To think the middle class is more obsessed with appearances than the rich?

[ThatQuickLimePombear]

Wealthy people don’t care what you think. The middle-class worry about optics constantly.

I think that some people are odd to be obsessed with ‘classes’ in 2025.
If you work, or did work till you retired, you're working class. If you are of independent means and you and your family do not work, you’re not.

If you want to pigeonhole people.

This is a common observation, but I don't think it's really true. The wealthy might not care what the plebs think, but I'm pretty sure most of them very much care what the other wealthy people think. Most people care quite a lot about appearances and status. It's pretty much an inherent human trait.

To a certain extent yes. The middle class are still 'aspirational' whereas the upper class are already there. The upper class couldn't care less how old their clothes are or whether the dogs eat from the same plates as the humans, but the middle classes shudder at frayed shirts etc. There's nothing that shows one up more than a brand new dinner jacket.

A 30 year old Chanel suit is still a Chanel suit

I think the moving classes are far more obsessed than people born into middle class families.