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?

novice i thought about this too, but i still think that at least they wont come in to stab you and take your car key if they cant drive your car away?

Oh go ahead spook, why the hell not?

Laquitar, I am totally with you! I love a bit of decadence/glamour-in my own life and in others'.

You're talking about 'conspicuous consumption' and 'good taste'. It's always been vulgar to flash the cash around conspicuously, but it's especially poor taste at the moment. We're all suffering from the hangover of society (banks, individuals, governments) spending the last 30 years in party-mood, maxing out the credit cards on crap and a metaphorical dose of bicarb in the shape of a little thrift and self-restraint is the inevitable result. Fantasy glamour always popular in hard times... expect glitz to return to Hollywood. 'Naff' is in the eye of the beholder.

laquitar one of the benefits of buying good quality is that damage adds to the character. So my mulberry luggage looks all the better for being a bit worn and battered; my solid wood table can take the knocks from being rode into by the kids bikes and scratched by pens through papers on hundreds of works of art. Not so with nylon and laminate.

Fake LV bags have become so ubiquitous that whenever I see one now, unless the bearer is very well dressed indeed, my default assumption is that it's just a fake.

TheQueenOfDenial you 've got a point.

LeQueen

By Cogito 'fantasy glamour always popular in hard times...expect glitz to return to Hollywood'

Yes i totally agree. (But will it come in uk?)

But why spending 3K on Aga cooker is ok and spending 3K on hot tub is not?

izzywhizzy, Does that mean I'm old money? Thank you Alan Clarke

I can't stand naff flashy people (in my experience they're normally living beyond their means), it's so vulgar. I can't stand 'throw away fashion', and try to source most of my stuff vintage (aside from food, I like new food).
TheQueenOfDenial makes an excellent point.

LeQueen, my hard wood coffee table (bought at an auction) has teeth marks in it, courtesy of DD3 falling on it when about 18 months old and scaring me shitless with the amount of blood that came out of her mouth. Now, at 3 yo, she loves pointing out to visitors her teeth marks on an otherwise beautiful table. And I will never get rid of that table

Awoman see I cannot understand why folk live beyond their means. Not me at all.

Expensive handbags when you don't have money saved for your DC's education? Madness.

But if you do have what you need for stability, what's wrong with spending on things you really fancy? Just cos someone else says it's a Bad. Thing. Do people really know their own minds so little?

And yes, I've had our kitchen table since before we were married. Tis fabulous. Has suffered years of abuse and still smiles at us. Solid and plain. Beautifully made.

But the dining room table...I went mad post DC and ordered a ridiculous twelve seater from Milan. It is all fancy smantzy and ...italian. I cover it with a dmask cloth

I am absolutely with the school of "I work hard for my money and should enjoy spending it", however, most things that are flashy are just vulgar. So a subtle Prada/Gucci/Smythson/Mulberry bag? yes. the glitzy versions? no.

Laquitar, an excellent point on the gates!

If you buy flashy stuff and love and use it it's no different to people who are selectively tasteful but also love and use their things IMO.

Our table is from IKEA, but all our bedroom furniture is carefully hunted out bargain carved antique dark oak. I'll probably keep our bedroom furniture a lot longer. (though neither thing is fashionable at all, and the table cost us more...)

Also... I can't imagine ever living in a house where gates were necessary at all!

We have just purchased a lovely brown leather corner sofa-bed and armchair. We love it, so balls to anyone who thinks it's flash

It isn't as simple as "anything new and shiny is naff"> MOre more subtle.

Some designer clothes are naff but not all. Depends very much on the label and how it is worn. Burberry isn't "chavvy" unless the checks are on the outside.

Yellow gold is naff.

In terms of furniture, I am pretty sure if you bought it rather than inherited it, it is technically naff regardless of the fabric.

I agree with LeQueen about the constant consumption. Round here if you don't replace all your furniture every two years it is assumed that you are only keeping your old stuff because you can't afford new stuff. Cars, commensurate with the owner's perceived status, are replaced every year or two. I am assuming that a lot of this consumption is on credit because living like that is not sustainable with the sort of jobs people have here, unless they all have private incomes.

The most well off people I know have holes in their clothes, cars that are falling apart and houses that are falling down!

God I hardly ever replace furniture (pace the liberace dining table)...can't be fagged.

But cars? Guilty as charged.
DH is a petrol head and loves cars, so he regularly chops and changes and we always have too many. In our defence they're not on credit.

catgirl I'm assuming you don't any rich folk from eastern europe?

No :) No Russian Ogliarchs near me! (as yet)

I think vulgar is a better term than chavvy for a lot of stuff.

It's flaunting money when those around you don't.