Is this money embarassment or classism or what else?

[Laquitar]

Why do people react so strongly about anything new/shiny/'flashy?
Everything seems to be 'naff' and 'chavvy'.

Ok i dont personally like some things i.e. designer clothes, flashy cars, gold, pools but i don't mind if others like them. It brings some fun in our streets.

Some other 'naff' things i do like them i.e. leather sofas, i-phone, electronic gates.


Too much modesty is boring. We need some glamour


Why are people so scared of commiting the 'chav/naff' sin? Is this to do with 'classism' or something else?

[GandTiceandaslice]

Please expand on your thread because I'm not sure what you're getting at!

I am not glamourous unless going out, but I do have brown leather sofas!

I want an i-phone.

[Catslikehats]

New shiney things are not naff per se but things that are shiny and new which serve little purpose other than to demonstrate your "personal wealth" are naff. Thus an iPhone is not naff. A gold plated vertu most definitely is.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I am nouveau riche so naff and shiney crap is my forte.

Sports car? In red? Bring it on.

[Laquitar]

I was just reading the 'electronic gates' thread and i cant believe that people put 'naffness' above security.
I'd love to have them. They are in my list. (i've got leather sofas and i-phone)

[bibbitybobbityhat]

I find anybody, aristocracy to street robber, who constantly consume things and set great store by their possessions to be deeply naff.

[robingood19]

show real class in recession by showing off in a low key way

[MoonGirl1981]

I have brown leather sofas too!! Not naff, practical!! You can wipe them clean!!

:o

[sunshineandbooks]

I think a lot depends on who has what and why you think they have it.

Designer clothes, for example. Some people choose them because they prefer the quality and the uniqueness of them. Other people choose them because they are shallow and ostentatious. You can pretty quickly tell which is which if you spend some time with them.

[SuePurblybilt]

Tis vulgar, innit? It is Not My Way

[Hufflepuzzpig]

I find anybody, aristocracy to street robber, who constantly consume things and set great store by their possessions to be deeply naff.

Yes, that is what I feel too. It is not the individual item that is naff, it's the "ooh look what I've got" "what is it?" "I don't know but it's so shiny..." thing that bugs me.

[Laquitar]

You see GetOrfMoiLand, a red sports car is not in my list but if you lived next to me and you bought one i would love watching you getting in and out of it. The street is boring if we all drive a grey Ford.

[robingood19]

some career people say it is necessary for the job. (not always convincingly)

[Awomancalledhorse]

My black leather sofas are casts off from IL's, they're older than me (the sofas AND the in-laws).
I presume this makes them (the sofas) heirloom antiques & therefore I am Klassy nouveau riche.

[malinois]

Because it suggests that you've bought things (new money) rather than inherited them (old money). It's the difference between personal wealth and family wealth.

Of course old money does buy things, but they tend to buy small amounts of the very best, designed to last at least three generations. Consumerism is seen as crass and bourgeois.

(knows people who own half of Hampshire and have half a million pounds worth of wine in the cellars, but drive 30 year old landrovers and hold trousers up with bailer twine)

[BrandyAlexander]

People with wealth on display do make me cringe. Eg Louis Vitton handbags with the LV logo everywhere. No way I would ever buy one!

[wordfactory]

There are many many things I am more than happy to spend my money on and I don't give a shit if anyone (generally with less money) decries me for it.

I work my ass off and so does DH. What's the point in it all if we can't splurge on georgous, well made stuff?

[scottishmummy]

lv bags are ugly.£5 down barras.trashy and not nice.at all

[wordfactory]

novice LV is not my cuppa either...but really why do you care? Surely it is less offensive than cheap tat that will fall aprt in a couple of weeks?

[Laquitar]

Excactly wordfactory.

Ok forget handbags. If i offer you bargain price electronic gates would you say 'oh yes please' or 'hmm the neighbours will think i'm naff'

I'm not selling gates btw

[wordfactory]

I wouldn't take you up on gates, but not out of any sense of embarrassment. Just that I am surrounded by open countryside so gates would be a bit...pointless iyswim.

TBH I buy whatever I want without regard to others views. I would never buy anythng to impress. How could I? We all have such individual tastes.

Similarly, I would never not buy somehting for fear of what some crashing snob thought of me.

[BrandyAlexander]

Hi word, I much prefer a good quality handbag but prefer the ones where the logo is discrete. Most of the LV ones are so showy.

As to electric gates - dh and I are debating whether or not to get them. They also look showy (cringe again!) and I also wonder whether they signal to burglars that you have something worth stealing.

[izzywhizzyletsgetbusy]

According to the late Alan Clark's definition, horse, you cannot be nouveau riche because you have not had to buy your own furniture
.

[Laquitar]

Actually i am one of those people who like cheap things because i get bored easily and i don't want the stress of avoiding damage.

But i 'm not talking about quality. In your Monsoon example if you wanted to buy the monsoon dress in purple or orange and everybody tells you that you should buy it in modest navy because purple is 'naff'. Would you care?

I rather watch a confident person wearing 5 gold chains around her neck than a boring one with low self esteem who doesn't dare to buy her favourite necklace in case it is 'naff'. You like it? Buy it

We 've got enough of navy/grey/boden/ford fiesta/classy/modest people. My ideal neighbour would be that Italian lawyer/celebrity Nancy something. All those colourful clothes and glitter....fun to watch it.

[spookshowangel]

what about hot tubs are they naff? because i am definitely getting one of them