How to appear rich?

Rich people don’t wear expensive clothes to show off their wealth.

They wear expensive clothes because

a) they’re the stores available to them. If you’re in Capri for the weekend and it’s a bit breezier than your summer wardrobe allows for you’re going to nip into Brunello Cuccinelli or Loro Piana and

b) you’ve got limited time so you’re calling your favourite boutique or again nipping into high end stores because you know you’ll get 1:1 service and someone to dig out everything you might want without having to trawl the shop floor

I would consider where do you live and what do you/your DH do are sort of normal conversation starters, though?

Urgh. I would swerve anyone who asked me this. Particularly “what does your husband do?”

Utterly gauche

Correct, they really don't and never did. Really wealthy people are dressed appropriately for the situation in hand. They have lovely quality outdoor gear, have lovely quality ski wear, have lovely quality evening dress, lovely quality riding gear. The land rich but money poor type of wealthy will wear more battered gear but it will still be top quality.

@IthinkCarolislonely

Public school types are always asking each other where they went to school so they can work out who they know in common. Who was at Eton with who’s brother, who played who at tennis etc.

They do, it’s true. But no more so than at a reunion of people who all come from the same area and went to one of two comprehensives. It’s a way of creating shared history and placing people.

What I meant is anyone who asks a stranger at a first meeting where they went to school would seem very gauche and someone who was completely comfortable with their social status wouldn’t do this.

The one thing you can absolutely guarantee a rich person will never do is ask you about money. If someone asks you where you live, what you drive and where you went to school they are 100% not wealthy, they are anxious arriviste.

I have found the very wealthy ask what do you do, what does your DH do as if keen to know where to place the person in their hierarchy.

Public school types are always asking each other where they went to school so they can work out who they know in common. Who was at Eton with who’s brother, who played who at tennis etc.

Good skin, good teeth, expensive haircut and neatly manicured nails.
Then just dress in something you already have that makes you feel happy about how you look, bring your best manners and enjoy yourself.

Being relaxed and comfortable in yourself will make you look far richer than trying to rent yourself some designer outfit you have to worry about returning, so you spend the whole time being careful not to spill anything on it.

People who want to look rich and don’t really understand how to do it.

Its not quite true that rich people don’t wear designer clothing: they do. But what they don’t wear are visible labels.

The one thing you can absolutely guarantee a rich person will never do is ask you about money. If someone asks you where you live, what you drive and where you went to school they are 100% not wealthy, they are anxious arriviste. Real wealth takes different forms but all wealthy people would find open discussion of wealth like this unbearably gauche.

I’m really not a fan of people pretending to be something they are not in any walk of life. Partly because I disapprove on principle of the judgement but it’s also entirely self defeating because you will never be able to disguise this enough to convince others that you live in a completely different world.

Turn up in jeans and a hoodie and tell everyone you're the ceo of a tech start up company

Please do explain then if you think I’m confused.

I will reword my post to help you.

You said rich people are secure in their wealth so don’t feel the need to outwardly display it.

I was explaining (as you may not know) that there is a difference between wearing heavily logo’d clothes / accessories and understated, logo free high quality clothing from brands that the pp listed. They don’t have to be new, flashy and obviously designer but if they are cash rich, they will be good quality and expensive.

The MN myth that rich people roll out of bed in Primark and dog fur and that it’s poor people buying Loro Piana on credit cards just isn’t true.

Edited to say - they are still outwardly showing their wealth, but only to others who also know what signifiers they’re looking for. Ie not a YSL or LV heavily branded bag

Well who the fuck does then?! 🤣

I'm really not confused. You might be confused about what I'm saying. That's ok.

Wrong.

You’re confusing large logos with actual understated designer clothes

I'm not UK based (what's a hunt ball?) so I've never been to any of these things. I can only respond from my terribly boring, rather poor perspective.

Hire an outfit.

Get a blow dry

lose weight if you need too.

Get any dental work done that needs doing.

I'm sure lots do. Equally I've known some who don't.

No, it's totally a thing. Has been for years. Rich people are 'secure' in their wealth, so don't feel the need to outwardly display it.

Peak Mumsnet 🤣🤣🤣🤣

What happens if you decide to meet up with someone again if you hit it off at the reunion? If you go and lie about things then you're going to be found out anyway, and if you don't plan on seeing anyone ever again there's no point in lying because who gives a shit if someone judges you. I get wanting to look your best but I definitely wouldn't be trying to pretend I'm something I'm not.

Rich people don't tend to wear designer clothing.

See, this is why I never ever go to reunions- it's basically a bragging event to show off how far you've come

she didn’t say that, you simply assumed it.

Very good point.

Can't imagine men going to a reunion and competing over who'd got the best watch, or whatever, bought with their wife's money.

It’s a bit sad that none of your college friends made their own money and only became rich through marriage.