Anonymous
Post 10/30/2023 10:35     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We’ve attended a few open houses and tours lately. This is our first experience with DC private schools.

Many of the other moms are wearing conspicuous designer items. I’ve seen more Chanel flats, Gucci bags, Van Cleef bracelets/necklaces, Hermes belts, and Cartier love bracelets in the past few weeks than I’ve ever seen in my life.

Is this typical for these types of parents, or are they just dressing like this for the open houses to signal wealth and status?


I am wealthy and try to not wear anything with labels on them. Old money preppy does not generally wear items with logos except some shoes like ferragmo and Chanel sometimes can’t be helped but honestly I try to find items that do not have logos. That goes for jewelry as well.


Except all the ones that do. Which DCUM does not approve of so pretends do not exist.

And anyway neither VCA nor Cartier have “logos.”
Anonymous
Post 10/30/2023 10:33     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:We’ve attended a few open houses and tours lately. This is our first experience with DC private schools.

Many of the other moms are wearing conspicuous designer items. I’ve seen more Chanel flats, Gucci bags, Van Cleef bracelets/necklaces, Hermes belts, and Cartier love bracelets in the past few weeks than I’ve ever seen in my life.

Is this typical for these types of parents, or are they just dressing like this for the open houses to signal wealth and status?


I am wealthy and try to not wear anything with labels on them. Old money preppy does not generally wear items with logos except some shoes like ferragmo and Chanel sometimes can’t be helped but honestly I try to find items that do not have logos. That goes for jewelry as well.
Anonymous
Post 10/30/2023 10:26     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:I don't want to take the thread off topic, but ballet flats with a Mary Jane strap are what's in right now for fall. Lug soles are out, but sleek loafers with a low profile heal are in also. Boots to the knee are also in with low or now heal. Sling-back kitten heals are also in.

OK carry on.
--signed fashion mom


I don't take any advice from someone who cannot spell "heel" correctly, yet claims to be fashion-obsessed.
Anonymous
Post 10/30/2023 10:13     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
I have a lot of these things. I don’t wear them everyday but I try slightly at these types of events. It is more of a pain to blow out my hair vs my everyday ponytail. Putting on a different pair of shoes and a purse? Takes 30 seconds.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 22:25     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
I don't want to take the thread off topic, but ballet flats with a Mary Jane strap are what's in right now for fall. Lug soles are out, but sleek loafers with a low profile heal are in also. Boots to the knee are also in with low or now heal. Sling-back kitten heals are also in.

OK carry on.
--signed fashion mom
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 22:03     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:Ballet flats are super in this fall. Chunky loafers are out. They were last winter.

Even I know this--49 year old mom who follows a dozen or so influencers on Instagram.


Wait, really? I was just looking for some lug sole loafers. Did I totally miss the trend? I already have lots of high end ballet flats, although no Chanel's.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 21:50     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:OP, the fact that you spot: the Chanel flats, Gucci bags, Van Cleef bracelets/necklaces, Hermes belts, and Cartier love bracelets -- this says you are one of them.


+1
It is how rich people find each other. That, and Jeffrey Epstein's jet.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 20:54     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know how popular those love bracelets are? I'd find it weird if you didn't see a lot of them at a private school open house. Same with regard to the other things you mentioned.


Lol, no but I had to Google this.

This reminds me of high school when I felt like a rich kid bc I had a car. And then I went to college and realized that in actual rich circles, it was the *kind* of car you had that mattered. SMH
Who knew!

Basically everything in life is like this.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 20:52     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:There are very few fat people among the prospective parents.


This is absolutely true. My husband and I couldn't believe how healthy everyone (parents and children) looked. It was refreshing.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 20:09     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We left the Bentley at home when we did these visits and just took the Porsche.


Actually, the most common vehicle among the wealthy is an F-150, often with a small DU sticker, often either king cab or double cab, but usually it is not one with the entry-level trim. Fancy cars usually are a sign of new money. Old money has a nice reliable vehicle, but likely it is far from being new, because they realize that cars are an expense not an investment.


F150 is rather unsophisticated


The staff can pull the yacht and horses with it. It’s quite versatile.


Indeed, the DuPonts down the way have at least one, which is not brand new but is well kept, with a trailer hitch suitable for horses. Most of the time when we see it, it isn't pulling a trailer though, as they also have a horse box.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 18:15     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
There are very few fat people among the prospective parents.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 14:54     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
OP, the fact that you spot: the Chanel flats, Gucci bags, Van Cleef bracelets/necklaces, Hermes belts, and Cartier love bracelets -- this says you are one of them.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 14:34     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ballet flats are super in this fall. Chunky loafers are out. They were last winter.

Even I know this--49 year old mom who follows a dozen or so influencers on Instagram.


Fashion is so dumb. It’s just meant to suck money from our pockets.


I love overpaying for… brand and perception!
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 14:33     Subject: Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We left the Bentley at home when we did these visits and just took the Porsche.


Actually, the most common vehicle among the wealthy is an F-150, often with a small DU sticker, often either king cab or double cab, but usually it is not one with the entry-level trim. Fancy cars usually are a sign of new money. Old money has a nice reliable vehicle, but likely it is far from being new, because they realize that cars are an expense not an investment.


F150 is rather unsophisticated


The staff can pull the yacht and horses with it. It’s quite versatile.
Anonymous
Post 10/29/2023 14:12     Subject: Re:Open house attire/conspicuous consumption
Anonymous wrote:Also half of it is probably fake. Bought just for this purpose. There are some incredibly close dupes out there that take a very close look at to figure out what’s real.


Lol seriously? I’d be surprised if these people are buying fakes. Especially knowingly…