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?

I agree - one of dh's contacts tried this for his dd and dh passed on the details to me (I am the first contact in recruitment for our company ) - I must say I found it very off-putting, that a supposedly talented and educated individual would need their daddy to open doors for them. There are lots of paid internships available across the country, advertised on every university careers site - competitive opportunities open to all. I am very willing to look at cvs and covering letters and offer advice on the best approach but using your parents to gain access that's a bit old school.

@thecurtainsofdestiny I think it only counts if you buy it via ocado, and only if you buy it at full price, I'm afraid

Wild swimming. whether that's sea, river, or lake. With the kit. With a bunch of people. After which you absolutely must post to social media in an evangelical fashion.
Round here, cool, expensive bucket bbqs to take to the beach (never a disposable grill).

Agree. It's nothing to do with money, in my opinion.

You can check a lot of the boxes on some of these lists, and your 'real' class, rightly or wrongly, will be judged on the occupation/background of your parents and your accent.

This is what my circle in SE England is like, I think it might be age related as well as area. I do have a few bits from Boden but my circle (late 20s, urban) is more about second hand/sustainable clothing, veg box and zero waste shop, Ottolenghi recipes, etc. Yes to wfh, cycling and camping too, and voting Labour/Green/remain. Whereas the RR-driving, brand-wearing, Tory voting tribe is more age 40+ and lives more rurally/suburban.

It's so not true - the myth doesn't help though - these professions are open to all but the working classes need to apply for these jobs, which are all advertised through their university career's website, my experience is that they tend not to.

@Samanabanana

Gutted! Mind you I should've suspected as much when I read a post mentioning a cortado (had never heard of this).

That's me taken down a peg or two

Not sure that's true - plenty of MC are aspiring UMC or UC. The indicators are there and they are just as obvious.

@Chaoslatte ah interesting. We live in a city reasonably near the centre so you could be right re the rural/suburban aspect.

Hmm. I guess I would consider myself middle class, and so now I'm asking myself why I feel that.

For me, I think the things that would probably make me feel MC are:

I'm a privately educated child of privately educated parents who is privately educating our children. I'm not necessarily sure that it's the private education per se that's important, but more the importance and emphasis on education.

I'm a professional, married to a professional, from a long line of professionals (not in the same field, and definitely no nepotism!), and fully expect my children to grow up and become professionals (and their current educational track is pointing in that direction.

I'm a homeowner, born to homeowners, who has, from birth, invested money for my children in order for them to also be homeowners.

Attitudes to money are that we buy outright. We save and then buy, rather than using credit. So yes, this does often mean older owned cars rather than leased new ones. TBH older things in general that we keep until they wear out, rather than frequent cheap replacements.

I'm really not many of the stereotypes that many have posted on here. I'm overweight, scruffy, no interest in fashion. I'm interested in the environment, but don't follow fads or trends. Interested in re-use and recycling, but not in spending a fortune on pointless guff for virtue signalling purposes. Eat meat. Don't tend to use the local farm shop (although its not unheard of), and don't tend to use Waitrose or Ocado. Not interested in Skiing or Wild Swimming. Dog is a Jack Russell cross. Have a wood burning pizza oven, but equally have a gas BBQ and gas paella burner. I have an inflatable hot tub, the least MC item in the world!

Agree. It's nothing to do with money, in my opinion.

You can check a lot of the boxes on some of these lists, and your 'real' class, rightly or wrongly, will be judged on the occupation/background of your parents and your accent.

Quoting my own post, but I hadn't finished!

You could be poor and living on benefits and still be middle class on account of your background/accent/education. Or if you're titled.
I remember discussing this in some social science type module at university and some people were quite surprised, they thought it was only about money and connected signifiers.

Car-wise I’m noticing lots of SUVs amongst the MC (ideally electric). I’ve always been a saloon person and feel a bit out of fashion recently.

I'm in Australia, so it may be different...
Buying a coffee on oat milk or almond milk
Being vegan/vegetarian, talking about vegetarian food
Driving a new model Audi or hybrid
Parents are both fit
Environmentally aware, kids have bentostyle lunch boxes, everything is plastic free

After reading all this, Id really hate to be middle class, what a load of old shite.😝😀

Yep not taking care of yourself is definitely the best way to really value yourself, makes sense.

I had only recently heard of cortado, too. I wanted to try it but worried it might be too strong? Is it made with condensed milk?

Sorry for the tangent!

@CompoundV can you elaborate on the aspiring umc markers please?

There’s a difference between ‘wealthy middle class’ as a group and ‘behavioural middle class’ types.

I’m inclined to say it’s more about your education, world view, cultural experiences, long term expectations, well being and a few other factors- not necessarily how often Fred delivers your peonies or if the DC are wearing Bonpoints latest collection.

I know several exceptionally wealthy people who you’d easily confuse as working class judging from appearances and behaviours and yet they’re on The Times rich list 😏

Thank you for backing up my view that doors are not opened by well-connected parents - it does not encourage working-class kids to apply when they feel the cards are stacked against them. Parents, encourage your kids to apply for highly competitive jobs - we want to recruit talent and we don't define that by attendance at private schools or Oxbridge but if they are our only applicants then they are going to get the best jobs.

Someone's class background still largely determines the opportunities available to them and their likelihood of career/financial success. Class privilege is a massive thing and social mobility in the UK is incredibly low - there are people who change class, but class influences so much about our lives that dismissing it as unimportant is incredibly naive.

Like the example above of being able to introduce your children to someone who can give them an entry into the competitive industry they're trying to enter. Those who have the connections by virtue of their class have a massive leg up in life.

compound Those with true wealth and heritage do not need to slavishly follow trends to be thin/fashion etc and to do what suits them, that includes eating properly - that is the very definition of caring for yourself and not starving to be accepted, they are already entirely accepted in the circles.
Riding the ponies is unlikely to require one to looked coiffured, that is usually left to hunt balls and supper nights.

In my recent experience at a large consulting firm, there were official ways of getting work experience there, but there were also plenty of kids who bypassed that route because their dad (and it always did seem to be the dad, not the mum) was an important client, or knew a senior partner etc.

I don't want to discourage WC kids from applying for things, but I also think it's unfair to deny the fact that your background still can give you a big advantage, even in 2022.

Knowing Freddie personally is probably marker in itself!

Yep not taking care of yourself is definitely the best way to really value yourself, makes sense.

Being stick thin and having manicured nails =/= "taking care of yourself"

Solar panels, electric cars but not giving up foreign holidays. Most MC outside of London that we know are privately educating or have moved into the catchment for a "lovely village school" and plan to go private at secondary. This much angst around this point!