What are markers that identify stangers or acquaintances as posh? Lighthearted!

[Coffeeandacupcake]

For me, it's a combination of accent, subtle, expensive haircut & highlights or that perfect shade of blonde..

That's new money, ostentatious spending and keeping up with the Joneses - if any of it is real.

Posh is old money, driving old cars that were prohibitively expensive when new and not bought on finance, their furniture is generation's old, they wear sensible but good quality they've had years and mend as required, they don't talk about money, their salaries or what they spend it on. In fact, many of them are living off inherited wealth and investment returns.

Proper posh would find the six figure salaries DMumsnetters frightfully gauche and common. They're so used to wealth they take it for granted and don't feel the need to flaunt it to feel superior.

Absolutely correct. They probably use "smart" instead.

I am not posh, but do mix with the posh for various reasons.
I have noticed the men wear a shade of pink very confidently and there does seem to be many pullovers around shoulders.

The women are divided generally into yoga bodies with a lot of confidence and swishy hair, or very much the opposite with a mumsy look and novelty earrings at Christmas.

The older woman generally give off a terrifying air of steely confidence, they have perfected a look of confusion when they meet me, as they can sniff out a pretender instantly.

Obviously, all the above is based only my experience, my own projection from lack of confidence and my generalisations.

I thought that most here lived below poverty line basically...

Salary on MN is like a chicken. It either feeds one, or 17. Nothing in between....

Oh no they wouldn’t buy it, they would either have their own or other people’s hand me downs.

They drive an old Landrover not a Range Rover. Their kids never have very short or buzz cut hair.

Yes, I think they prefer smart 😁

The kind of person who has not bought all his own furniture.

Confident, dresses like a bag of rags, owns a horse and has a nice voice.

Oh dear. I got accused of being ‘posh’ once; I think because of my accent. I also drive old cars, own horses (two of which are practically geriatric), shop mainly in charity shops and have a VERY messy garden. Do you think they might been right??? 😱😱😱

Snorty laugh but no sense of humour
Unresolved sexual tensions with father
A friend called Poppy who's an interior designer
Covets an Aga
Has an aunt who agreed with Hitler
Friends in Wiltshire
Pulls car over to have a wee in a bush

Ah ok none of those; seems I might be ok!

Getting out of the bath to go to the toilet. A proper northern lass wouldn’t bother as it warms the water for an extra 20 minutes soak.

Old money or new?

I see perfect swishy hair as the opposite of rich because rich people dgaf about things like this. (They don’t have the hangs ups that middle class people have like what signifies rich. )

Wills and Charles don’t have this though. Neither does Princess Anne

I agree there are no universal markers, yet they just kind of ooze it.

DH could never not be posh. I ‘married up’ and my ‘normal’ friends think I’m posh but I’ll never truly pass, despite my cut glass accent. DD is so comfortable being posh that she has the confidence to act ‘down’ and still endlessly gives herself away.

They manage to be both completely unsnobbish but also very snobbish at the same time (great friends with a couple of the locals but would never say ‘toilet’) They know they can do what they like, and will always have the resources to land on
their feet, and that gives a different kind of confidence.

Their hair, clothes, daily routine matter not a jot. There’s no universal ‘posh’ look, not least because they are often of indeterminate ‘European’ origin across multiple generations. You just have it or you don’t.

Posh means having old sofas from the 1950 that are family heirlooms. The kitchens are the heart fj the home and they might be amazing or run down. It also means a certain type of vowel sound. They never holiday in common places like Mallorca or Turkey but spend time at people places in France or Antigua. Many ski and have holidays in the UK in Summer. Then occasionally they head off to Borneo or Vietnam. They never eat dinner but eat supper. They refer to going to London as ‘going to town’. They wear proper morning suit with ties to wedding and definitely not the cravat thing.
They do or don’t care about cars so either it’s a 80,000 4x4 or a really old Volvo but never a Vauxhall. Their kids are called after the Classics or obscure place names. They also show a sense of humour about your name and mannerisms if they let you into their circle and you don’t quite fit. They subtlety might offer to pay if they perceive that they have more. They often had an ironic sense of humour or can be droll.

They never talk about money or show off unless they are new rich. However they have slight signs of wealth eg a coutts bank account or 4 kids at public school. They tend to talk to all people as equals and don’t put people down. They struggle with vegetarians and will still offer you venison after a hunt. Oh yes the hunting and the drink beforehand another thing.

New rich will talk about their nanny, their expensive yacht and their famous brother in law etc, They will be well groomed and expensively clothed.

Old wealth clothes wise they gingham shirts and old Barbour jackets that have seen better days and cord trousers. The men can wear pink or red trousers.
in the city they wear tailored suits. They have proper cuff links. Black tie is always properly tied and not an elasticated thing.

You can be posh with little money if you went to the right school or have family connections.

Long hair with no parting

How would long hair fall without a parting?

I always think genuinely ‘posh’ people are usually quite eccentric, or the ones I’ve met are anyway!

It’s all about the accent….someone can live in a council house and be on benefits (that’s not an insult - I was on full benefits for years) and as long as they have a posh accent they’re considered posh and given more respect.

@MrTwatchester you win! 😆😆

Our local Lord of the manor dresses very casually and drives an old banger, has dogs obviously and speaks well. Old money is very different to new.

Wearing light tones, beige or whites in natural cloths like linen or cotton.
Ironed and stain free.

Wills and Charles don’t have this though. Neither does Princess Anne

And Wills drives shiny expensive new cars but that’s doesn’t stop the outdated tropes!

Not you then, @MargotEmin 🤣🤣
Accent, manners, confidence.
People think posh people don't care about what they wear and don't dress rich, this isn't true as its just a different dress code. "Nouvs" have a very different style to old money - visit any country show and you'll be able to pick out one from another quickly.