Does your jewelry/watch/clothes/car/home confer status?

[kenny]

Does your jewelry/watch/clothes/car/home confer status to you?

People vary.
Some want to be seen as higher status based on what they own.
Others just like the things for their inherent qualities and do not think owning them gives THEM any higher status. IOW the item is groovy, not them.

 

[packrat]

Our stuff doesn't. I have a Dr. Seuss One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish watch. My Single Stone AVC three stone is kick ass--to ME. Nobody around here knows what an AVC is, they've never heard of Single Stone, and mostly I get a glazed look or "oh..huh..that's really cool" in response to my ring, when I explain it. I don't know how to dress myself fashionably outside of work, and at work I wear Dr. Seuss shirts..I suppose this conveys the fact that secretly I will never grow up but the preschoolers love it. My home conveys our status as KICK ASS landscapers. That's about it. I drive a 2004 Ford Escape, and the mess inside conveys the fact that I have two kids and can't be bothered to clean my vehicle.

 

[Laila619]

Nope.

I usually carry a high-end handbag, but that's about it. We prefer to drive unassuming older cars and live in a modest house. We're not into designer labels for our clothing. I buy most of my wardrobe from Target/Macy's/JC Penney.

 

[GemFever]

No... I actually feel quite uncomfortable about upgrading because it's so outside my "status" and comfort area. But I want the 7mm OEC because I love stones and they make me happy. So I'll get over feeling uncomfortable and just enjoy it for myself. Actually, I think I'd be more comfortable if people assumed it was fake (though I wouldn't purposefully misinform anyone).

 

[kenny]

I'll say NO also, but I DO love it when someone appreciates my blingy diamond.
But it's all about the rock itself, not about MEEEEEEE.
It would be the same as I and a stranger both discussing and enjoying a fantastic painting at a museum, or a fantastic sunset over the ocean.

 

[zoebartlett]

Um, no. I don't care about brand name/designer things really. I drive an old car with lots of miles, I don't own a watch or a designer handbag, and I don't have much jewelry.

 

[Enerchi]

I would say no. We drive Honda's, we do NOT dress up, we live in a nice house but there are NICER houses and NICER areas than ours. I have bling, but that's it. And I have the diamonds because I bought them for myself and only within the last 1.5 years.

 

[kenny]

I own my own business.
I confess I bought a Rolex to appear successful, which in my field results in more business.
That's BS and garbage, but true.

I remember 20 years ago a real estate broker once told me her businesses skyrocketed immediately after she leased a Mercedes to drive clients around.

Funny world we live in.

 

[SB621]

In my community it does, but most people either don't recongise the brand name or think it is fake.

As for cars- this is a military community. Every single guy under 50 has a beamer- they share an apartment with 3 other guys, but they each have a 60k+ car. If they are married then their wife drives it.

 

[gregchang35]

I never used to like doing this kinda stuff, as i thought it pretentious. All about the image. I totally understand Kenny's point about appearance and this is the world we live in.

But over the last few years, business has been kind to me and i do tend to splurge a bit- i have a diamond ring/ diamond studs and second diamond ring underway. we live in the burbs (compared to most (90%) of our friends that live 'inner' city) and have a nice home.

My partner says, we work hard and we should be able to appreciate the nicer things.

Whilst i don't specifically look for branded stuff, if that branded stuff appeals to me i think about it and then if it still sings with me and we can afford it, i go get it.

 

[Circe]

They do, but it's extrinsic rather than intrinsic.

I don't think I've ever bought a thing JUST because I know it's a status symbol.

But when a thing I find beautiful happens to convey status? Sure. It's going to send that message to the general society regardless of how I feel about it.

 

[Laila619]

In my community it does, but most people either don't recongise the brand name or think it is fake.

As for cars- this is a military community. Every single guy under 50 has a beamer- they share an apartment with 3 other guys, but they each have a 60k+ car. If they are married then their wife drives it.

Is this a common thing with military people? I've never heard this before!

 

[Dancing Fire]

In my community it does, but most people either don't recongise the brand name or think it is fake.

As for cars- this is a military community. Every single guy under 50 has a beamer- they share an apartment with 3 other guys, but they each have a 60k+ car. If they are married then their wife drives it.

i have seen a few hairdressers driving around in a $60K car but lives in the ghettos.

 

[diamondringlover]

No, I live in a old house that needs work, I wear sweats all day and jeans from Kohl's with t-shirts on the weekend, we drive older vehicles and no one understands my passion for jewelry and I do own a designer purse..but it was given to me as a Christmas present

 

[anne_h]

I said yes. Because I do believe my jewelry and home confer status. That's not the main reason I chose them, but I do enjoy the side effect.

My clothes and watch do not confer status (not brand name or expensive), but I DO hope they confer style! lol

I don't have a car (DH does) so no comment on that one.

Anne

 

[redwood66]

If our cars and home conferred any status it would be - we just love our redneck life and don't give a fig what anyone thinks. I drive a Jeep Wrangler that is topless half the year and hubby drives a regular (not lifted) 4WD F350. My jewelry is what I like and is meant for me to enjoy. Isn't that how it should be?

Of course its not like we are the Clampetts either. We have a nice house and 5 acres with horses and are very happy with everything.

 

[Karl_K]

don't wear jewelry
don't own a watch
cloths look ratty on me even when new
car has parts hanging off and needs an exhaust system.
apartment in a declining neighborhood
ummm guess the answer is nope.
Do I care what others think.... nope.

 

[iheartscience]

They do, but it's extrinsic rather than intrinsic.

I don't think I've ever bought a thing JUST because I know it's a status symbol.

But when a thing I find beautiful happens to convey status? Sure. It's going to send that message to the general society regardless of how I feel about it.

Ditto Circe, as per usual! The thing that conveys status the most is probably my vintage Rolex, but I don't look like the type to wear pricey jewelry or watches, so I doubt many people notice it. And I only bought it because my old boss sold it to me for a steal...can't say I would ever spend that much on a watch if I was paying full price!

Aside from jewelry I do have well-made shoes and bags that are on the pricey end, but they're relatively unknown designers and don't have obvious logos anywhere. (I HATE stuff with obvious logos...I'll allow a super subtle logo if it's something I really like.)

Oh and I don't have a car at all, and hope to never have one again! I've probably said it here 20 times, but I LOVE not having a car and just being able to use public transportation!

 

[iheartscience]

In my community it does, but most people either don't recongise the brand name or think it is fake.

As for cars- this is a military community. Every single guy under 50 has a beamer- they share an apartment with 3 other guys, but they each have a 60k+ car. If they are married then their wife drives it.

Is this a common thing with military people? I've never heard this before!

Super common! My brothers both went to West Point (and were in the Army before and after attending), and the young guys always have super expensive cars. They have a lot of disposable income because their housing is typically paid for by the Army, they get free healthcare, etc. My super Republican older brother is still an officer and he says he's a hypocrite because the military is basically socialist!

 

[monarch64]

Yes, but in different ways.

I have a higher end watch (not a Rolex, but a Tag Heuer with diamond markers), and my solitaire diamond is larger than average based on what I see on the hands of other women my age and older in my community.

The clothes I wear to work every day confer status only to those who are actually familiar with the labels that are sometimes displayed on certain items. Among the outdoor-lover crowd, Patagonia is sometimes referred to as "Patagucci." It's somewhat expensive for casual clothing and has a cult-like following, some would say. In reality no one probably notices what I'm wearing outside my workplace (retail), and would most likely think nothing more than "a clean cut girl-next-door who can't be bothered to put on anything besides a flannel, a fleece, jeans, and riding boots." People who shop in the store in which I work have a different opinion--usually it's "is that a Better Sweater? Is that the Fjord Flannel? I want that, when does it go on sale?" A flannel shirt=$80-90, which isn't a big deal in the world of high-end fashion, but if you're buying one at full retail just to wear on the weekend or because it's cute, you probably have a decent amount of disposable income.

I don't think my car confers anything except that I'm contributing to global warming since it's a gas-guzzling hog of a Jeep. Our home is very modest, and we bought it after looking for something livable/comfortable that would allow us to live a bit below our means so we didn't have to worry too much if disaster struck, and could also feel ok with raising a family within plus entertain our diverse circle of friends in. More than likely, it just confers "making ends meet," and that is just fine with us.

 

[distracts]

I guess? I mean, I don't do it intentionally, I buy jewelry because I like jewelry, I buy nice leather purses because I am HARD on my purses and leather purses last longer, and I live in a nice neighborhood (in a modestly sized but very well appointed house) because that's where my fiance lives (and it's a very friendly and safe neighborhood with one of the top-ranked elementary schools in our district). I drive a Prius, which I don't think really has much "status" to it... I'm really a sports car person but I do SO MUCH driving at my job I had to fill up my old car every day during campaign season. Now during campaign season I just do it twice a week, which saves me money AND time, and during offseason I just fill it up once a month. I buy a huge mix of clothes so I don't think they really convey anything other than that I'm a major nerd since most of my daily wear tshirts come from ThinkGeek and Shirt!Woot (my favorite - a shirt of Captain Picard with a cupcake that says "Bake it so!").

I don't know anything about watch brands other than what I've learned from passing conversations here on PS. I hear that Phillipe Patek is very fancy, but that's basically all I know other than Rolex. My watch is a Rotary (this one). I bought it online for $100 because it was pretty and rose gold color and I didn't want to miss out on the rose gold watch trend. I always really wanted one of those white ceramic watches when they were trendy but never got one, lol. My other watch is a silver colored Fossil watch with sparkly crystals, which I got to match my engagement ring (my old Fossil watch was really utilitarian and they kind of clashed). I don't like wearing stuff on my wrists... otherwise I could totally see the temptation in fancy watches... there seems like so much to know about them! (And obviously hobbies are more fun when there's nitpicky stuff to learn.)

I guess my mix of stuff probably conveys that I'm upper-middle class and a little brand-conscious though not too much... which is the truth. The only time I specifically dress to convey status is when at work - people are more likely to support people they view as like them/supported by people like them, so I'll wear designer clothes/heels and my jewelry to a fundraiser (whereas I'd wear just any clothes/a regular non-designer suit to a meeting, plus my engagement ring), but when knocking on doors/going to community forums wear regular jeans and a tshirt, either the campaign shirt or a local sports team shirt or school shirt (I went to a local university), and no jewelry other than my half-carat OEC ring.

 

[jaysonsmom]

My house, jewelry and car all say upper middle class....but they were not purchased/acquired with those intentions. I picked the house based on school district, my jewelry because I inherited some and my hubby bought me some. My car is a very nice but almost 10 years old. Purchased for reliability and safety. I don't wear brand name clothes, my favorite stores are Marshalls and Kohls.....and I have a couple nice designer handbags because my mom and aunts like to buy and give me handbags. My most expensive handbag purchase of my own was $300 for a Bree bag. Ever heard of it? Probably not cos it's really well made but not fashion forward.

 

[JulieN]

No... I use my looks for that.

 

[Laila619]

No... I use my looks for that.

Hehe!

 

[CharmedOne]

I would say no. I'm a SAHM, so I live in sweats, a baseball cap and a ponytail most of the time. I drive a five year old dodge caravan and we have a ten year old outlander. We have a modest home in my opinion but my sons friends think he has money. Why I don't know for sure, but I think its because of my husbands profession and we live in suburbs, a stone throw from the mountains. So policeman are well respected around here. I do wear more jewelry than most people but with the way I am dressed, I believe the people that don't know think its all fake. I don't really like to draw attention to myself at all, so I would only dress up for work, if I had a job.

 

[rosetta]

Nah. We live below our means. I retired my little Honda as I hardly drive any more. We live in a small 2 bed, 2 bath flat. My jewellery is fabulous, but most people think it's fake. I do have designer handbags and clothing, but no logos so no one notices them either.

 

[SB621]

In my community it does, but most people either don't recongise the brand name or think it is fake.

As for cars- this is a military community. Every single guy under 50 has a beamer- they share an apartment with 3 other guys, but they each have a 60k+ car. If they are married then their wife drives it.

Is this a common thing with military people? I've never heard this before!

Super common! My brothers both went to West Point (and were in the Army before and after attending), and the young guys always have super expensive cars. They have a lot of disposable income because their housing is typically paid for by the Army, they get free healthcare, etc. My super Republican older brother is still an officer and he says he's a hypocrite because the military is basically socialist!

I guess I should have edited my comments a little. Understand that alot of people join the military and all the sudden have income! Just like Thing said they don't have alot of bills so they buy an expensive car. They aren't home alot (deployed or TDY) so the car is really the only Toy they can buy (why buy a house- you MIGHT live there for 2 years tops). However, typically their entire paycheck will go towards that car. In a lifestyle where being an individual is hard, having a nicer car is a way to break out from the mold and be different.

 

[chrono]

I buy my sporty European cars and nice house because that's what I like and they are good quality; I don't do it just to show off or for status purposes.

 

[Autumnovember]

Jewelry and car wise yes. Clothes, no way. I dress very simple and I rarely will be seen wearing anything that has brand name logos all over. I love my car strictly because I love the quality of it. I don't care for buying anything just because its a status symbol. As for my ring, its "big" and I do loooooove my bling but I hate the assumptions that come along with it.

 

[ame]

No, but I'd say my fatness and my general "appearance" would confer a nice level of financial comfort. I am not a status person, I am not in the social scene, despite what I do professionally. Some days I aspire to be that person who "lunches" and is a mover and shaker but I am caught in two worlds: that artsy fartsy trying to be cool college freakshow designer person crossed with the high end upper east side rich successful wedding queen. I still seem to be mostly the former and can't seem to get out of that, or feel comfortable in the latter.

My rings are the most high end piece of jewelry I have, and rarely wear, my watches are a swatch and an invicta I got on ShopNBC, neither of which I ever wear, I have a big titanium fossil somewhere too, my clothes are almost all from Target/OldNavy/Gap, with a few pieces from Nordstrom--mostly jeans, and look like they're all low end casual "did you shower today" kinda clothes...My purse is really nice, midrange-high end, no logos, I hate obvious branding, but I love high quality leather bags.

My car is probably I guess higher end, a nice SUV with the highest end trim AWD (which I paid nothing for, perk of buying from the client, I paid invoice on the base model price), and my house is IMO a crapshack, in a lower middle class neighborhood that in the old days was actually a pretty nice middle class area. I am uppermiddle-area-adjacent lol. I grew up in a upper-middle area, DH grew up in upper class area. Our money goes into savings and investments immediately from when we are paid, so our money in hand is annoyingly tiny to me, but we eat like royalty and are obese beyond words We have zero debt, thankfully, that's due to Dh, less due to me.