Anonymous wrote:An immaculately kept 15-plus-year-old Mercedes or Audi. One buys nice things, but treats them well so they last a long time. If it doesn't have a CD player (let alone iPod/bluetooth connection), one must deal with it.

Going back to more mainstream unintentional status symbols:

... Genuine Hunter wellies (olive green, not leopard print or Georgetown Cupcake pink)
... Monogrammed cardstock stationery, and if you use it to thank a neighbor who handed down some old baby clothes to you
... If you google yourself and one of your first hits is your wedding announcement in the New York Times (no other paper counts)... Ski or boat rack on your car roof
... High school ring not manufactured by Josten's (i.e., no large fake gem in the middle)

In this country it is the only paper that counts, but you do know they publish papers outside of the US, right? Have you heard of a little place called the UK where they are the experts on unintentional status symbols.

Anonymous wrote:Not being aware of how much things cost.

THIS.

Anonymous wrote:Going without socks and or wearing shorts when the temps are below 45ºF. Shows that you are comfortable with extreme cold or wind commonly encountered while sailing, sculling or rock climbing and that you eschew excessive personal comfort unlike the grotesque nouveau riche.

HAHAHA - I never even thought about this. I went out today to drop my kids off in shorts and a windbreaker (do people even wear these anymore) and thought it was a fantastic day for sailing!

Anyway, this thread has been super interesting. I have some "old money" but DH and I live off of what we make. We use what I have as "backup". However, some of the things mentioned here have made me realize maybe I'm a tad flashier than I know.

One unintentional thing I did recently was buy a "new to us" minivan. My car died and rather than spend the money on fixing it, then trying to deal with two car seats in my old car, I did the research, found what I wanted, and wrote a check. Seriously nothing special... just a quality, few year old, every day minivan. A friend complemented me on the car and asked what my financing options were. I completely blanked because it never even occurred to me to finance it. I just said we got a good deal, and redirected the conversation.

I also agree that if you can pull off "no makeup" after a certain age, it's likely because you can spend bank on skincare.

Also subtle things I notice...

Handwriting thank you notes, and getting kids to do the same.

Handwriting, vocabulary, grammar, etc. Whatever medium you use, to me it seems like a lost art. DH totes uses the LOLs and IDKs, and it drives me insane!!!

Mostly, just taking the time to do things "well", whether it's the half a minute you take to chat with the waiter/waitress about the days special, looking people in the eye, basic manners, whatever.

Anonymous wrote:15:08, is this the first time you've ever thought about this question?

Yes, the first time I read completely moronic threads on DCUM is the first time I think about many of these ridiculously stupid issues. Most useful unintentional status symbol? Being wealthy enough not to give a s**t what anyone else thinks about what I own/don't own/do with my money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's weird to me how New Englanders think looking plain is virtuous or indicative of status. What's wrong with looking nice?

I say this with all seriousness, this is remnant of New England's puritan roots. Read up on Cotton Mather and 17th c. history, the puritans who colonized Massachusetts had no problem with earning money, they saw that as a sign of God's grace, but ostentatious displays of wealth were verboten- hence all the 17th c. portraits of dour men & women in black and gray. You could argue that this aesthetic is a status symbol to those in the know, and therefore is not as virtuous as you might think.

It is certainly regional, having spent time around old money families in NYC (as a lowly peon, working events at the Met), those grand old dames were always immaculately coiffed.

which is way west coast gals are better looking

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Men at their son's sports event at 2:30 on a Wednesday.

good one

My husband is one of those men. In his case, it just means that he's a federal employee who has tons and tons of annual leave

Me too.. but I get the guy in shorts and flip flops is not going back to work or flexing.

If you're a 1%er wife, today was an excellent, bracing day to pull on your oiled Barbour™ jacket and hunter green wellies and stroll through the cold mud with your faithful lab or terrier at your side. Brb at 4:30 for a cuppa and biscuits…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Men at their son's sports event at 2:30 on a Wednesday.

good one

They might also be between jobs. It happens a lot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Men at their son's sports event at 2:30 on a Wednesday.

good one

My husband is one of those men. In his case, it just means that he's a federal employee who has tons and tons of annual leave

Anonymous wrote:Men at their son's sports event at 2:30 on a Wednesday.

good one

Anonymous wrote:Not being aware of how much things cost.

Or being aware, and not thinking things are expensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An immaculately kept 15-plus-year-old Mercedes or Audi. One buys nice things, but treats them well so they last a long time. If it doesn't have a CD player (let alone iPod/bluetooth connection), one must deal with it.

Going back to more mainstream unintentional status symbols:

... Genuine Hunter wellies (olive green, not leopard print or Georgetown Cupcake pink)
... Monogrammed cardstock stationery, and if you use it to thank a neighbor who handed down some old baby clothes to you
... If you google yourself and one of your first hits is your wedding announcement in the New York Times (no other paper counts)
... Ski or boat rack on your car roof
...High school ring not manufactured by Josten's (i.e., no large fake gem in the middle)

I believe a NYT wedding announcement is the very definition of "intentional status symbol".

Yeah, I don't think first PP realizes that if you're even nominally interesting (went to posh prep or college), you just call those in and dictate the details. In other words, you have to tell them about it, unless you're a Kennedy, so, yeah.

Not being aware of how much things cost.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An immaculately kept 15-plus-year-old Mercedes or Audi. One buys nice things, but treats them well so they last a long time. If it doesn't have a CD player (let alone iPod/bluetooth connection), one must deal with it.

Going back to more mainstream unintentional status symbols:

... Genuine Hunter wellies (olive green, not leopard print or Georgetown Cupcake pink)
... Monogrammed cardstock stationery, and if you use it to thank a neighbor who handed down some old baby clothes to you
... If you google yourself and one of your first hits is your wedding announcement in the New York Times (no other paper counts)
... Ski or boat rack on your car roof
... High school ring not manufactured by Josten's (i.e., no large fake gem in the middle)

Yeah well, my sister's ring from Cathedral came from Josten's and my Sidwell ring (with an onyx stone) also came from Josten's so you know nothing.

Again the difference between "intentional" status symbol vs. "unintentional" status symbol. You went to Sidwell, they did not cover "new vs. old money" … sad, you should sue for your money back.

What are you even talking about…I don't think 1st PP knew that signet rings from elite schools do come from Josten's…whatever, you sound like a very small minded, barely have any meaningful values sort of garden variety grotesque, so, carry on.

^ Yes, I'm the egregious Josten's poster. What I meant to say is my public high school ring (from Josten's) has a giant fake ruby in it and the generic National Honor Society logo on the side. My friends who went to posh privates have elegant signet-style rings with nice school crests. I'm grateful to the Sidwell/Cathedral family for showing me their brand of class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An immaculately kept 15-plus-year-old Mercedes or Audi. One buys nice things, but treats them well so they last a long time. If it doesn't have a CD player (let alone iPod/bluetooth connection), one must deal with it.

Going back to more mainstream unintentional status symbols:

... Genuine Hunter wellies (olive green, not leopard print or Georgetown Cupcake pink)
... Monogrammed cardstock stationery, and if you use it to thank a neighbor who handed down some old baby clothes to you
... If you google yourself and one of your first hits is your wedding announcement in the New York Times (no other paper counts)
... Ski or boat rack on your car roof
...High school ring not manufactured by Josten's (i.e., no large fake gem in the middle)

I believe a NYT wedding announcement is the very definition of "intentional status symbol".

Not necessarily. My wedding was in there because I grew up in NYC and that is the paper everyone reads, our version of the hometown Gazette or whatever.