part VI.

i wanted to take the last part up again.
so what happens when the lower classes have adapted themselves to the upper class? the upper class has to find new ways to isolate themselves from the others. for example: a bigger variety of expensive bags and clothes (the upper class has the money for it while the lower classes only can afford a few expensive clothes, which they wear every year again - think of the fur jackets from woolrich). the elite is able to change their expensive clothes more often, so they can show, that they really are part of the upper society. but is that enough for a clear distinction? i don't think so.
there are many other ways like cars (mini coopers mostly), travels (tropical places, expensive hotels, the u.s.a., etc.) and what is the most difficult thing for the lower classes to imitate: huge mansions (the home you live in and what is important: where your home is located).
i'm not saying that people are traveling so they can brag and define themselves. no, people travel because they want to. but when you post every flamboyant detail on instagram, it is obvious that you want to communicate something to the world. and nobody can tell me it is only "look how amazing my trip is". at this point people want to say "my pool at the luxury hotel is just fine. i don't even swim in it, but i make a photo next to it, because i can".
so you see there are many ways for creating borderlines between the upper and the lower classes, even if the lower ones are very good at simulating the same lifestyle (they also post pictures next to pools, they also drive mini coopers sometimes, but they cannot fake living in a huge mansion).
but you have to consider that this phenomenon exists since forever. it's not something that came up with the modern times. no. the people of the ancient world already created borderlines between social classes through defining themselves from the others. and even them were not the first ones doing such things.
today it is just way more easier for the lower classes to adapt themselves to the upper ones. you might think the reason is, that the differences between the social classes are not as intense anymore as it was. it's not like back then in medieval times of course, we have the middle class, which is something between upper and lower class. but the differences are still huge. people just can't see it that clear nowadays because of the described phenomenon.
i'm very curious how things will be in a few decades. it's very interesting to observe the process of the lower classes adapting themselves to the upper classes and the upper ones isolating themselves from them in return.

next part's coming soon


p.s. i don't want to insult anyone by the term of lower class. by this term i'm thinking of the classes which are lower than the upper (upper middle) class - including the middle class, lower middle class and lower class. so i'm not speaking of the lowest class.



yours truly,
gossipgirl