What are the main identifiers of those who describe themselves as lower middle classes?

[Rosehip10]

As distinct from middle/upper middle.

@MikeUniformMike you're awesome 😂😂 Love that you think 'msby' could be a genuine spelling error, and love the time you spent quoting all my typos on Christmas Eve. 🤦🏼‍♀️ In fact, I was so tickled that I took a screenshot to share with my uni colleagues... they love your messages too 😀

@theemoji agree with teaching as lower middle; school teaching, anyway. There are some academic articles looking at this actually.
Also love your fashion decoding!!

@ruthieness, interesting comment about the ways people bring up their children, especially the micro-managing. I've recently started offering private English tutoring and charge £70+ per hour. I had expected my client base to be wealthy private school parents... but actually I'm getting lots of business from people who might fall into Lower Middle Class. I didn't expect this at all, but I think it backs up your opinions.

In fact, I was so tickled that I took a screenshot to share with my uni colleagues... they love your messages too

As a teacher, what would you say to a student who lifted text one of her peers had written and sent it to her mates to laugh and jeer at?

Who knows who they are on this chart?

I have not a clue who I am on this chart.

Yes, it goes way back. I have just summarised how l perceive today.

But l can tell you anything about it probably from about 1500 onwards. And have some knowledge back to Greek and Roman.

Feel free to test me if you don’t believe me!!!

E.g
1860’s
Lower class scrabbled around in rags

Lower middle probably had one or 2 decent dresses. They may have been hand me downs or remade and probably a bit out of fashion. Would have washes left collars and cuffs for items

Middle Middle: would be followers or aesthetic dress. No corsets and use of natural dyes

Upper middle . Lots of frills, flounces and brilliant colours made by the discovery of new artificial dyes

Upper: Quite wide adoption of paler colours and other items that needed lots of care and cleaning.

Lower middle would have WASHABLE cuffs and collars

Hmmm

I think I am middle middle. Father opera singer, mother teacher / SAHM. Not very well off (no private schooling, had to wear second hand clothes etc) but not poor. Big value placed on education and culture. Married someone similarly brought up. Do not watch TV, we don't even have one in the house. I'm now very financially successful but would never consider myself UMC as I don't think it is to do with money. To be UMC I would have had to have gone to a private school at least. Bought a practical estate car.

LMC is people with matching furniture, have a TV in the kitchen, live laugh love signs etc. Carpets in whole house. Definitely bought their car on finance, which is too flashy for their income, May have blue collar or white collar jobs.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince 's fashion list nails it IMO.

In the Grayson Perry docu, The kings hill people were LMC. The vintage loving organic baby clothes people were MC, as were the old couple with their art etc.

Oneborneverydecade Tue 24-Dec-19 08:33:09
I say pardon, lounge, dinner and toilet. I must be LMC. Not sure what I'd say instead for most of them though? Living room, tea and bathroom?
........
'What', 'sitting room', lavatory' - nothing wrong with 'dinner' if referring to the main meal of the day..

@llkjj that’s a bizarre list. Director of a major organisation in the same category as a clergyman or a hotel manager in the same category as a cabbie. It doesn’t make much sense.

@limitedperiodonly Caramel highlights and designer gear produces a housewife of Cheshire. Not sure if that’s what people have in mind when they speak of upper middle.

If you care about this kind of shit you're probably lower middle class.

Actually, that fashion list is completely money-based and makes upper class women sound like absolute frumps.

And lower middle and working like their labels on display

Middle middle would rather die than display a label

Upper middle would have very very discreet label

Upper wouldn’t give a shit about any of it, and would wear a 3 quid shirt from Primark with Daddy’s ancient cashmere

It’s marketing based not money based. Just another way of classifying.

Some upper class maybe frumps, l don’t know, but they don’t care about proving anything, so wear whatever they want.

I’ve never seen housewives of Cheshire. But if they are WAGS, they are working or lower middle with money. I don’t think they do discreet?

And Princess Anne is upper class, and does she pay a lot of attention to her appearance?😁

Kate Middleton absolutely upper middle

It’s marketing based not money based.

No one (financially sensible anyway) will purchase designer items unless they earn a lot of money.

Housewife of Cheshire just fit your description of upper middle with their designer clothes and caramel highlights but like you say, not what people generally associate with upper middle otherwise.

And I wouldn’t be so sure about upper class wearing anything - they’re part of all these social constructs just as everyone else.

Yes, but they would be less interested in fashion maybe? I don’t know, but they wouldn’t flash their labels as it would be vulgar.

And what sort of labels do Housewives if Cheshire wear?

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

Princess Anne looks to me like she definitely pays attention to her appearance. She dresses appropriately for the occasion, in well-fitted, high quality tailored clothes. Her hair is done etc... Not sure why anyone would think she doesn’t give a monkeys.

@JoJoSM2, it's a standard occupational scheme used very widely by govt, political campaigners and all the marketing agencies !!

I take surveys for money & I have no idea which one I am.

And what sort of labels do Housewives if Cheshire wear? I can’t say I’m that much of a fashion expert to tell you other than the ubiquitous Balenciaga blazers or those Gucci trainers with insects on them.

@lljkk This chart is a bit different from the previous one and the groupings make a bit more sense.

Class has very little to do with money. You can be a DotCom Billionaire and be common as muck, or you can be an aristocrat who's struggling to stop the roof collapsing.

Upper class: usually titled, don't really need to work to live, usually employs staff, some of whom live in.

Upper middle class (A): senior managerial. CEOs, directors, Fellows of professional institutions, Flag Officers. Privately educate their children. Employs a cleaner and maybe a nanny. Generally have some choice over their hours (some work 100hr weeks, others 30). Well paid

Middle class (B): middle management, doctors, headteachers, lawyers, bankers, Captains of aircraft and ships. Used to privately educate, can no longer afford to. Might employ a cleaner and have an au pair. Often have to work unpaid overtime.

Lower middle class (C1): teachers, clerks, accountants, clergy, junior officers, restaurant managers. Frequently work unpaid overtime.

Skilled working class (C2): Machinists, welders, nurses, train drivers, chefs, Senior Rates, plumbers. Often better paid than C1 as they get overtime.

Unskilled working class (D): supermarket staff, warehouse staff, restaurant staff, Junior Rates. Paid a pittance.

Underclass (E): criminals or long term unemployed.

Me? By most measures (choice of words, accent, interests, earnings) I'm middle class. In reality, I'm in a skilled working class job and swear like a trooper. As for what I call a toilet/lavatory, I alternate between "bog" and "khazi".

She pays attention to her appearance but she’s not particularly interested in fashion!

Housewives of Cheshire will buy from Net a Porter as will upper middle

Upper probably won’t buy from there. They would either buy couture or more discreet traditional labels. Like Burberry, although l know Burberry went through a terrible tine with Goldie Lookin Chain and their Vauxhall Chavalier in Burberry check.

But you get the drift

I know people will come on and say what about this person or that person, but l can only generalise

Upper are more interested in long lasting traditional stuff

Is it possible to be middle class / working class if you don't really care about the money you earn as long as you value the job you do?

Is it always about the money and the job?

Or is there something else?

Another one of these threads. I don't think there is any difference really. Both need to eat, fart and shit. The rest of it is just some strange invention to make certain people think they are superior, when they definitely are on the same level as everyone else. Might be hard for their ego's to swallow though.

Are you going to treat us to a stealth gloat about your horses, holidays to far flung places and privately educated children now OP?