Classy or Flashy

Demonstrating wealth through clothing

Graphic by: Wendy Zhu

I wandered into a small, cramped boutique a couple months ago. At the front of the store, a window displayed neatly folded sweatshirts. Along the walls, overcrowded clothing racks were pressed together, and hidden in a forgotten corner at the back stood a lone dressing room. It was a deceivingly modest setting for a store, which I soon discovered sold $400 flannels and designer tote bags. After a few minutes of browsing and scowling at price tags, I made my way to the sweatshirt section where I spied a bright orange crewneck. Scrawled over the chest in big white letters was the word “WEALTHIES.”

“Wealthies crewneck sweatshirt.” Image courtesy of Guild LA.

“All the celebrities are wearing that brand. Justin Bieber, Hailey, Ariana Grande,” said the salesclerk.

I left the store empty handed, wondering why on earth anyone would buy something as indelicate as a crew neck with the word “wealthies” on it. I imagined a person marching down a sidewalk screaming to the world, “I’m rich! I’m rich! I’m rich!” Or rather, “I’m wealthy!” which maybe sounds slightly less uncouth. But as I mulled over the sweatshirt a bit longer, I realized that it isn’t such a foreign concept. Some wealthy people already walk around in their Gucci shoes with Louis Vuitton bags and designer logos on their sleeves, flaunting their wealth like a peacock fanning out it’s feathers. Wearing a crewneck that says “wealthies” isn’t such a far jump from that. The difference is that it’s a bit more explicit than a designer brand’s implication of wealth.

Image courtesy of Gucci.

Being overt about affluence is frowned upon when it comes to discussing money in the United States. Rich Americans generally don’t brag about their salaries over coffee. However, some do flaunt their wealth implicitly by revving up their loud sports cars and wearing clothes dripping with money. This reminds me of an episode of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” called “The Anonymous Donor,” which explores the art of the humble brag. A character donates “anonymously” to a cause, but subtlety tells people that he is the anonymous donor. This not-so-secret philanthropist is then praised for his selflessness and applauded more for his contribution than David, whose name was attached to his donation. This episode shows how American societies just respect the illusion of modesty when it comes to wealth. 

If you look at the stereotypes attached to old wealth and new wealth –– the nouveau riche, if you will –– you can see an appreciation for discretion. People with old money are considered “classy” because they’re more subtle about their wealth while people with new money are “flashy”  because they’re annoyingly ostentatious about it. And because I always like to ask “why?” I have done a deep dive into why it’s okay to have money but not to brag about it.

One sociological explanation for the U.S.’s taboo on discussing money is that one of our core values is equality, whether we actually deliver on such goals or not. At the same time, we are a capitalist country. Economic inequality flourishes, and money thus becomes an uncomfortable topic to discuss because it contradicts the semblance of equality under capitalism.

Visualization courtesy of Pew Research Center.

Money also isn’t just a detached, autonomous entity: it has implications for how we measure an individual’s worth. Many people draw conclusions about others and their characters based on their wealth. Discussing discrepancies in money can thus lead to unequal and often awkward social interactions. 

We refrain from discussing money to save us the discomfort of such issues, yet people brag implicitly with the clothes they wear. Events like the Met Gala where celebrities dress up in elaborate designer outfits are extreme examples of the ways in which people display their wealth today. But clothes aren’t only meant to brag. People can express individuality through the clothes they wear, and a certain outfit might demonstrate “good” taste, which is a valued asset. Often, however, good taste is aligned with extravagance in fashion, art, food and other aspects of culture. So there’s a blurred separation between wearing fancy clothes because they are stylish by their own merit, because they feel luxurious or because they demonstrate wealth.  

I looked up the “wealthies” sweatshirt when I got back home and discovered it’s from the company Cloney that, according to their website, builds its brand on the idea that “people are obsessed with celebrity, gossip, and the worshipping of famous identities,” that society is “morally and culturally bankrupt,” and that “we are becoming Clones of popular culture.” So it seems there is some satire and self-awareness attached to the sweatshirt after all. I discovered the text reading “wealthies” is also a reference to Wheaties Cereals and mimics the look of the company’s logo. While further context into the sweatshirt validates some of it’s gaudiness, the meaning of the garment to its creators and its wearer aren’t immediately apparent.

Cloney Merchandise. Image courtesy of Cloney.

I showed a friend an image of the sweatshirt, asking him to describe what the crewneck expressed about its wearer and he said, “pretentious, full of themselves.” Is the shirt all of those things after all? Or is it not because it has some deeper message that comments on it’s own ridiculousness and because it screams something people already share implicitly? I don’t know, but I still can’t help but feel appalled while looking at the image of it on my laptop.