million, unlike our neighbors in the $1.5 million house who vacation in Tuscany. Ha ha.

How do you know how much your neighbors have?

Because the wife told me?

[Anonymous]

Starbucks cups are now anti-status symbols. Why would you get crappy coffee from overworked, undereducated employees in a location most known for providing a bathroom to the homeless when you could have a lovely pour-over from an ironically overeducated, tatted scientist who can explain the ecology and chemistry behind your morning fix?

[Anonymous]

This may not apply to everyone, but I have one friend who constantly is doing juice cleanses and posting on FB about her GF diet. She says that she is "choosing to put herself first" but, really, her juicer cost her like $500, the ingredients for her two-week cleanses run about $500/week at Whole Foods (for her alone) (I know, b/c I tried it one time with her -- only ONCE!), and it takes TIME to make those juices every morning. And yes, I was told, you have to make them fresh every day, or else they lose the nutrients. I am sorry, but this "cleanse" and "putting myself first" nearly did me in, it was so darn expensive and took so much time!