Middle class identifiers 2022

[Pullandpush]

I read a similar thread a few years ago & the main middle class markers were hummus, organic food, private education, boden, ski trips etc, farrow & ball..
Are these unchanged for 2022 or have the identifiers shifted?
Since the pandemic I've seen a rise in the "hipster" style MC especially the men, maybe the working from home has allowed them to relax into the unshaven, casual look which wasn't there a few years ago...
Private education seems to be on the wane but that may be due to the cost of living..
Any other main MC identifiers I missed?

Not really. Maybe very few, but still have an accent, whether people realise it or not. I can tell because I've moved around a lot. I'm not originally from Edinburgh (family are though)

There’s a clear prestige form of the Scottish accent even though it isn’t RP - the examples usually cited are Kelvinside and Morningside.

I have a 40-something Scottish friend who was sent away to school in England and consequently has an RP accent. Apparently this used to be very common amongst MC and UMC Scots. Does it still happen?

Because this is a site by and for women?

@WitchWithoutChips I'm not sure as I'm not originally from Edinburgh (lived here about 12 years) Im from Cambridge. But my family are from here. AFAIK, there a some private schools that parents will send their children to. And listening to their accents when I've walked past the area occasionally is not RP. Politely spoken yes, but a Scottish accent nonetheless

Oh yes of course! Thanks

I mean sending away to board in England.

Kelvinside and Morningside accents are usually taken the piss out of, or were anyway. Kind of faux posh, not very good 1950s elocution lessons. It’s what I think of when I read ‘naice’ on here, strangulated vowels, Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Probably only heard from very elderly ladies now.

On the topic of birth announcements/names I often see in BAs babies (usually boys) who have a seemingly random surname as one of their middle names, that isn’t the mother’s maiden name. Is there a rule behind this? Grandmother’s maiden name? Godparent’s name? I’ve been wondering if it’s some secret UC tradition or something.

I am so glad that I am not English. Must be exhausting if you really care about this stuff. Shame if after all this progression , class is still a huge concern. And Boris is PM...
Ps : You can buy wetsuits and dryrobes in Primark .

I wouldn't say everyone posting here cares as such, but more that people notice certain patterns.

Well I have a garden office, I cycle and I do parkrun.
However, I "only" have a hybrid car, not an electric car, so obvs not trying hard enough.
My coffee machine was £25 off Amazon.
And I definitely have no dog!
Holidays in the Channel Islands, not Cornwall. And definitely not the Maldives = beach = boring.

I think it's a nonsense anyway. It's about how much money you have, not "class".

Other countries claim not to be class-ridden but they are as obsessed with money as anywhere else.

Oh and Earl Grey tastes of perfume. As does gin.

Is drinking perfume really an indicator of "class"?

The mind truly boggles.

What looks like a MC life in one part of the country may not look anywhere near as affluent in more expensive areas! Note to MNetters: not everyone MC is well-off!

A houseful of books is probably about the most bonafide MC proof of status you can get. If you don't have too many books cluttering up every room, then you're not the real deal!

Agree it’s about cultural capital. I don’t mean dogs n agas. I mean reading not watching. And probably the content kf said books. We weren’t allowed to watch ITV growing up which I still find hilarious 😂

The truly middle class don’t think about it at all, so if you’re thinking about class… you’re just insecure

They virtue signal

Could someone explain what “leafy comp” means please? The only ‘comps’ I knew growing up were not places I would want to have attended, with or without trees. (I will admit it’s well over 40 years ago so things may have changed.)

I think it's a bit crap that your dh having a trade is somehow not enough but then again maybe it's a good way to rid yourself of superficial fuckers?

My sister could be described as traditional middle class, married a 'sparky' and it was quite shocking (no pun intended) how many of her supposed friends judged her for marrying down. Never mind said sparky started his own company that now employs dozens of folk and is doing very well for himself he is, and always will be, a tradesman.

It just means a comp that is in a suburban / green MC family area - the area is desirable and more MCs move to the area to educate their children in that state school.

Actually, regardless of this ridiculous concept of ‘ class ‘ you should try to ‘ save the planet ‘ as I did when I trained as an ecologist many heras ago, SO, you should be into ‘ upcycling ‘ - amazing what you can do with Annie Sloane paint on a chair that might have only cost you £5 from a charity shop !
I’ve recently got very keen on charity shops - last week I bought a lovely navy beaded monsoon top with its label still on ie never been worn that had originally cost £45, marked down to £22.50, for £5 in a charity shop !
Creating a wildflower meadow in part of your garden only costs the price of a few packets of seeds and will attract, bees, hoverflies and butterflies, and for the cost of another packet of seeds you can grow a camomile lawn and use the flowers to make tea !
Moral is - think outside the box !!! 🤷‍♀️😂🥳

I think I’d agree.

I’m from/live in Birmingham. From my perspective of Brum:

We have working class folk.

And then we have working class folk on a decent salary that try and give the impression they’re MC when they’re actually just working class folk earning decent money 😂

And then we have top tier salary rich people who are in top paying jobs. Some of whom may not be from Birmingham but came to Uni here and stayed 😂

Agree with all of your comments about trades - but for some folks, they draw a line with it. They're very much, 'nice to visit, wouldn't want to go there'.

I'll be telling my DC to find partners who want, and are able to provide, the same things that they want in life.

It’s a comprehensive school in a pleasant, affluent area. Although there are no admissions restrictions on paper, in reality the intake is restricted to the children of families who can afford to pay a premium to live in the catchment area.

Music lessons for kids

Which income brackets would you define as middle class?