Things that are unintentional status symbols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having domestic "staff".

Yeah. My bedsheets are always matchy-matchy, pillowcases too, because our housekeeper does our beds. I haven't made my bed iin 3 years. I think I did two loads of laundry in 2014. I work, don't throw stones.

If the sheets were left to me our beds would be an absolute wreck.

I wear my DH's cotton undershirts to go grocery shopping. Funny to see women with cotton Coach bags look me up and down.

Your housekeeper works too.

Most of us work in some way, n'est ce pas?

Yes. She is a godsend. I just didn't want anyone to think I lolled around all day taking baths in tubs of milk or something. I am not a SAHM. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but then again, maybe there is if you don't work outside OR inside the home.

Please don't use French like that. It is the height of pretention.

Just following your lead.

Wah-lah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having domestic "staff".

Yeah. My bedsheets are always matchy-matchy, pillowcases too, because our housekeeper does our beds. I haven't made my bed iin 3 years. I think I did two loads of laundry in 2014. I work, don't throw stones.

If the sheets were left to me our beds would be an absolute wreck.

I wear my DH's cotton undershirts to go grocery shopping. Funny to see women with cotton Coach bags look me up and down.

Your housekeeper works too.

Most of us work in some way, n'est ce pas?

Yes. She is a godsend. I just didn't want anyone to think I lolled around all day taking baths in tubs of milk or something. I am not a SAHM. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but then again, maybe there is if you don't work outside OR inside the home.

Please don't use French like that. It is the height of pretention.

Just following your lead.

Wah-lah.

Touché

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this thread has turned into "things that mean you're well off." That's different from an unintentional status symbol.

The Carmex in Ireland example or ski lift tickets on coats actually answer the question.

DH comes from old money; I come from new suburban comfort. We both grew up skiing and it's been a big activity for our own family. A few years back, when we had just returned from a ski vacation, I told DS (then in middle school) to cut the lift tickets off his jacket because it looked like he was bragging. MIL -- New England old money -- said, "Gawd, yes, it used to drive me crazy when X (my DH, her DS) would do that."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A recent addition for the younger set are those mini-micro scooters. All the pre-schoolers in my neighborhood seem to have them.

Really? But they cost $25 only. We bought ours on craigslist for $15.

[Anonymous]

"Rescuing" a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having domestic "staff".

Yeah. My bedsheets are always matchy-matchy, pillowcases too, because our housekeeper does our beds. I haven't made my bed iin 3 years. I think I did two loads of laundry in 2014. I work, don't throw stones.

If the sheets were left to me our beds would be an absolute wreck.

I wear my DH's cotton undershirts to go grocery shopping. Funny to see women with cotton Coach bags look me up and down.

Your housekeeper works too.

Most of us work in some way, n'est ce pas?

Yes. She is a godsend. I just didn't want anyone to think I lolled around all day taking baths in tubs of milk or something. I am not a SAHM. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but then again, maybe there is if you don't work outside OR inside the home.

Please don't use French like that. It is the height of pretention.

Pretension, pas pretention, n'est-ce pas?

[Anonymous]

Letting your kid bring a friend on a vacation or weekend away.

[Anonymous]

I associate too much matchy-matchy with people who are trying hard to show that they have made it. A nice organic style indicates comfort with oneself.

[Anonymous]

Some people use sheets and pillowcases that don't match?

My friend gives gifts in older, funky-cool, pillowcases. They always end up on a bed and we obviously don't have the matching sheets.

[Anonymous]

A fur lined sink.

[Anonymous]

Hand written thank you notes on stationary .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people use sheets and pillowcases that don't match?

I do! My bottom sheets always wear out first. The pillow cases and top sheet will still be fine. I'll pick up just a bottom sheet because that's all that needs replacing.

I do the same thing with bath towels. The bath towels wear out, but the wash clothes and hand towels will still be fine. Rather than replace the whole set, I'll just pick up new bath towels.

I always mix up my sheet sets, and I'm not "poor." Most of my bed linens are from Garnet Hill and good quality. It just pleases me to use a different color or pattern top sheet and pillowcases than the fitted sheet. They don't clash; I make sure of that. But I like an attractively made bed with pattern and texture. And I seem to be an outlier here... I always make the bed in the morning. Just seems to put things in order and the makes the rest of the room appear less messy. Call me bourgeois.

The sheet and towel thing is interesting to me. I grew up in a middle class family. My husband grew up poor, and his mom grew up in abject poverty. She always has matching sheets and towels, as a reaction to never having them as a child or a young parent. I suspect since my parents could have afforded matched sets if they wished, but wanted to spend their money on different things, they went with the frugal method of just replacing what's worn (and cut up the worn out sheet/towels for dust clothes or shoe shine rags). From that perspective, matching linens is more of a reaction to newly having money. But my comfort with linens that go together but aren't a matched set would be indicative of a slightly higher class. So perhaps the return to matched set linens is another jump in class?

+1 - actually, I think that's true for a lot of this. I grew up comfortable, in the NE suburbs - not wealthy, but comfortable (whatever the fuck that means). My husband grew up in a very very poor city. For me, I love to go live in rough places, the adventure of city living. He feels like he's had enough. He wants to live somewhere peaceful and quiet now.

The bedsheets, too. I think because I grew up as secure as I did, I have the freedom to be careless about things like matching sheets and impeccable clothes. I feel like I was born into a status that allows me the freedom to be a slob. With no irony at all: that is a luxury that I really cherish.

+10000

ITA with this, and the other PP who said she finds it funny when others try to "look her up and down" just because she is casual. I know many women like this in my circle, we chose each other intentionally. It is absolutely agonizing hanging out with the women who drone on about nothing, while having to have the latest whatever to wear. They simply are not such interesting people, yet they would turn on you in a heartbeat. No thanks.

I also agree that there is a HUGE difference in how new money acts (see above). But we are not supposed to talk about that here.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Old money knows how the treat the staff. And you support them forever. Literally. Until they die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stupidly expensive strollers. Bonus of you have more than one for whatever scenario you and Larliandra may find yourselves in.

Does this include BOB running strollers?

Only if you don't run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people use sheets and pillowcases that don't match?

I do! My bottom sheets always wear out first. The pillow cases and top sheet will still be fine. I'll pick up just a bottom sheet because that's all that needs replacing.

I do the same thing with bath towels. The bath towels wear out, but the wash clothes and hand towels will still be fine. Rather than replace the whole set, I'll just pick up new bath towels.

I always mix up my sheet sets, and I'm not "poor." Most of my bed linens are from Garnet Hill and good quality. It just pleases me to use a different color or pattern top sheet and pillowcases than the fitted sheet. They don't clash; I make sure of that. But I like an attractively made bed with pattern and texture. And I seem to be an outlier here... I always make the bed in the morning. Just seems to put things in order and the makes the rest of the room appear less messy. Call me bourgeois.

The sheet and towel thing is interesting to me. I grew up in a middle class family. My husband grew up poor, and his mom grew up in abject poverty. She always has matching sheets and towels, as a reaction to never having them as a child or a young parent. I suspect since my parents could have afforded matched sets if they wished, but wanted to spend their money on different things, they went with the frugal method of just replacing what's worn (and cut up the worn out sheet/towels for dust clothes or shoe shine rags). From that perspective, matching linens is more of a reaction to newly having money. But my comfort with linens that go together but aren't a matched set would be indicative of a slightly higher class. So perhaps the return to matched set linens is another jump in class?

+1 - actually, I think that's true for a lot of this. I grew up comfortable, in the NE suburbs - not wealthy, but comfortable (whatever the fuck that means). My husband grew up in a very very poor city. For me, I love to go live in rough places, the adventure of city living. He feels like he's had enough. He wants to live somewhere peaceful and quiet now.

The bedsheets, too. I think because I grew up as secure as I did, I have the freedom to be careless about things like matching sheets and impeccable clothes. I feel like I was born into a status that allows me the freedom to be a slob. With no irony at all: that is a luxury that I really cherish.

This is why I only buy white towels and white sheets. Everything matches and I never have to think about pillow cases wearing out, etc.