I liked your point about interior design! Old money has historically meant that people inherit STUFF. Minimalism looks "relaxing" or "luxurious" only in a modern standard, but it is definitely a mark of new money rather than old
Minimalism can be incredibly wasteful. Because it prioritizes only keeping the minimum of items, items that aren’t immediately useful get discarded rather than being saved. Which means that people don’t keep a back stock of second-best items that have lasted for generations or of things that were bought in bulk. You don’t keep things for your children to use when they grow up. Its the mark of new money individuals because its a sign of being able to afford to replace things rather than having to hold on to stuff just in case. Old money families don’t need to show off their wealth by only keeping the bare minimum around and can afford to buy items that last. Edit: I over generalized here so I tried to correct that. I’m mostly talking about minimalism as an aesthetic/fad rather than minimalism as a conscious lifestyle choice.
@@madisoncontroversial7348 Minimalism encourages the reduction to just the immediately necessary. The pursuit of minimalism just for the sake of aesthetic means that things that are still useful but not immediately so, go to waste. It’s a waste of money to buy a new item every time a necessary one breaks (rather than keeping slightly older versions around just in case or buying in bulk and storing them). Its a waste of money to have to buy a new item because you didn’t use the old version quite often enough and got rid of it. It’s a waste of water to get rid of half your wardrobe in the name of decluttering and then do more tiny loads of laundry (wasting water) because everything is dirty. Its a waste to get rid of most of your knick knacks just because they are visual clutter. Its a waste to get rid of old but good furniture just because it doesn’t match the aesthetic of a house. There’s a big difference between holding on to things that aren’t immediately necessary (but still useful/pleasant) and hoarding. While not all minimalism is inherently wasteful, the minimalist aesthetic encourages waste by discouraging saving.
@@krisscoss8907 Minimalism can be wasteful when it results in a lot of stuff being thrown in the trash but it's not wasteful when it's about avoiding to accumulate so much in the first place. I'd argue that keeping things for decades to give them to your children once they're grown up is wasteful because those things take up space that could be used in a better way. It would be less wasteful to give those things to someone who can use them right away and then in the future the grown children will hopefully be able to get hand me downs from someone else.
The difference is how you get in. On the one hand the new money bribed their way via faking photos and made a mess. The old money way is to call up the Chairman of the board of the uni and tell them you wish to donate to their "whatever" project - "oh and by the way our child jr, you remember I introduced you at the last yacht party, well they can't wait to go there in x number of years". Totally legal and much much simpler.
This was such an interesting video. I wonder if Gen Z's aspiration of the old money aesthetic stems from feeling burned out by "hustle culture." There was such an influx of influencers and entrepreneurs in the mid-2010s chasing brand deals, working to gain followers, creating businesses, selling merch, etc. that Gen Z grew up thinking they needed to be working on side hustle and creating their brand to achieve success and fulfillment. The old money aesthetic feels almost like an escapist sigh of relief-- a break from the hustle because you have generational wealth to fall back on.
Oh my god that point is so good! I totally agree with what you're saying! Earning lots of money through social media always seems somewhat "easy" and doable for everyone, no matter where you're from (for example people making millions on OnlyFans) which leaves the 99.5% of us who do not earn money that way feeling dumb because in reality "we could be doing that to" and become rich that way. The old money aesthetic is not available to anyone and you cannot really work to get there, so accepting that you simply do not have it is easier.
I so agree with this! I think it's an escape to a slow living lifestyle in which you don't have to worry about anything money related, whilst the hustle culture aka new money is constantly stressed about sales etc.
@@sazabidi3856 I mean that’s mainly because it usually is. Trying to be the “next big thing” will never be as secure as your great great grandfather striking oil somewhere.
@@janine7384 I think the one thing hustle culture and old money culture have in common is a strong need to make all the accomplishments look “effortless”, as if they were born to the role lmao. After all, we can’t all be as special as someone who naturally has the ‘correct’ bloodline or the ‘correct’ mentality to truly accomplish great things in this world lmao
I was raised by my grandmother: a poor, non-white , illiterate woman. She was, tho, one of the most amazing seamstress I know and she learnt everything from second hand magazines that came with patterns. She couldnt even read and she learnt from the pictures. These magazines were mostly filled with what you would call "old money aesthetic" today, but for her, decades ago, it was what gave her confidence to walk on the streets even when hearing racist insults. I was raised having her teaching me how to dress "elegantly", so to me, when I see this trend, all I think of is my grandmother and how she would love for me to dress like that... haha. It is a bittersweet story but I thought I could share.
I remember when The Corpse Bride introduced me to the "Old Money" and "New Money" situation, I remember Victor's family, a newly rich family and Victoria's family, an old money family marrying off their daughter to a new money family in hopes of retaining their former glory since they've lost all their money and Victor's family marrying their son off of an old money family in hopes of getting in the high society, though the old and new money aspect of the movie wasn't showed enough, It did help me get an idea as to what old and new money is.
Reminds me of the rise of the "Dollar Princesses" between the late 19th century and ww2. The rich American families were marrying their daughters to British aristocrats to raise their social status and get to brag their daughters' titles. On the other hand, the British aristocracy's wealth was also decreasing at that time so they were desperate for money. Lindsay holliday has a video about that topic
it is different in Europe because they had the Aristocracy. Which were connected to an ancient nobility. I don't know if they actually were tied to the old nobility or if they were just merchants who bought their way into high society generations ago. Or had some kind of military status. someone knows.
Titanic did this for me. There was a char Molly that the other woman snubbed bc she was new money and there was a big difference in how each held themselves
It's interesting that for the rich they can get away with being sloppiness and it read as a sign of not caring or having to much money to care. But being poor and sloppy is a sign of bad breeding or being really gross. Of someone with no taste
Well, you have to remember that the "sloppy" clothes usually are very high quality material and have been made carefully - if not outright tailored - to hang just perfectly and look incredibly good.
It’s interesting that we glorify old money, i think its mostly a way to drag new money and paint them as the lesser of two evils. Perhaps we feel more disdain for new money because of the flashier braggy nature of the lifestyle, or because it is just constantly in our faces (in our feeds). BUT MAYBE theres even a factor about how we are deep down kind of jealous of new money people for having easily acquired lots of money quickly and recently, despite having started from a place similar to us (they are somewhat in our competitive circle? of our society, “it could/should be me”), whereas old money just seems so out of reach we don’t even consider it a possibility and therefore don’t need to feel they are even part of normal society and causing harm to society or be an object of jealousy. They are in the realm beyond reality, in fairy tale levels of magical and mysterious…
I completely agree with you. I was trying to figure out why new money just felt different than old money, despite all the obvious traits like hereditary, social status, etc., but couldn’t figure it out so I thought it was a psychological difference that I couldn’t wrap my head around due to society norms being so engrained in me. Then when I saw your comment it just kind of clicked for me that it’s just old money doing what old money always did: try to feel superior to others which is why people hate new money because it feels like something we could compare ourselves to and be envious of but old money seems so out of reach that we don’t even think of them so we don’t associate the same bad traits new money has with it with them, when in reality old money was just as bad and playing society like it always did.
I don’t know why I had to scroll so far to see a comment calling out people for having an inferiority complex, when it comes to the disdain of new money.
@@omarispowell2949 I kinda think the whole old money/new money cliche is a little bit like the “choose your own adventure” books we read back in grade school. Old money is such a foreign and unfamiliar concept to so many of us that when we see ‘new money’ have some level of access to this world, we basically start imagining what we would do if given the same access and opportunities to a foreign and highly romanticised culture....would we make the same social faux pas? Would we ‘belong’ in this new world? How would we treat the people around us? How would we be perceived by everyone? What novelties does this new culture have that I want to try? Does wanting the novelty make me entitled, disrespectful or insensitive? Would I at least put in the effort to learn all the new rules and customs or is it cooler to nonchalantly think that following these rules is too ‘mainstream’? Would I be respectful of their values or would I try impose my own? Would I still be myself after accessing this new world? Would I remember to leave the ball before midnight when my carriage turns back into a pumpkin lol
I think we're obsessed with old money because we'll never be old money. There's no limit as to who can be "new money" but old money will always be just those who were born into generational wealth.
Hmph! I wouldn't want to be old money if you (pardon the pun) paid me. Their society sounds awful. Whenever I hear "old money" I think of the Crane family on Passions.
@@carmensavu5122 I come from old money, and of course while everyone is different, I find it better than being born into a new money family. My family was less braggy than the new money families; no gaudy decorations, no collection of sports cars, no ownership of 10+ mansions. We were a rich family, yes, but very "normal" compared to a lot of other rich people.
@@depolignacsI cook, clean, watch kids, I’m very elegant and polite and I’ll fit right in, I eat like one meal a day, I can get into an ivy, you won’t even notice I’m there please adopt me
love the use of lana del rey to introduce the deep dive on old money aesthetic, i've seen it used in many tiktoks and since lana projects the essence of the "trashy west coast girl" dreaming about old east coast money (in the national anthem music video especially) it's a great illustration of how people into this aesthetic are trying to copy an image of wealth rather than what rich people actually are like
fun fact, LDR family is actually quite healthy, they are from NY and when she was young her parents sent her to a boarding school in Connecticut, she grew up around old east coast money but she was in love with the idea of west coast/old hollywood/eve babitz way of living and in her music she tried to balance her upbringing with her inspirations
@@isabellawerneckzanon3260 yeah! So glad someone mentioned this. It’s so weird to see her romanized being this poor west coast Californian girl longing for that New York country club rich when that’s basically what she’s grown up around
@@isabellawerneckzanon3260 not trying to downplay the fact that lana was obviously from a middle class family but the reason she went to boarding school was because her alcohol addiction was getting out of control and her uncle worked at the school and was able to help her family afford the boarding school.
When you talked about “east coast rich vs west coast rich” the first thing that came up to my mind was legally blonde. I’m not American so I wasn’t familiar with that differentiation, but one thing this movie shows it’s that difference. Think of Elle’s and Warner’s backgrounds. On one side, you have Warner who has a family name (Warner Huntington III), the connections to get into Harvard when at first got waitlisted, a generational senators family, a marriage that’s probably arranged with a woman of that same status. Even the detail that “the rock” that he gave Vivian is a family ring that his grandma gave him, their sober classical styles that match or the phrases that he says in that dinner when he breaks up with Elle “east coast people are different” or “If I wanna be a senator by the time I’m thirty I need a Jackie (east coast/old money) not a Marilyn (west coast/new money)”. On the other side is Elle, daughter of clearly new rich people. She lived all her life in the west coast, spends thousands on fashion and it’s interested in it, her parents that support her on that and even think that law school is for boring people, who have these styles that embody new rich and how she in college kind of gets picked and under appreciated for this. You can clearly tell that, and how throughout the movie the tables turn because Elle character develops and turns out a better lawyer than Warner, even though their backgrounds at first showed us a different path of events. And there is an actual phrase on this: “If I'm going to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm 30, I'm going to need a boyfriend who's not such a bonehead” which kinds of means like “you questioned my capacities and now that I’m better than you, you want me, but I don’t get along with all of this crap”. Well, now that I clearly showed an incredible detailed analysis of my fave movie of facts that I never really thought about. I really enjoyed this video and in general I love your content keep it going !! PS. If there is something wrong with my writing sorry, English is not my first language, please correct me if I made a grammar or redaction error.
Yesss Elle shows Warner that even tho she's not part of his old money circle, she can still do well at Harvard and go far in life. However, she is rich as well, so the situation would have been different if she was middle-class
Wow, that was SO GOOD! Congrats! English's not my first language also, but I think you made a amazing job, by the way. You made me want to watch Legally Blonde again, thank you! 😍
There is a saying in the vintage fashion community that says, “vintage style, not vintage values” meaning that one may have an affinity towards the styles of the past without espousing the regressive values accompanying those outfits and hairstyles.
For sure: I adore Edwardian fashion and regency era and I totally agree that my affinity for those periods is not because of the values, but because of the ideas of simplicity and lack of technology that I don’t see in my time period
Very this. I love vintage style and old money aesthetics but I’m the furthest thing from conservative. The same way I can enjoy cottagecore without buying into the whole tradlife thing. Honestly as a broke person it represents an ease and comfort in life that I’m unlikely to experience firsthand, but dressing a certain way allows me to experience it as a fantasy.
The old money look in the UK is really interesting. There's plenty of people who are land rich but cash poor. They might own a huge country manor, but it's a crumbling hole that they have to rent out for filming to pay for refurbishments. The parents drive old school land rovers that look army surplus, and swan around in motheaten cashmere. Nowadays many of the children are becoming independently wealthy again because their connections got them work in finance or PR, or they've pressed their acres and acres of land into an organic farm producing £7 a jar jams or heritage breed pork sausages. The look is usually clean and neutral; not flashy brands day to day. Heritage brands like Burberry, Barbour, or suits from Saville Row.
Its a good point that it really differs in the UK, but as a uni student id also add that a lot of rich folk wear baggy clothing or casual wear adorned with posh jewelery bits. There's a bit of a vibe that rich students who come to uni are desperate to emulate the working class sportswear aesthetic by wearing pieces that cost hundreds of pounds.
@@rebeccaatkinson5073 yes! If you live in london ‘south bank girlies’ basically r just the girls who come from probs the nicest parts of London but dress trashy for the aesthetic and you can probs find them squatting outside south bank despite the fact they have a 5 bed home & 2 parent household to get back to. In all honesty, I kind of want to make a vid on this since it such an interesting but common phenomena
@@_hannasdiary these are the same people who went you say you live in E&C reply with "omg don't you worry about getting stabbed????" 😑 I lived near East Street back in 2014 and fucking loved it, but people acted like I was living in the most dangerous place in the world 🙄
The movie Titanic first introduced me to this concept of "old vs new" rich. The "new rich" lady was the only one that was nice to Jack. She was also the only one upset about leaving her husband behind while on a lifeboat, probably cause she married for love instead of for money and the family name, like Rose was supposed to.
Molly didnt leave her husband behind. They were separated or divorced and he wasnt on board. She just wanted to save people. She said "those are your men out there."
You can't encompass the new money population because of a character's personality. Many of the new rich can be arrogant, and the old money can have higher values as a person. 💀
@@ShapingHumanHistoryOfficial That's okay, I totally agree with what you said btw and see how it could be taken as that. I also clearly misremembered or misunderstood Molly's situation, and after making the comment I realised it's pretty shitty judging someone's silence as indifference while irl those people were probably going through the most traumatic event of their lives.
I'd like to touch on the "taking tennis lessons on your free time" part because for me, it's pretty relevant. Many of us who romanticize old money admire and/or wish for the ability to have more time to enjoy life and develop skills out of sheer interest, or simply have a decent amount of time per day or week to dedicate to our own pleasure. Millennials are the victims of hustle culture in a decaying economy and gen Z are the consequence. Wealth doesn't even have to be extrapolated to generational level: it's extremely hard for an individual to make enough money to be able to afford said activities and when achieved, requires a 60 hour work week, if then. I am in med school in a third world country, aware of the fact that the first few years of my career won't allow me to pay rent. As the atheist/agnostic population grows and the romanticization of sacrifice as a way to find purpose devalues, a sense of meaning emerges in pleasure. Most of us don't know or don't believe there is a point to life, but agree it is to be enjoyed, either as a purpose itself or as a way of making the pointlessness more tolerable, yet, most of us are barely able to make some time to go to the gym or a bar on the weekends. Juxtaposed, old money families. Who spend their weekends at the country club, horse riding lessons, impromptu trips wherever and whenever, parties. Families who don't have to think twice or look at their wallet before making the choice to give into a desire. I think deep down, we all want and need a bit of this.
i cannot agree more, as someone who goes to an expensive pvt school in a 3rd world country knowing that i cant get into college if i dont do well in my entrances while my friends are trying to "find themselves" and "discovering their personality" is sort of really frustrating coz they only hv to make portfolios to get by while i have to cram 12hrs everyday to get into a college my parents can afford. Its also funny that i got inspired by them and decided to take tennis classes during sports period in my school but i managed to only take one class coz the other time im in the library trying to finish my syllabus.
One thing I do like about the “Old Money” aesthetic is that it’s comprised of minimalist basics (white button downs, little black dresses, neutral tones, etc.), which means that they’re more versatile and people are likely to hold on to those pieces. Essentially, it’s a more sustainable/environmentally friendly trend than other recent aesthetics like “avant-basic” (although I know that trends are inherently unsustainable).
@@em-jd4do I think the point they're trying to make is that these signature pieces, due to their "basicness" and versatility, are not the kind of clothing that will go away any time soon and are less likely to be abandoned when it's not "trendy" anymore. White shirts, sweaters, cardigans etc. went through very little changes over the past 50 years and while the aesthetic/trend will change, it's likely that a lot of people who like this trend to hold onto these clothing and make them staple items :]
@@Missmagazinebura it's not necessarily the unifroms Blair wore. It's all the stuff she wore after school and the way she accessorised, I always loved the way she dressed, but she's also a fashion maniac
I feel like this whole "old vs. new money" is still just the rich trying to be better than everyone around them. It's not enough to have money, you ALSO have to have a family name attached to you. And this whole concept of one looking down on one another has no meaning to the rest of us. I wish I could remember who said it was "the 5% fighting the 1%", but that is what this wholething reminds me of. Love the video and your content ❤
This is exactly why I don’t understand the idea of putting down the TikTokers for going to the met gala as if it’s a paragon of society that needs to be protected.
I mean there’s a sense of wealth security when you come from a long line of wealth. The nouveau riche are seen not just as tacky and classless, but unstable and fickle. If you gained your millions just yesterday, you’re likely to lose it all tomorrow (type of thing). New money usually hasn’t had time (or thought/care) to invest in major assets either. Old money has estates around the world and many secret bank accounts they could fall back on if anything. Old money families have proven themselves with a long history of maintaining and amassing wealth while new money families have not.
I sooo agree with you!!! I think that its in our nature the fact that we need to feel special and unique and even better than the rest ! Imagine how many times this is multiplied when money is involved!!! It is historicly proven!
I'm from a lower-class family and somehow ended up dating a guy that was old money. Despite being worth millions they were frugal in odd ways. Most of their possessions were things they found second-hand or inherited and preferred to buy quality items that lasted them for a lifetime instead of overpriced fast fashion. They chose simple, local handmade items with no noticeable logos instead of a gaudy Gucci jumper that was made in some sweatshop in China. They taught me it's about having an eye for quality and the knowledge behind how/where those items were made. Just because something is expensive doesn't make it worthwhile to buy. My ex's mom knew the history behind all the books, clothes, jewelry, kitchenware, and art she owned, and all the different companies or designers involved. Everything in her house had a story to it. Books and being learned were also important. My ex and his family went to ivy-league college and there was a definite emphasis on doing well through discipline and hard work, not by throwing money around. He and his sisters didn't have any social media. They didn't have a TV in the house either. Just a radio. They were in their own bubble in some ways, disconnected from the world. They were also quite "normal" at times. They got groceries at a normal store, enjoyed going to the beach and having ice cream in the summer, drove an old defender, ate at a pizza joint once in a blue moon. There was very little, if any, junk food in the house actually. My ex didn't have McDonalds till he was in his late teens either. Anyway, they were kind of insane in other ways and did judge me for being lower class so eventually I had to peace out. God, I miss being bouji sometimes though...
Wealthy people avoid buying anything disposable. Every sungle purchase is seen as an investment, ideally in something that accrues in value over time. So, obviously things like property, art, wine, etc. would fall into this category, but this is also how they think about clothes.
This reminds me of my first year in an elite prep school. I'm a scholarship kid, and I remember right before the year had started my mother was going really harsh on me about dressing rich (so that other students wouldn't know I had scholarship) and strict rules I'd need to be following and all this stuff, and when I got there, the environment was wayyyy different from her perception. The school itself was beautiful and definitely gave off this old money dark academia atmosphere, I still love it. But the students, most of them were legit walking around in sweatpants, and luxury brand puffer coats that looked like something you'd see a homeless man wearing. And the school was also not nearly as strict as I'd expected, many teachers were laid back and helped out with homework or test difficulties and didn't care about dress code. I know why those students dress that way, but I also couldn't stand how ugly it looked, so I decided to dress up and wear pretty things anyway. It turns out most of the other scholarship kids did that too, I met them through our mutual respect of fashion 😂.
Your story just brought back some of my nightmares. My family was considered the "new rich" kind of ,(we were also called poor often) at the school I went to. My Dad's family was not connected at all, and were second-generation immigrants, and he literally got into college and law school on scholarships, so we would shop at the discount grocery store and bought shoes at discount sales places, and somehow the kids at my prep school *always* knew. In 7th grade, I was made fun of because of my "poor person" clogs by so many people I almost threw them away when I got home. They also (this was the late 90s) seemed to have a thing about me wearing skirts, because then it was all about the designer jeans.
@@earthcitty I had a somewhat similar experience in sense I went to a college prep school and basically get in through a lottery it wasn't provite but a charter school but nonetheless had pretty strict uniforms and colors we could wear everything had to basically have the schools emblem on it and grade levels were also differentiated from the uniforms for someone who was ecoermental with fashion and loved color it was pretty stifling and suffocating to pretty much to have most parts of your outfits and prescrnce be under a microscope and restricted for 4 years . And they pretty much drilled how hard college would be and how we have to prove ourselves when after getting to college it's was the nost laid back environment with tons of cteative freedom.
I think the true things that separate "old rich" and normal people apart are lifestyle and future planning. For rich people, going to "prep" school is normal schooling for them. It is not going to make their future any different. But for regular folks, this could be an opportunity to get connection and eventually be "rich". I met some rich friends. Honestly, they're nice people, but we still eventually drift apart because I just cannot keep up with their "normal" but my "too expensive" lifestyle.
I missed the portion on future planning. So basically when they finish all those schoolings,, their future is either predecided on a certain path by their family, or they simply don't need to worry and can do whatever they are passionate about without worrying about the bills. But for most of not so connected people, finding out what to do for a living is difficult. Honestly doing what you love and making a decent living is definitely a privilege and need a bit of luck as well.
I was always told that “old money” families dressed in neutrals because they understood that being ostentatious would agitate the lower classes, who might threaten to disrupt the hierarchy.
It's because black, white, red, and sailor outfits all have a significance to do with their heritage (illuminati heritage). These favorite colours and themes are represented in the propaganda offered in fashion, housing and car colours available for the public.
Old money doesn't feel the need to show off because they have a long lived family reputation. There's just certain family names you hear and others know they're old money families - example: Rockefeller, Kennedy's, Vanderbilt, etc. They wear casual and neutrals because don't need to prove anything. New money feels like they have to prove their status/wealth, so they'll buy ugly gaudy brand name shit to scream it, so their desperation looks obvious.
@@deannatroy8113 Sailors outfits were invented not to fucking die, not for some bloody bAVARIAN cult. No Bavarian has ever seen the sea ever, and they have yet to invent seeing a sailor
The Kennedys were considered nouveau riche amongst east coast social circles. Jackie’s step father Hughdie Auchincloss was from old money thus giving the Kennedys more credibility through marriage.
They already had credibility before JFK's marriage. His sister was a Marchioness and married into one of England's top families. Jackie's stepfather (or any WASP family) wasn't topping a literal Marchioness. Considering how all old money just basically copied British aristocracy.
To old money, the fact that the Kennedy’s wealth only went back a couple generations, could never be changed by a relation marrying into old money and getting a title. It was a thing for nouveau riche, super wealthy American women basically being sold by their parents into poor European Aristocracy via marriage. One gets a title and the other gets an infusion of cash. But the sigma would always remain. Just like the stigma that the Kennedys were Irish and got their wealth from bootlegging. Not saying I agree, but just this is how it would be viewed.
@@grannyweatherwax8005 Well that doesn’t really make sense. It absolutely did change “old money” people’s view if a person married an aristocrat. The actual old money with titles and actual generations of blue bloods beat out the waspy people who came over on the mayflower who were poor. There’s a reason why Mrs. Astor and other people changed their tune and had to allow people with titles in their social circles.
@@bbybella9937 The point is yes, aristocrats would be allowed into the drawing rooms that 'new money' were refused entry to, but the owners of those drawing rooms remembers very succinctly how that title was earned. A marchioness by marriage is not the same as an Earl's daughter.
I think a lot of people, that dress "old money rich" or "classy rich" and aren't, end up looking like the staff of the ultra rich. I briefly worked for rich US people, and I certainly did. It was clear that they appreciated the clean and preppy look, but also because I got quite a few hand-me downs and expensive gifts. I carried a handbag that new would have been worth 500+ dollars. "Because M. dear, yours won't fit the baby bottles". They themselves did dress sloppy at times but stayed far-away from brands the masses deemed trendy or rich. Gucci and Versace for example.
Growing up in NY and Long Island I can say all of this is so true til this day. I have some old money relatives via marriage and I can say their style is very basic with great fabrics, designers you wouldn’t know unless you know lol. I still remember when I was a teen and my aunt told to look to the models and those who run in certain social circles. They hardly wore bright nail polish but had immaculate nails, their hair was never too trendy, they wore certain bright colors but not others, they wore simple clothing that looked clean, they wore certain brands or carried inherited accessories… they even frequented certain beaches and towns that you only had access to if you knew certain people or were invited. It was so different than the NY I grew up knowing that focused on working until you drop lol. I really don’t think people understand just how different old money families operate, they even shop differently- i.e a few times a year via private shoppers or personal connections to designers/shops. Everything must be exclusive.
Yes this is so true. I grew up in the richest neighborhood in my country (Denmark) in Scandinavia, and the part you explain with exclusivity is so true. Most of the people who live here, have inherited everything from their ancestors, so it’s mostly old money people. Of course designer brands like Balenciaga and Balmain were super popular, and Isabel Marant was a top favorite, but there always had to be this sense of exclusivity to it. I remember how all the popular kids would always have connections, through their families, to some artist or some locally famous designer and how they got some “custom” graduation gift from these people, that was made specifically for them - and people thought that was super cool. It didn't even have to be anyone famous, It could also just be pretty local or just someone nationally known. There was even this girl who got a complaint (signed letter with a royal stamp and everything) from the Queen Of Denmark, for partying too loud, because her apartment is right next to the royal castle. Then there was an Italian kid in my class who’s family owned a small island in Italy from centuries ago. It’s really all about having prestige connections and the “right contacts”.
@@sisifyme I would say some were delusional, others weren't. There were some kids with rich parents who were actually genuinely nice, humble, pretty invested in education and understood their privilege. I've come across people with no money who seemed pretty delusional as well but in a different way, it just depends on the people.
I love the „old money“ look but people definitely forget that most inherited wealth was made through SUPER harsh and exploitative labor conditions, union busting, and slavery
I was just saying that as I was watching this! I could care less about liking the aesthetic but when people confuse a less overt dressing style with being "better" than a more overt one it must be noted how many people were, and still are, being trampled over to maintain that money. Along with how they could be to this day with their more conservative views on race, class, gender etc
Wealth today is still made by exploitation, both of people and the land. An influencer who makes money off of wearing a certain brand's clothing makes money off of Asian workers earning a ridiculous wage and working long, long hours, as well as off environmental pollution caused by that brand's production. If an influencer shows off any kind of electronic gadget, a car etc. chances are it was made is China, perhaps in a so called reeducation camp, with rare earth elements that may have been mined by children. There's no way to know for sure. There's no way to get wealthy in a "clean" way without stealing from other humans or polluting nature (see bitcoin mining).
I grew up in the Silicon Valley and I think a huge aesthetic within the “new money” community is tech giants. They’re emulating the old money in a way by dressing very casual and understated, but it’s all about tech gadgets and expensive athleisure. Think Apple Watches in Hermes bands with a full Lululemon set. The richest people lived in a specific area I would sometimes frequent, and it almost felt like there was a uniform going on of expensive athleisure paired with the latest tech gadgets. Oh, and they’re always driving Teslas~
You’re not wrong! When I lived in SF I developed an obsession with lululemon, Patagonia, more brands like that. Don’t know why but I managed to get my hands on a couple of items. Now I know why by reading your comment lol
Tell me about this! Near the Microsoft headquarters has an older generation of “new money”. It’s all about Teslas, apple watches, and who’s friend has a yacht to hang out on during the summers. Newer new money are those in Seattle, thanks to Seattle transplants who work for Amazon and Google. Some of these come from the older “new money” who’s parents worked for Microsoft in the 90’s.
@@BeautifulDreamerK i grew up poor in a super wealthy suburb of seattle and it was def all Microsoft kids. In 2012 they all had the first iPhones, North Face windbreakers, Lululemons, and uggs. Also Nordstrom and Abercrombie. That was the uniform lmao. That was honestly when I first became aware of class, I would get home and look up the brands and feel so hopeless at how much they cost, it changed the way I saw them like, I would stumble over my words when talking to those kids.
The fact that the female side of the "old money" esthetic was born from a desire to look "smart" and not sexualize yourself makes it seems alot more appealing to me. Under normal circumstances if someone told me I dressed like a rich white lady id be deeply offended but I am down to appropriate the look of a 50s/60s era college girl attending some prestigious school and trying to change the world.
At the same time, it’s kind of fucked up that dressing “feminine” was so undesirable and looked down upon during those times. I do love the preppy style, but I don’t like the idea that you can’t be both smart and feminine simultaneously.
I think the ideal aesthetic was also supposed to be virginal, as many young women at those universities were socialized to be the property of a wealthy husband upon graduation. Their education made them suitable upper-class, stay-at-home wives and mothers. Women were not even legally permitted their own bank accounts until the very late 1960's.
@@melinaritter Yees, l think same In that respect l like film Legally Blonde (it's comedy of course) but i love how Elle stayed faithful yourself and your style Or you can remember Gloria Steinem, feminist who dressed as she liked
Concerning the line about how "real rich people" just mend old shoes, it's worth mentioning that to me "mendable" a shoe has to be of good quality to begin with. A cheap shoe that looks like an old fashioned "dark academia" shoe cannot, usually, be mended and will fall apart relatively quickly. Same goes for clothes. And this is part of the inequality structure: when you're not wealthy, you need to buy more often. It's cheaper to be rich than it is to be poor.
Exactly! It’s like terry pratchett’s boot theory: “ The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”
@@lizzycheek250 It’s nuanced, but I’ll explain it to the best of my ability. Most colleges profit off of people who cannot afford it. Society thinks of people who do not attend college to be failures when that’s not true, in fact it puts most in debt, thus creating the “failures” people go to college to not become. Not to mention, a lot of what academia acknowledges as fact is usually white-washed/false. Universities started off like it was stated in the video, a place for rich kids to hang out. Now they are either places for rich kids to hang out or for other rich people to continue to profit off of poor people.
@@strad404 I don't know where you live but you do realize many countries around the world have free universities? Many of them don't even ask for a tuition at all. State funded universities are affordable to everyone. I just think that this is a very American-centric take, and yeah that's why I think the fact that universities exist is not dystopian when most people in other countries can get the same degrees without drowning themselves in debt
@@yaelvacacenteno1382 that’s very interesting you assume I’m American when a large portion of the world does this as well. I just think that’s a very White Europe-centric take. Let me just put some facts out here about “free” university: Governments are in charge of those Universities, they hurt low income students the most as they accept a limited number of students to the point where researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research stated “the gap in degree attainment between high- and low-income students more than doubled,” most students drop out or fail in the first year, the taxes are SO MUCH HIGHER for normal people to pay and tuition costs so much for countries they have had to decrease resources for the students.
I read this in 'Rich People Problems', that the reason old money like to pick on the new money is actually deeply-rooted and hidden insecurity and distorted inferiority complex. Old money might feel a little uncomfortable, as unlike them, new money actually earned their wealth themselves, which makes the former wonder if they deserve their wealth.
I know this is mostly about clothing but imo jewelry plays a huge part in the old vs new money aesthetic. I think old money people are likely to have classic, understated fine jewelry that can instantly elevate casual preppy looks. I've seen new money influencers on red carpets with either no jewelry or cheap jewelry. On the other hand I think new money men are likely to buy flashy, over the top jewelry that can give off the same off-putting vibe you talked about
very true! jewelry plays a key role in the old money look and style, like the scene in movies where the child of old money goes to an exclusive jewelry shop with vip access. only a minority of people can emulate that lifestyle.
True old money is one dainty necklace and some tiny studs. New money is like four layered dainty pieces, multiple piercings with tiny studs, layered cartier bangles, and lots of rings
I find it interesting that there is never any talk of the "old money" of non-Western societies, which also exists quite a lot, and is usually even more "hidden", as in India, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, Lebanon, even some parts of South America like in Brazil (well, South America is part of the Occidental world mostly of the time too), etc
As a Turkish person, i have absolutely no idea about the old money in this country. I've never heard of these families and have never seen them in news. They're so hidden away. You see the edges of their acres and acres of lands and hear about their private islands, but that's about it. Then again, I don't have social media so maybe I'm just extremely out of the loop about this.
i'm from ecuador and my school is very much for the old money people (i'm def not one of them lol) but it's crazy all of my classmates come from extremely "respectable" families that have been rich for generations, they own hotels and businesses that have been around for decades. not-surprsingly they're all white/white passing and all are directly in touch with their european ancestors. most of the things said in this video also apply for them. all of the rich families have been friends forever, the kids all attend "rich" extracurricular activities like polo, horse back-riding, tennis, etc. they all own country houses (here they are called haciendas) that are extremely old but very historically valuable. in fact one of my classmates is actually related to one of the men that lead the ecuadorian independence, not surprisingly she is loaded lol. also the "legacy acceptance" thingy is also very predominant. almost all of if not every single kid's family has attended the school for generations. my mom went to the school cause her dad was friends with someone from the school board so that's pretty much why i got accepted too.
Indian zamindars, old landlords, royal families that were once connected to kings and later to colonizers exist, but I have never really heard about them in public. Other than that, yes, old money-new money still exists. Like, I studied in a posh school despite coming from a humble background - wasn't treated well by the classmates, and there was a key diff between old money(who had wealth for at least 3 gens), and new money - they both stayed apart and didn't like each other. However, propensity towards flashy stuff also depends on culture/where person is from bc some regions are about showing off, others consider it cheap. The school had old royal family members in their board and students as well, but it didn't make a diff. Well, we also had uniforms so it was very hard to decipher on the fly who was new/old money/poor in the first glance.
I grew up poor in an old money town. Those people are just as nasty as you can imagine any new money ever being. The difference is the old money does it with ice, new money with fire. Either way you're left with burns.
As someone that grew up in the very class-obsessed UK, I always found the "nonchalance" of the upper classes utterly fascinating. Truly, the richest girls wore the most BASIC clothing, and had the messiest hair. Rich boys would literally wear decrepit, torn sweaters, then go and spend 300 pounds on coke.
and yet their accents are what drip wealth. i assume the intention is to embody it, to suggest it's a part of their core identity that they can't just take off and wash at the end of the day.
Really weird to me and beyond of my comprehension that people that did NOTHING to gain wealth but inherited it look DOWN on people that EARNED wealth themselves. I don't understand why do we glorify these snobbish hypcrite lazy people and insult those who got what they have by their own and now simply enjoying life. I am not logo-person but who am I to judge those who love? Let them wear what they want.
My mother grew up in a very poor family, as one of 9 children in a war-torn country with a HUGE wealth divide (lots of very very wealthy and very very poor, rampant inequality in terms of safety, quality of life, etc). My mom often told me a story (to emphasize to me the importance of appearances) about how one of her sister's (my aunt's) class at school was made to greet soldiers coming home and the teacher told my aunt that she will be in the front because she looks rich (to this day my aunt is meticulous about hygiene, grooming, her clothes being clean and looking nice, etc.) And told the very very very wealthy girl in the class that she doesn't dress as nice so she will not be in the front.
My aunt is the same way. When I was young, my aunt and I went to a sporting event. We were both dressed to the nines. She shows the usher our tickets and without a word we're excorted to the VIP section. We did not have VIP tickets. We're very much not rich. By all standards we should not have been allowed there but because of the way we dressed we were.
honestly the difference of “west coast and east coast” rich definitely gives me west and east egg vibes from the great gatsby. that even tho they both equally have large sums of money, each sides judges each other from how they got their money (as in old or new money)
"New money" is derided for being based on labor -- trade and merchant classes before, and athletes, celebrities and tech moguls now. "Old money" is based on land owning and slavery. They look carefree because they literally do not work. Sure, new money can sometimes be gauche, but I'd rather someone exploited their appearance and/or talents to make money, rather than benefit from generations of colonization, slavery and abuse.
@@jacqeulinebourbon3618 honestly if we're talking about how they get there, then new money are definitely far more diverse and grey than old money. old money exploit, benefit from exploitation, or both-but they've never been exploited themselves. there are absolutely new money types who are also like that, but some other new money like athletes: they tend to be the ones who were exploited.
Er... They work. Not with their hands, but they work. That's why so many rich people lose their family fortunes when some delinquent son tries to live the lifestyle that people think rich people live - lounging around spending money like water doing nothing while others serve you. Rich people can afford that every now and again, but people who hold onto that money for generations have quite a bit of work to do. It s just a different type than you or I.
This is why it's considered very rude to discuss salaries and where someone's money is coming from. If you were born to generational wealth, it feels awkward to start explaining things to an outsider from their perspective.
It is in the finer details. The type of watch you wear , what color nail polish, how much and what kind of jewelry you wear. Also, something you didn't mention was etiquette. Good etiquette in all things- table manners, what to wear to what kind of event, how to set a table, writing thank you notes. I grew up going to private schools (and had to attend cotillion classes) and my mother emphasized all of these things. You buy quality once, take care of it and have it forever. You buy basics like neutrals, whites, blacks since they don't go out of style and wont have to buy again quickly. My mother still to this day has a very active disdain in what she calls "trendy" clothes. We were NOT a wealthy family by any means - my mothers insistence on dressing well, going to private schools, etc. came from my grandmother- who was a nanny/maid for a wealthy family. Also, my grandparents were Irish immigrants so I believe looking the part and getting an education was a way to over come their immigrant status, move past the stigma of being "Irish" (which was not a good thing to be at that time) and to create a better life for mothers generation.
omg this is very much how i was raised by my irish american mom, who is the granddaughter of irish immigrants, one of whom was a maid!! i think the kennedys being an irish-american and catholic family who fit into old-money society really encouraged that aspirational element for working class irish folks.
@@jeanneann3545 Yes, it's lame. And human. Humans have insecurities all the time and being an "undesirable" immigrant is very challenging to anyone's pride. Especially a few generations ago, when society could be much meaner than today at the light of the sun. It doesn't help anyone to snap judgments like yours. Life is... convoluted.
@@jeanneann3545 Trends now a days come and go so quickly. I understand why her mom has that view. Also just like what the other person said fast fashion is harmful for the environment and usually comes from underpaid workers from 3rd world countries
I feel like it also ties in with seeking stability in chaotic times. Because the old-money aesthetic speaks to having a robust safety net and not needing to worry like ordinary people about job loss or medical bankruptcy.
Interestingly, the Kennedys weren’t considered “old money” in New England high society (probably because they’re Irish-Catholics). In fact, JFK could only enter the country club in Newport as a guest of his wife Jacqueline’s old guard stepfather Hugh D. Auchincloss.
They were the reasons why the WASPs went out of style. Funny how they became much more prominent than the other old money families and basically beat them at their own game. I would say they actually made the whole preppy/old money look popular.
But weren't the Kennedy's also just "new money"? Besides being from a family that didn't have "history" in the US. JFK's father was the one who got rich.
@@kaylenpeterson5996 His grandfather was wealthy and a successful businessman, his maternal grandfather was also a successful politician. it’s just that JFK'S father made them richer. They were third generational rich by the time JFK became president and now have been wealthy over 100+ years.
Something I've noticed, especially in myself and my desire to achieve this look is the feeling of inherent value associated with these aesthetics. Old money families don't have to prove themselves to have value, they just do. If you are insecure, that feeling of unconditional worth can be really comforting.
I said something similar before finding this comment. I used the look to emulate being intellectually and socially superior as a way to justify my loneliness and insecurity.
This! I find the style to be boring but the idea of not stressing about money, being able to travel and experience things, have knowledge passed down to you about art, be self assured and have guidance and connections for your academic and working life is sth I'll always be jealous of. Like, these people are the opposite of impostor syndrome.
I was adopted (from El Salvador) by old money in Boston. I went to the $30k a year private school with the uniforms like in the movies. Honestly I never had anyone say anything racist to me. It wasn't until I moved to Florida and went to a public highschool (still in an affluent neighborhood) that I heard stuff about Spanish/Latino people in a negative way pointed at me. It's about class, not about race with them. They did talk about poor people and low end workers, but not as a race but as a class. They did not talk about a wealthy Latino or Asian as anything bad. You were either in the club, or you weren't.
Basically, EVERYONE needs to stop buying into the idea that an aesthetic = prestige and/or happiness, and also just stop buying (disposable) things in general
@Don K A lot of thrift stores have online stores, then there’s EBay, Depop, Mercari. Thrifting has many new accessibility channels. And if you happen to go into larger cities like Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, or Huntsville, find the thrift stores closest to the wealthy neighborhoods.
I enjoyed this episode. I happen to be a former scholarship student that attended boarding school. Boarding schools do exist in the US but they're not well known unless surprise, you come from old money.* There's also a hierachy of prestige among them and they act as a precursor to Top 10 universities/the Ivy League/the Sister Colleges. It was a culture shock (but ultimately valuable experience) for me coming from the inner city to be surrounded by the WASP elite. Based on what students wore you could sometimes get a sense of who received financial aid and who didn't! My preppy classmates were incredibly consistent with their polos, slacks, varisty sweaters from J Crew, La Coste, etc. And conservative the style was because it was hard for me to believe there were 15 year old girls that chose to look decades older by wearing a solid color cable knit sweater with a pearl necklace as everyday campus wear. Our dress code was pretty generous but prints were not allowed. I think track pants to class were also a no but rarely enforced. A pea coat became my staple outerwear and still is to this day. *There's also a number of prestigious small liberal arts colleges concentrated on the East Coast which are extremely familiar in old money circles but no so much to the general public.
Forgot to add: I went on to attend a Top 10 university in a different part of the country and I noticed I could pick out who the old money kids were easily. But even Ivy League schools have more socioeconomic diversity than the typical American boarding school on the East Coast.
I'm not even from the city, but I totally agree with the "you could sometimes get a sense of who received financial aid and who didn't" part. I went to an "elite institution," and the classism was insane, simultaneously managing to be vaguely insidious and objectively alarming. I didn't go to a feeder school, but a good amount of my former classmates did, and there is definitely a ~vibe~ for those that did.
I also went to a private, all-girls boarding school for my freshman year of high school, and I noticed the same thing. My family is working class (my dad is a mechanic), but I grew up in a pretty affluent area so I thought I knew what I'd be getting myself into. I was so wrong; I was going to class with girls who could just casually jet off to Europe for spring break or a skiing weekend or whatever. We had a pretty strict dress code but the distinctions were still obvious, especially with accessories.
You are living the dream! I just went to a normal school and always dreamt about going to a Top 10 university. Hows the experience? Did you and the old money students actually mix or did they stay in their circles?
watching The Great Gatsby film when I was a kid kind of introduced me to this idea of there being a difference between 'new' and 'old' money. Because I don't come from money it's insane to me that the people with money have so many rules and drama about the worthiness of their money and lifestyles
I went to an international school and it's interesting to see that each culture has its own old money aesthetic but new money kinda looks the same regardless of where they came from.
@@nicoletamer3513 my mother is a maid and I used to spend my summers surrounded by mostly old money (and sometimes new money). This is what I have noticed: English/east coast: the stereotypical old money. Not flashy but very distinguishible. French (my mother used to work for them so I now more about them): there are two types: the "aristocratic" (basically like the English but the clothes are more toned down, they always live in France) and the "modern". The latest have adapted mainly to not look normal and most of them move to other Mediterranean countries because they save money and no one knows they are rich. They tend to be very nice (in my experience) and they dress like every day people but with higher quality. Nigerian: they own a lot of land, like way more than anyone I have ever encountered. They prefer more flashing colors but with classic French cut. Italian: They do spend more money on clothes and they do wear designers ofter (mostly Italian ones Ofc). They usually keep their cars very classic. Again, this is just what I have noticed from exposure, do not take is at facts. You can find just about anything anywhere.
@@mistressofthedark5775 as a Nigerian, it is interesting seeing this from someone else's perspective. In Nigeria owning land is something that's possible with enough money and everyone works towards achieving that. Its interesting to see that the practice transfers to Nigerians living outside Nigeria as well.
The Vasser aesthetic looks like they’re trying to avoid accusations of ‘going for a MRS degree’. So misogyny drove them to look more “serious” and “academic”, to avoid being called frivolous. I’m sure it was practical, too, but they weren’t choosing this look in a vaccuum.
This is actually a pretty good point. I had this cousin of mine who was a former gifted child and she intentionally dressed in serious preppy looks that covered her body just so her academic achievements would be taken seriously. To this day, she still sticks to that classic academia style because of her male-dominated field of work.
What I noticed when working with (very) wealthy people was: No brand logos. They dont wear Dior or Prada or whatever. Most if it is just tailored at a local store in 5th generation. At least in western Europe.
It's the same here in Spain. They wear locally made clothes and the materials are amongst the best in Europe. Here they say that the bigger the horse (referring to a certain brand), the newer the rich. That and manners and etiquette, because it's easy to see who was educated to be rich and who has reached certain economic status later in life
I saw a tiktok in a British school where this guy was going around asking people "are you posh?" most of them would reply "no", then he'd follow up with a question like "how many horses do you own? How many trips are you going on this summer?" and they'd be like "three" LMAOO
Too be fair, rich does not equal posh. By definition Posh means; "elegant or Luxurious" In British Society I think the term "posh" has become a insulting word implying that the 'posh person' is Entitled and spoilt, naturally anyone would say no to that.
I go to a grammar, and although it’s very clear who went to a private school beforehand and who is going on 3 trips a year to the rest of us, they’re completely oblivious 💀
Living here on the east coast, I grew up with a parent obsessed with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. Not a year goes by that I or she didn't receive these brands as presents. The preppy style has always been a favorite. As an adult I find myself romanticizing this aesthetic, more and more due to recent world events. Just the same, the obsession with the wealthy is concerning. It's not the wealth that people want, it's the freedom.
remind me of my dad (Taurus) who love to wear Ralph Lauren & Lacoste, a former stranger crush with TommyHilfiger (Libra)... They are ruled by Venus planet.. Old money look but New Money life...
This is interesting. I actually grew up what would be considered "old money" (we don't have much left in my generation, but a lot of the elements are there). The main idea that I got from growing up that way was both an outward and inward idea of not "wasting" money. We re-soled our shoes, mended our sweaters, and used our grandfather's tennis rackets. New clothes, furniture, and cars were rarely purchased, and even then with great consideration to "how long will this last" and making "investments", and keeping things as timeless as possible. We wear good wool sweaters over our shoulders because it was smarter to own one sweater that we could take off when hot, put on when chilly, and layer when cold, than getting two or three jackets for all weather. You also dressed like everyone else because it kept you "in the club" so to speak. I remember accidently going home in someone else's shoes from the beach, we never even bothered to swap back and later my brother took them. I suppose it was this way of keeping the money generational instead of blowing through it in two or three generations on fashion and excess like "new money" did. We also tended to be low-level hoarders and glorify our even wealthier ancestors by holding on to all their stuff; my mother would sleep in her great-great-great grandmother's pearl necklaces to preserve their luster, even though she rarely wore pearls herself and preferred an art-deco emerald pendant her great aunt bought in the 1920's. I can understand the idea of not looking too "neat" as well, this was supposed to be your everyday clothing instead of something special and new you've put on to show-off. Neatness was for weddings and dinner parties. Great video.
This is so interesting to learn the origin of prep school attire. Having gone to an expensive prep high school and being extremely out of place (since I did not grow up in the town having lived an hour away, did not have the popular family names everyone knew, and did not come from a family of doctors, lawyers, and politicians), I remember after my first day freshman year, I came home and asked my mom to buy me “bowling shoes” so I could fit in. Yes, I quickly learned that they are called saddle shoes, but I also learned being amongst people who came from multiple generations of wealth, that no matter how many pairs of saddle shoes I bought, or how much money I/my family made, I would never be good enough or fit in with them.
YES i remember i bought a pair of sperrys (discounted from burlington💀) at the time bc that was what was in😂 i always tried to look my best and get other brand name things like nike socks and the north face jackets but i will never forget how one day i casually mentioned i prefer using conditioner as opposed to shaving cream to shave my legs and my classmate laughed and said it was because i couldn’t afford shaving cream.. it was then i realized it doesn’t really matter how much i dressed like them i was just never going to be seen the same and they could tell 😅
As a British person I find it strange that you mention doctors and lawyers. My dad is a doctor, but here it just doesn't carry that kind of 'old money' clout. Nor do lawyers. Doctors and lawyers are solidly middle class professionals, they're basically middle class by definition.
@@user-ed7et3pb4o doctors and lawyers in the US earn a lot of money due to the amount of education that is required and how they help people. They have a lot of respect in the US it’s so weird that y’all think of them like that in the UK
I was waiting for The Great Gatsby mention! Studying the book in school was my first insight into the ‘old money vs new money’ theme - the Buchanans being from generational wealth whilst Gatsby has come into money and is determined to flaunt it. Gatsby was the rich influencer of his time 😂
And STILL my man got rejected by this girl 😂😂 it’s also so funny and tragic, the way Fitzgerald wanted to show how brutal old money can be, despite Gatsby becoming super rich, the old money STILL rejected/questioned him because their understanding of wealth is very very exclusive and traditional, they are so entitled, that they look down on a man who in reality is richer than them, just BECAUSE he wasn’t born into wealth. Its a very ostracizing and pressuring environment. It’s not even about how much money you have, it’s about your belonging and rank since birth. It’s the same for Dan in Gossip Girl, the others, specifically Blair and Chuck mocked him because he wasn’t born into wealth and therefore didn’t belong, even though he would be considered rich and wealthy by common standards.
My daughter and I just had this conversation - what It means to dress “rich”. To me fashion is about style and about enjoying select pieces that are well designed and made. I’m an architect and this is just one of my life principles. In any case I find your perspective really fascinating and a peek into younger generations’ minds. Now I can have a better conversation with my teen!! Lol. Thank you! (Also appreciate that you call out references… keep it smart!)
I like your observation about select pieces. I've come to find from studying the royal family that they dress by their body-type and also their color-pallet/season. Its always rich fabrics and tailoring vs logos or brands. Why would royally ever wear a logo? Hahaha
Far away from understanding genZ-dressing fancies I will always remember the richest lady I knew [from - allegedly low - catholic french/italian/german aristocratic background (a family-tree that features kings and emperors some six centuries ago is not necessarily low), so this is no WASP-thing]: When I excused for being underdressed during a charity-dinner, arriving not knowing that there was a dressing-code, she looked at the other guests and then down at herself somewhat confused and told me, she did not know anything about a dressing code. Her clothes had been fitted on her body some 40 years ago, and she was rather proud to have kept her shape. She herself didn't care for clothes a lot, nor did her friends, whom she had seen in the same dresses at least for the last decade. And that her mother had always told her: who buys cheap buys expensive, and clothes that one could not wear for an entire life were a horrible waste of money. (And she minded money a lot, because she used her income entirely on charities and not on herself.) The only thing I learned from that conversation was: Buy ONE expensive dressing item every second, third year (in best case have it fitted to your body) and wear it until the end of your life. It is far cheaper than getting a junk-wardrobe four times a year.
i really feel like people, myself included, really are "falling out of love" with technology and hustle-culture and so many of the popular ideologies of the last decade and i think that the pandemic has also contributed because people have had to put big things on pause right now because there is still so much uncertainty and i do think that there might be big societal/opinion changes coming in the future when the pandemic is a thing of the past, but if ww3 starts then it may still be a while. some other things ive noticed are simpler/minimal makeup looks are more common now, and many people seem to be longing for a world where everything is more real because when your online so much things irl don't feel as meaningful, people want a more in-person life with less technology i think. I do think it is also important to mention though that all of us watching this video and commenting are kind of in an echo chamber.
I resonate with this hard. Abandoned most social media because of the pure drudgery and then had people ask me 'where I've been' or 'how come I disappeared'? In reality, I'm just trying to experience a more present life. You're definitely able to evaluate your interactions with people better after time off technology. Spot on about the pandemic driving this.
Literally this, everything you said about falling out of love with technology & always being on(line). I think people are getting tired of using technology as a way to escape from their day or to air their opinions and frustrations (result of said hustle-culture, the pandemic). I think that’s an unsaid way people become drawn to these trends (such as the one in this video). I see people’s jaded-ness a lot in comments online
I will say this: my mother worked years in a small, family attorneys office (a prestigious address) and she used to come home baffled about how shitty the heiresses dressed and kept themselves... like they never ever had to bother. And yes: we’re talking Names and Families here.
Celebrities are literally out here okay with telling everyone that they don't shower. When you are rich, you are protected from scrutiny that regular people suffer from.
From my experience, old money ppl are nonchalant because they know everyone. The new money may be talented, rich & successful, but don’t know anyone in the “club”. It’s like showing up to a party not knowing anyone. Kind of stressful. Old money ppl also feel the pinch when they start to be “poor,” in comparison to new money.
I really like how you mentioned this generation getting tired of technology, I one thousand percent agree and feel even though technology is very helpful we are now realizing the strain technology and social media as a whole has on our generation. As a person who enjoys the old money aesthetic, I can assure you your right. The "old money aesthetic" allows for a more simple and relaxed feel to life that a lot of Gen Z is craving.
Funnily, the west coast is actually old enough now to have actual old money. East coast wealth that moved there in the 1850s and continued doing well. My impression has been that people act like the old money aesthetic is superior not because the people are any better morally but because it's just less flashy. Less prone to reminding you of your own circumstances than nouveau riche is. And there's the assumption that old money is more philanthropic, but there's no reason to think that's true.
😂😂 1850’s old money… compared to European old money that goes back to feudal times or Asian money going back to the ancient dynasties and their rulers 😂😂 Not yet. We have a lot of generations to go…
@@bajabl Rich people do not always manipulate the masses, because they do not always belong to the elite social class. For example, a German economist who owns a large oil company can easily intervene in German politics, but a Reggaeton latino rapper like Bad Bunny cannot control the government of Puerto Rico. 💀
I have a feeling it’s bc in the late 20s/ early 30s you had to hide your wealth because of the depression in the US. Being from the uk I would consider old money to mean land and a title- but by that definition no one across the pond would be old money lol
@@LivBotting I was expecting Mina to mention land and title as a definition of old money! I don’t quite understand how old money has to be to be considered “old money” in the US because the country itself is so new?
We also cannot dismiss the racism aspect of new money vs old money. The vast majority of poc in America can’t be old money because none of us have any generational wealth to inherit.
Yes. My dad works three jobs because he cares about our generational wealth and wanting to pass it down to me and my sister and our future families so we won't have to live like he did as a kid. It's really sad when he misses family dinner and sometimes sleeps 3-5 hours only each night to just get up and work again. So many of us people of color can only dream of a life like this and it's disheartening to say the least.
Exactly ngl, it’s kind of sus how quick people are to shit on. I understand not liking the aesthetic, but some of the critiques have problematic undertones.
That's true. That said, my ancestors are probably first family or almost so. Slaves, yes, but I've got as much history here as anyone else. No money but can't I have the same 'class based on age'? Well, I don't think anyone can stop me!
@@rachelclark6393 get it girl, just start talking about your family and ancestors the same way these old money people do. i am here for it, i believe in you!!
racism does play a role in old money vs new money but this happens in the black community too. particularly within the AA community. i’m not african american but my AA friend told me about classism within the community. the old money vs new money debate in america has layers of not only classism and racism, but also xenophobia and colorism.
My mother is from an old money family from what is known as the “Main Line” in Philadelphia. The snobbishness of some of her older family members is insane. Where you lived, specifically which neighborhood or even as specific as which street, often determined whether you were allowed into certain social circles. Even if you had all of the traits that they valued such as generational wealth, the right clothing/manner, etc., you could be ostracized if you had a certain zip code. Thankfully that is slowly changing, but there are still individuals that enforce these arbitrary rules.
My mom is a total wasp from Philadelphia. Ive never heard anyone ever talk about this other than her and her older brothers (my rich snobby uncles). She moved to Toronto when she was a young teen and thats where I was born.
oh my god the main line! I grew up near there- either your family was old money or one of your parents was a professor at a nearby university (hello, me) and although I don't really remember any discrimination my parents said they never really felt welcome at any of the open house events or really, anything
Same on my dad's side. They're usually pretty obsessed with Cool Ancestors, so if one tries flexing with lineage ask them what side their relatives were on in the Revolutionary War if they don't immediately brag about how Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Chester McMoneybags captained the USS Freedom Eagle or whatever after being personally appointed by some famous American general whose name maybe kind of rings a bell. If they don't brag about having 'invested' in the states from the start, then they'll probably uncomfortably yet expertly dance around their ancestors being spineless fence sitters. Bonus points if any Quaker relatives are used as an excuse for not having gotten involved in the war.
This is pretty true even for myself. It’s not like I’m rich but I’m not “old money” and my mind is always structured in trying to understand how people from my “older class” will view me as opposed to people who were born and brought up in their higher class.
I like the old money style of clothing because they're usually made of good quality materials that last a long time (wool, cotton, real leather, silk) that are more natural fibers, and also better for the environment. I think everyone should be able to wear good quality clothing, and I do personally like feeling well dressed and put together, although sometimes I feel awkward or that I'm standing out in a bad way
me too! i think the cultural background behind the aesthetic is terrible, but the actual clothes are very appealing to me because they all seem like pieces i could wear for decades!
i live on the east coast, and while i think "new money" / "west coast" people are annoying and flashy as hell, "old money" people from new england have been brutal in my experience. at least people of new money embrace diversity, these people on the east coast are straight up racist (probably bc of all the wasps) and i even think their classism is more intense. the old money aesthetic would have you believing this is a beautiful, ideal life, and that these people are classy and polite, but thats definitely not my experience.
West coast also looks more creative, carefree, hedonistic and artsy. It is funny because Rembrandt paintings would be old money, and the new money would have more modern art like Mondriaan. Bit high tech vs tradition. My style is a bit more European old money/academic than European new money, which both looks different from the American versions. But all styles can be fun. As long as you don't go broke over any of those, I don't see the issue.
Reminds me of that ome story of the girl tricking everyone to believing she was a super high socialite or something similar- I think her name was Anna something , it was hilarious lowkey
It wasn't really about her "tricking" peopling into believing she was an heiress, it was that she lied, stole, and gaslighted people. She was a master manipulator in the criminal sense. That said, I'm sure some of the outrage and sensationalism was about her being a "commoner" and not from money but still
@@roxyoursox524 i think they’re referring to the one that happened in China. She didn’t gaslight anyone, she just lived on freebies for a month and people got all fussy about it. I say don’t give so much free stuff to well dressed strangers.
I used to go to a girls' summer camp in Maine and while I wasn't rich, it was the kind of place where wealthy families had sent their daughters for the past century. It was such an interesting window into this subculture, because I was definitely an outsider there. I didn't really notice it when I was fourteen, because everyone just seemed rich, but in hindsight, this was a very specific kind of old-money wealthiness. Many of these girls came from families where their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had all gone to the same summer camp. Their brothers, fathers, and uncles all went to one of the nearby boys' camps. It was casual and normal for them, just the thing that they did over the summer because that's what their family had always done. They came to camp already knowing how to sail and play tennis and ride horses. They wore pearl earrings every day in the Maine woods without even thinking, because they just always wore pearl earrings. They all went to boarding schools in Connecticut or Newport or eastern Massachusetts, and they liked to brag about which particular school they went to and compare notes. They weren't always trying to be pretty or fashionable, because they didn't need to prove their wealth in that way: the very fact that they could go to boarding school for nine months and then summer camp for two months meant that their family had money, and there was no need for the flash and garishness of the nouveau-riche.
I went to one of the remaining Sister's colleges and it was interesting to see how different it is compared to the earlier years. I went to Mount Holyoke and most people dressed super casual and there was almost a stigma against the old-rich students in their presentation. Usually this cumulated in grouping them, ex: "the horse girls" were the wealthy students on the equestrian team who could afford to board their horses on campus and almost always wore their thousands dollars worth of riding gear. I didn't know any of them but they were definitely not talked about nicely. Interesting to think this happened despite the fact that many students who went there were just like them, coming from families that could pay a $56k/year tuition out of pocket but were "not like the other wealthy kids" because they didn't dress with the signifiers of wealth
I went to Vassar and the people who came from wealthy families often co-opted a “poor” look with lots of secondhand or “ratty” looking clothes but then would put on their Canada goose jacket over the top and drive a nice car.
@Mary .Mary, wow that's just blown my mind, I had no idea there were colleges with the option to bring your own horse....that's the poshest thing I've ever heard!!
I went to Mount Holyoke, too! Looking back, everyone dressed so casual (including me). I didn’t see anyone looking “old money”. I only got those vibes if the subject of student loans (or lack of) came up. Except for those horse girls!
The idea of Harvard restricting particular social groups from getting in made me think of legally blonde. Elle Woods is the only one who does not dress preppy and most of the other students immediately look down on her..
I remember someone telling me that in the musical they touched on how Elle is new money. When I read about that I thought it created a lot more depth as to why Warner's family, Vivian and her friends, and even the other kids in Harvard looked down on her.
@@corneliastreets the musical is so good. it’s on youtube and i highly recommend it. so fun and bubbly and they characterize vivian and luke wilson’s character so much better
Yes, but outside of the movies, that's not the reality. Studying at Harvard right now is so easy, you just need to be someone black, Asian or Indian, be politically of left, and show that you have many scholarships for being a great student. Now, go to any university in Newport, the admissions is truly elitist if you're not white and rich. It's because these unknown universities can be select, Harvard is very famous, they can't tarnish their reputation for being elitist.
"harvard is easy"? "to study in harvard you just need to be black, asian, latino, left"? That doesn't make any sense, seems like a dogwhistle about "universities being marxist" spook in a way to discredit social progress. Harvard had that infamous lawsuit regarding their mistreatment of Asian students and applicants. Left? They still profit off donations from billionaires, they don't defend socialism. Unless you think being progressive and less prejudiced always equals left (only "socially"). But, of course, it makes sense that a university would be more accepting of differences and that they would think racism, sexism and prejudices are bad - except, in this case, that they're still classists. Just because the elitism isn't all in the open doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I find very interesting how this concept exists literally everywhere LOL here in Brazil, for example, we have both public and private schools, and identifying who's from which kind of school is the easiest thing, as the public school uniforms always have the government symbol printed on them, while private school uniforms have bright, loud logos printed on them. Now, I'm referring to schools planned for low and middle class - because the most expensive, reputed private schools where the kids of old rich family studies, they have uniforms that are so basic that you can't even recognize, because that elite knows that their kids would be kidnapped if they walked around boasting themselves!
In Colombia some of the richest schools don't even have uniforms 💀 and for what I've seen nowadays, the trend amongst rich people (in the region I live) is to emulate an European lifestyle in which they gravitate towards more natural/organic and all about country and farming. Wearing hippie-like clothes and using little to no makeup
@@paulaz.flaquer9570 Interesting! Rich people here in Brazil basically have two operating modes: or they are extravagant show offs (new riches) or very nonchalant farmers (old riches) who still lives very luxurious lifestyles
Very true. I had an Italian friend who went to high school in Europe and South America. He recounted these dramatic stories about his car being chased by kidnappers and his uncle having to get out the long guns to defend the family compound. He was a second son and expected to join the priesthood so he went to catholic seminary for a while in the 80s. He quit because of the priests’ relentlessly predatory sexual behavior. So I was not surprised when the catholic sexual abuse scandal finally exploded 10 years later.
@@ArsenicJulep at first i was like,they can just get married,( that cathlic priest ofcourse), but now I am realizing that this people are just demonic beings who pray on kids and They would still do the same even if they were married
The nonchalance and classic style discussed at length in your video made me think of The French Girl aesthetic which I find interesting as they are both styles that tend to romanticize while glossing over the negative historical roots behind the looks. The uniformity/conformity of both aesthetics is interesting as well.
Ive lived in Paris for three years now. What’s interesting to note is that the ‘French girl aesthetic’ only applies to two types of people here: people who come from old money/ un affectionately names Bobos And tourist trying to emulate the style to fit in. . . Actually it’s something I’m incredibly interested in: is how many tourists come here and think French people dress a certain way: when most French people avoid touristy areas or take months long vacations out of Paris in the summers. What most people are witnessing are actually other tourists, putting on a performative interpretation of what they believe is necessary not to look like a tourist! However, the bobos are in a state of performance themselves. Often generationally wealthy ( as much of Paris is, it is the city of the 1 percent here). But they are attempting to tap into that international understanding of wealth in order to be associated with it. Sometimes they just put on a good show, and are not inherently wealthy themselves. I’m a sociology student, and I’ve been researching individuals in certain areas and business districts to find trends in dress by categorization of activity. Rich professional women: black skirts, black tights, black boots OR black jeans, black usually tapered trousers. Almost everyone of them wears a wool coat with a thin to med lapel and usually is straight and has a ‘tailored’ look. At least in the winter. And for professional wear. Meanwhile, the majority of Parisian’s who are not professionals or obscenely wealthy dress in American styles. Like, they just look like Americans. With jeans tee-shirts leggings sneakers baggy clothes puffer jackets etc. It’s interesting that while the American upper class style is a little more overall flashy and more dependent on new v old money, the divide between rich and poor, old money v professional is super similar. The French style, like the culture in general, is just a bit more rigid. Which makes sense. American individualism is tantamount to our national identity. But also serves as a tool for distinguishing rich from poor. Here, sometimes it’s harder to tell: since the culture is so much more alright with conformity, and a lack of personal expression.
i grew up on the gold coast of connecticut so i'm very familiar with the "old money" aesthetic. one big tell of whether someone was actually rich or just dressing that way was the quality of the clothes up close, especially men's polos. it's instantly obvious who is wearing actual designer clothing vs the preppy style without the generational wealth behind it in real life.
I met a wealthy old man once and I was completely different from what I imagined it would be. He invited us to sleep at his farmhouse (a mansion from the slavery days) and it's been used as scenario for many movies and soap operas here. I met him briefly in the morning, he gave me honest advices on buying more typewriters and starting a collection. He died few years later of a serious disease, only then I found out that his father actually founded the entire city he lived on and that he improved the city by investing in commerce and market. He was a normal man, with a gray t-shirt and jeans,his t-shirt wasn't even ironed properly.. I should've taken him more seriously. Sorry Marcus and thanks for your advice
There's something dark to me about using former plantations for movies. Those are sites of literal horror and dehumanization of people. But then people hold plantations weddings (disgusting) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
@@cutiepiemania45 I have an issue with plantation weddings (except when it's black folks/people of colour having them, if they ever have them there), but using those places as movie spots it's not bad per se, specially if it's a movie that condemns slavery and it's bases. I don't know, showing the horrors of slavery and painting the white slavers as the ignorant and red handed monsters that they were, without it being exploitative, it's good.
I loved this video, thank you for it! "Old money aesthetic" has always been my favourite. it is exceptionally difficult to do because it is so subtle. I used to work at Harrods in London, and I could tell immediately who was old rich and who was new rich. Old money doesn't try; it has nothing to prove; it has no sense of its own privilege; and they would be far more picky with their purchases. New money wants everyone to know about their wealth, and they'll be more quick to part with it: because for them, it's the enjoyment of simply having the money to spend. The nonchalance of the old rich comes from a security and knowing that this deep pot of generational cash will be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the week and year and decade after... so why rush?
Mina, have you watched Ouran High School Host Club? Granted, it is an anime so it's obviously with a Japanese lens, but it's one of those classic "poorer scholarship student" rubbing shoulders with generationally wealthy students storylines. There's one episode where the main rich kid is shocked at how Haruhi (the pleb) makes her own lunch every day. Which A) is also a complex that Japanese kids can have if their mom is too busy to make them lunch and also B) is honestly probably a thing bc when you're that wealthy (old or new) you can afford a personal chef to cook all your meals.
15:02 I completely agree. As a poorer relation who still hangs out with cousins from the branches of the family that managed to keep their money after all these generations, I love them because they’re actually good to me and treat me the same as any other family member but the shit the comes out of their mouth sometimes shocks me and I have to double check the year to make sure its the 2020s and not 1920s.
I had a friend with an "old money" family (that was new money 70 years ago) and it seemed they had a massive emphasis on quality. They bragged more about having cashmere sweaters that lived well for years than brands
OMG OMG i’m currently a senior at one of the seven sisters colleges and it’s fascinating to learn that some of these big money prep aesthetics got their start at a seven sisters school is hilarious to me but also makes SO MUCH SENSE. there’s definitely been more of a push for alternative fashion, likely because a LOT of attendees for at least a couple of the seven sisters colleges are queer, but there’s also still a lot of old money aesthetic, even amongst the queer students. cable knit, argyle sweater vests, tennis shoes, straight leg pants, khaki, subtle designer wear (SO much balanciaga), pearls, cardigans, it’s EVERYWHERE here. a cashmere sweater over a button-up shirt with either blue jeans or khakis is the unofficial uniform of rich WASP students here. even the less wealthy students are all over dark academia and cottagecore aesthetics. old new england money really is something else. there’s a reason equestrian is the most popular sport over at mount holyoke
"Legacy applications" reminded me of the way some of my country's recent prime ministers and their decendants (who will sooner or later enter into politics too), got to study in Harvard, Yale, etc, even if they were caught cheating in their senior high school exams. Financing post graduate programs and univeristy chairs on these fine institutions also helps greatly.
Smh this is all insanity lol. Take it from someone who grew up surrounded by old money (I'm the poor relation lol), this is not something to aspire to, none of them are happy. They are the most miserable people and will ALWAYS find a way to exclude newbies. It isn't even about money, breeding is all that matters. I'm extatic that gen z is getting over the crass new money crowd, but you can do that without emulating the most oppressive people in America.
I agree. And, eerily enough, I had a similar sort of upbringing to you; surrounded by old money families but was not of old money myself, well...not for long (long story there. I actually do come from a lineage that has old money ties...but due to abuse, was pulled back from said parent and never saw them again past preschool.) I wonder how many in the old money families have experienced some form of abuse, too, especially emotional abuse and sadistic forms of discipline? That that was rife in my family, along with esoteric teachings and interest in certain occult practices. The more I saw, the more really unnerving behaviors I started to see in some of the surrounding families, too. Or maybe this sort of crap is equally prevalent among all families, regardless of socioeconomic status. But yeah, I have no illusions about these families and don't think for a second that they are superior to anyone. No. (Aesthetically I do like earth tones and simple, high quality wares. I think it makes sense from a get-away-from-fast-fashion standpoint. Outside of that, old money families undoubtedly have a lot of skeletons in their closests...)
@@kpaxian6044 You made curious. I would like to read a book about your life and what you have seen. As fiction, I mean. I wouldn't want you to expose yourself.
My mother grew up in an old money mansion while my dad was new money. I ended up growing up the same way as my mom did and I can tell you that the difference between new money trying to be rich is very visible to old money. It's in the grace and how you hold yourself. There was something my maternal grandma always said "being truly rich is when someone's eyes and heart have been fed enough to not seize everything they can seize" and I think that pretty much sums it up. It's also in how you respond to different situations. Being loud, lavish parties, flashy clothes, and revealing your skin is considered new money. A lot of it is rooted in purity culture.
Another interesting thing that happens with old money is that it's associated a lot of the time with intelligence and being culturally versed which in turn adds a layer of classicism and elitism to the already classicist and elitist academic field
living and growing up in a “old money” town i think this is honestly a huge issue because it is so completely divided. my town in on a hill the higher up you go the more mansions, property’s and clubs you find. but living at bottom you find yourself day dreaming a lot being surrounded by this ideal life that you could have had in this old college town ??? it’s honestly depressing
You have to do a dive into Gilmore Girls fashion!! Early 2000s that some how combines small town with old money prep looks because of the mix of social experiences!
I used to dog walk for several wealthy clients and something I noticed… Old money people almost always have two dogs that match. Usually two of the same breed (labs, bulldogs, golden retrievers, Great Pyrenees were popular). Also, that messy nonchalance while wearing discreetly expensive clothing is very real. They walk out of the house looking like they just rolled out of bed, but they’re wearing Cartier jewelry with an old navy hoodie. on the note of being tired of the same nouveau rich McMansions: yes. I just wish ppl with so much money had better taste! They could own the prettiest home with custom touches like art nouveau crown molding or stained glass windows depicting a scene from their favorite book or anime. Instead it’s the same black and white interior spread across 60 houses lol.
“Old money” is an aesthetic now. You can buy similar stuff for far cheaper. You won’t actually look rich, but you can fit the aesthetic if that’s your goal
I really think it's interesting how "Anglo-saxon" has become the word for rich white elites in the US, when in England, the aristocracy is entirely Norman descended. Would be interesting to compare America vs UK for this sort of "old money" stuff to see what is the same and what is different.
Well, you also have to remember that anything “old” in the US and the America’s is drastically newer than anything old in Europe and Asia because literally American nations are younger.
Old money or real money, doesn't matter, they are all the same. They are all profiting from unjust methods. Old money sit on money that their ancestors conquered from farmers and indigenous people. New money is gained from swindling, legal loopholes, and exploiting labor.
Around 21:55; that resonated. Gen Z aren't necessarily looking for the physical trappings of the rich/wealthy, so much as they're looking for the access to opportunities and freedom to choose, that the wealth brings.
It definitely seems to be escapism, maybe even closely related to money since more people struggle financially due to Covid and have less freedom. Wealth is seen as a sign of independence and freedom so it makes sense to dream about a fantasy-esque wealthy lifestyle. BUUUUUUT I have to say it feels like a very American thing to me to dream about baroque and roccoco interior and associate it with wealth. I live in Vienna, Austria, and we have a lot of old buildings and palaces. Vienna is known for it and I would never dream about something like that because I can simply visit a palace if I want to see that kind of lifestyle. It's something we Viennese are interested in but just as spectators. And even if Viennese want that kind of interior, they can just rent an apartment in one of these old buildings and go vintage shopping along with some upcycling. My brother literally has baroque upcycled furniture from the flea market in his living room. It's definitely interesting to see a trend like that from a European perspective.
Yes this is so true. I also think that “old money” in Europe and America differ from each other. I find European old money rich people to be MUCH more traditional and well-kept, but then these are also more humble, and put emphasis on “being common” but STILL presenting yourself in a sophisticated way whether its appearance, culture or your knowledge of the world. American old money’s mentality, on the other hand, seems more exclusive, un-kept and capitalistic to me.
Yesss. I have some beautiful thrifted pieces that I love that, although not on purpose, look 'rich' and sometimes it can be even stressful to wear them. So I rarely do (which is, of course, pointless). Like, I have no bussiness looking like I can afford things I'll never be able to afford
@@basiatomaszewska9269 Quit overthinking and enjoy your style. Some asshole out there will always judge you because of your clothes. It doesn't matter what they think. As long as it's authentically you, it's awesome
Nicely done! My mother was from west coast new money. My father was "old" money, though his family was old European money. There is even a different class there in looking down their noses on east coast wealth as not sophisticated enough. I spent a lot of time between west coast family and estates my father's family had on the east coast. Long story short both families hated each other. I agree with you new money tries too hard alot of times, yet when a charity needs help, new money seems more willing to help because they still remember what it's like to struggle in life.
I'm curious were the other girls more like a Blair Waldorf or were there some exceptions,I'm fascinated by how the Old Money do things as if they're a secret society that only includes those who "understand" their etiquette
@@Justacuriouslady I actually never watched the show. Though I know the person she was based off of. She is a bit older but a very cruel and manipulative person. I think there are spoiled rotten people in every class. There are also decent people in every class as well. I honestly stopped following the gossip back in the early 2000s when my cousin disinherited his son. He claimed it would hurt his chances of being reelected. Him having a bisexual son. The rest of the family supported his decision. After that I never wanted anything to do with any of them again. Except my cousin's son.
Your conclusion about escaping from the discomfort of our current highly digital, highly stressed and homogenous world into a less digital world is spot on.
I liked your point about interior design! Old money has historically meant that people inherit STUFF. Minimalism looks "relaxing" or "luxurious" only in a modern standard, but it is definitely a mark of new money rather than old
Minimalism can be incredibly wasteful. Because it prioritizes only keeping the minimum of items, items that aren’t immediately useful get discarded rather than being saved. Which means that people don’t keep a back stock of second-best items that have lasted for generations or of things that were bought in bulk. You don’t keep things for your children to use when they grow up.
Its the mark of new money individuals because its a sign of being able to afford to replace things rather than having to hold on to stuff just in case.
Old money families don’t need to show off their wealth by only keeping the bare minimum around and can afford to buy items that last.
Edit: I over generalized here so I tried to correct that. I’m mostly talking about minimalism as an aesthetic/fad rather than minimalism as a conscious lifestyle choice.
Whoooaaa ok, that is an excellent point!!! I didn’t even think about it that way! 😅
@@krisscoss8907 that’s doesn’t prove minimalism is wasteful. Just sound like an excuse to hoard
@@madisoncontroversial7348 Minimalism encourages the reduction to just the immediately necessary. The pursuit of minimalism just for the sake of aesthetic means that things that are still useful but not immediately so, go to waste. It’s a waste of money to buy a new item every time a necessary one breaks (rather than keeping slightly older versions around just in case or buying in bulk and storing them). Its a waste of money to have to buy a new item because you didn’t use the old version quite often enough and got rid of it. It’s a waste of water to get rid of half your wardrobe in the name of decluttering and then do more tiny loads of laundry (wasting water) because everything is dirty. Its a waste to get rid of most of your knick knacks just because they are visual clutter. Its a waste to get rid of old but good furniture just because it doesn’t match the aesthetic of a house.
There’s a big difference between holding on to things that aren’t immediately necessary (but still useful/pleasant) and hoarding. While not all minimalism is inherently wasteful, the minimalist aesthetic encourages waste by discouraging saving.
@@krisscoss8907 Minimalism can be wasteful when it results in a lot of stuff being thrown in the trash but it's not wasteful when it's about avoiding to accumulate so much in the first place. I'd argue that keeping things for decades to give them to your children once they're grown up is wasteful because those things take up space that could be used in a better way. It would be less wasteful to give those things to someone who can use them right away and then in the future the grown children will hopefully be able to get hand me downs from someone else.
it needs to be said: Mina you are killing it with the topic related outfits every video
i especially love the hair! 😍
She looks sooo good in the varsity sweater 🤩 but yes every video's outfit is so on point
Lowkey crushing on Mina 🥰
I concur!
I was gonna say the same thing how does she do it
the main difference appears to be that when new rich people buy their way into college, it's a scandal. when the old money do it, it's a legacy.
The difference is how you get in.
On the one hand the new money bribed their way via faking photos and made a mess.
The old money way is to call up the Chairman of the board of the uni and tell them you wish to donate to their "whatever" project - "oh and by the way our child jr, you remember I introduced you at the last yacht party, well they can't wait to go there in x number of years". Totally legal and much much simpler.
@@LSSYLondon just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right.
@@missbeaussie That's true, but at least a donation goes to someone's tuition while a bribe goes into someone's pocket.
The old money will generally buy tuition for their child to get In though won’t they?
@@LSSYLondon the difference is just aesthetics
This was such an interesting video. I wonder if Gen Z's aspiration of the old money aesthetic stems from feeling burned out by "hustle culture." There was such an influx of influencers and entrepreneurs in the mid-2010s chasing brand deals, working to gain followers, creating businesses, selling merch, etc. that Gen Z grew up thinking they needed to be working on side hustle and creating their brand to achieve success and fulfillment. The old money aesthetic feels almost like an escapist sigh of relief-- a break from the hustle because you have generational wealth to fall back on.
Oh my god that point is so good! I totally agree with what you're saying! Earning lots of money through social media always seems somewhat "easy" and doable for everyone, no matter where you're from (for example people making millions on OnlyFans) which leaves the 99.5% of us who do not earn money that way feeling dumb because in reality "we could be doing that to" and become rich that way. The old money aesthetic is not available to anyone and you cannot really work to get there, so accepting that you simply do not have it is easier.
Wow this is a great point. Old money makes absolutely no illusions that they "hustle"
I so agree with this! I think it's an escape to a slow living lifestyle in which you don't have to worry about anything money related, whilst the hustle culture aka new money is constantly stressed about sales etc.
@@sazabidi3856 I mean that’s mainly because it usually is. Trying to be the “next big thing” will never be as secure as your great great grandfather striking oil somewhere.
@@janine7384 I think the one thing hustle culture and old money culture have in common is a strong need to make all the accomplishments look “effortless”, as if they were born to the role lmao. After all, we can’t all be as special as someone who naturally has the ‘correct’ bloodline or the ‘correct’ mentality to truly accomplish great things in this world lmao
I was raised by my grandmother: a poor, non-white , illiterate woman. She was, tho, one of the most amazing seamstress I know and she learnt everything from second hand magazines that came with patterns. She couldnt even read and she learnt from the pictures. These magazines were mostly filled with what you would call "old money aesthetic" today, but for her, decades ago, it was what gave her confidence to walk on the streets even when hearing racist insults. I was raised having her teaching me how to dress "elegantly", so to me, when I see this trend, all I think of is my grandmother and how she would love for me to dress like that... haha. It is a bittersweet story but I thought I could share.
so sweet, thank you for sharing.
She sounds like an amazing woman :)
Thank u for sharing this sweet story :3
Thank you so much for sharing.
Wow this has really made me feel so empowered. I relate and I understand. Thank you for sharing I'm sending so much love to you and your grandmother.
I remember when The Corpse Bride introduced me to the "Old Money" and "New Money" situation, I remember Victor's family, a newly rich family and Victoria's family, an old money family marrying off their daughter to a new money family in hopes of retaining their former glory since they've lost all their money and Victor's family marrying their son off of an old money family in hopes of getting in the high society, though the old and new money aspect of the movie wasn't showed enough, It did help me get an idea as to what old and new money is.
Reminds me of the rise of the "Dollar Princesses" between the late 19th century and ww2. The rich American families were marrying their daughters to British aristocrats to raise their social status and get to brag their daughters' titles. On the other hand, the British aristocracy's wealth was also decreasing at that time so they were desperate for money. Lindsay holliday has a video about that topic
So common, so coarse…oh it couldn’t be worse!
it is different in Europe because they had the Aristocracy. Which were connected to an ancient nobility. I don't know if they actually were tied to the old nobility or if they were just merchants who bought their way into high society generations ago. Or had some kind of military status.
someone knows.
Titanic did this for me. There was a char Molly that the other woman snubbed bc she was new money and there was a big difference in how each held themselves
@@missbelle9159 ooh I remember that, Rose's mom and her friends always avoid Molly
It's interesting that for the rich they can get away with being sloppiness and it read as a sign of not caring or having to much money to care. But being poor and sloppy is a sign of bad breeding or being really gross. Of someone with no taste
It's fascinating and she touches on this again in the "So the rich don't shower now?" video 😅 And by fascinating I mean backwards and troubling
You exude rich not only by what you wear but by the way you carry yourself i think
I think that’s the point, they can afford to look sloppy, they’re still gonna be respected for their money not their clothes or cars
Well, you have to remember that the "sloppy" clothes usually are very high quality material and have been made carefully - if not outright tailored - to hang just perfectly and look incredibly good.
@@elisabetfranklin1246 I mean only if pwople know you're rich though. If they don't, then they just think you're a bum
It’s interesting that we glorify old money, i think its mostly a way to drag new money and paint them as the lesser of two evils. Perhaps we feel more disdain for new money because of the flashier braggy nature of the lifestyle, or because it is just constantly in our faces (in our feeds). BUT MAYBE theres even a factor about how we are deep down kind of jealous of new money people for having easily acquired lots of money quickly and recently, despite having started from a place similar to us (they are somewhat in our competitive circle? of our society, “it could/should be me”), whereas old money just seems so out of reach we don’t even consider it a possibility and therefore don’t need to feel they are even part of normal society and causing harm to society or be an object of jealousy. They are in the realm beyond reality, in fairy tale levels of magical and mysterious…
I completely agree with you. I was trying to figure out why new money just felt different than old money, despite all the obvious traits like hereditary, social status, etc., but couldn’t figure it out so I thought it was a psychological difference that I couldn’t wrap my head around due to society norms being so engrained in me. Then when I saw your comment it just kind of clicked for me that it’s just old money doing what old money always did: try to feel superior to others which is why people hate new money because it feels like something we could compare ourselves to and be envious of but old money seems so out of reach that we don’t even think of them so we don’t associate the same bad traits new money has with it with them, when in reality old money was just as bad and playing society like it always did.
I don’t know why I had to scroll so far to see a comment calling out people for having an inferiority complex, when it comes to the disdain of new money.
@@omarispowell2949 I kinda think the whole old money/new money cliche is a little bit like the “choose your own adventure” books we read back in grade school. Old money is such a foreign and unfamiliar concept to so many of us that when we see ‘new money’ have some level of access to this world, we basically start imagining what we would do if given the same access and opportunities to a foreign and highly romanticised culture....would we make the same social faux pas? Would we ‘belong’ in this new world? How would we treat the people around us? How would we be perceived by everyone? What novelties does this new culture have that I want to try? Does wanting the novelty make me entitled, disrespectful or insensitive? Would I at least put in the effort to learn all the new rules and customs or is it cooler to nonchalantly think that following these rules is too ‘mainstream’? Would I be respectful of their values or would I try impose my own? Would I still be myself after accessing this new world? Would I remember to leave the ball before midnight when my carriage turns back into a pumpkin lol
I agree! I think the idea of old money is heavily centered on 'fairy tale' ideals that us normal people just don't have/participate in. XD
Why should it be seen as evil
I think we're obsessed with old money because we'll never be old money. There's no limit as to who can be "new money" but old money will always be just those who were born into generational wealth.
true
Hmph! I wouldn't want to be old money if you (pardon the pun) paid me. Their society sounds awful. Whenever I hear "old money" I think of the Crane family on Passions.
@@carmensavu5122 I come from old money, and of course while everyone is different, I find it better than being born into a new money family. My family was less braggy than the new money families; no gaudy decorations, no collection of sports cars, no ownership of 10+ mansions. We were a rich family, yes, but very "normal" compared to a lot of other rich people.
@@depolignacs are you thinking about adopting? im 23 but i can make really good banana puddings
@@depolignacsI cook, clean, watch kids, I’m very elegant and polite and I’ll fit right in, I eat like one meal a day, I can get into an ivy, you won’t even notice I’m there please adopt me
love the use of lana del rey to introduce the deep dive on old money aesthetic, i've seen it used in many tiktoks and since lana projects the essence of the "trashy west coast girl" dreaming about old east coast money (in the national anthem music video especially) it's a great illustration of how people into this aesthetic are trying to copy an image of wealth rather than what rich people actually are like
how did you comment 6h ago?
fun fact, LDR family is actually quite healthy, they are from NY and when she was young her parents sent her to a boarding school in Connecticut, she grew up around old east coast money but she was in love with the idea of west coast/old hollywood/eve babitz way of living and in her music she tried to balance her upbringing with her inspirations
@@tessaleighann5500 i'm a patreon subscriber and in exchange I get access to her videos 24 hours before release!
@@isabellawerneckzanon3260 yeah! So glad someone mentioned this. It’s so weird to see her romanized being this poor west coast Californian girl longing for that New York country club rich when that’s basically what she’s grown up around
@@isabellawerneckzanon3260 not trying to downplay the fact that lana was obviously from a middle class family but the reason she went to boarding school was because her alcohol addiction was getting out of control and her uncle worked at the school and was able to help her family afford the boarding school.
When you talked about “east coast rich vs west coast rich” the first thing that came up to my mind was legally blonde. I’m not American so I wasn’t familiar with that differentiation, but one thing this movie shows it’s that difference. Think of Elle’s and Warner’s backgrounds. On one side, you have Warner who has a family name (Warner Huntington III), the connections to get into Harvard when at first got waitlisted, a generational senators family, a marriage that’s probably arranged with a woman of that same status. Even the detail that “the rock” that he gave Vivian is a family ring that his grandma gave him, their sober classical styles that match or the phrases that he says in that dinner when he breaks up with Elle “east coast people are different” or “If I wanna be a senator by the time I’m thirty I need a Jackie (east coast/old money) not a Marilyn (west coast/new money)”. On the other side is Elle, daughter of clearly new rich people. She lived all her life in the west coast, spends thousands on fashion and it’s interested in it, her parents that support her on that and even think that law school is for boring people, who have these styles that embody new rich and how she in college kind of gets picked and under appreciated for this. You can clearly tell that, and how throughout the movie the tables turn because Elle character develops and turns out a better lawyer than Warner, even though their backgrounds at first showed us a different path of events. And there is an actual phrase on this: “If I'm going to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm 30, I'm going to need a boyfriend who's not such a bonehead” which kinds of means like “you questioned my capacities and now that I’m better than you, you want me, but I don’t get along with all of this crap”.
Well, now that I clearly showed an incredible detailed analysis of my fave movie of facts that I never really thought about. I really enjoyed this video and in general I love your content keep it going !!
PS. If there is something wrong with my writing sorry, English is not my first language, please correct me if I made a grammar or redaction error.
I think you did really well, your English is great and I enjoyed your analysis greatly! It' all makes so much sense, love how you broke this down.
your comment is just a whole mood lol all i could think about was legally blonde too
Yesss Elle shows Warner that even tho she's not part of his old money circle, she can still do well at Harvard and go far in life.
However, she is rich as well, so the situation would have been different if she was middle-class
Wow, I love this movie and never thought about any of that before. It makes a lot of sense tho!
Wow, that was SO GOOD! Congrats! English's not my first language also, but I think you made a amazing job, by the way. You made me want to watch Legally Blonde again, thank you! 😍
There is a saying in the vintage fashion community that says, “vintage style, not vintage values” meaning that one may have an affinity towards the styles of the past without espousing the regressive values accompanying those outfits and hairstyles.
For sure: I adore Edwardian fashion and regency era and I totally agree that my affinity for those periods is not because of the values, but because of the ideas of simplicity and lack of technology that I don’t see in my time period
just like how it looks
You opened my eyes.
Thank you so much!
Very this. I love vintage style and old money aesthetics but I’m the furthest thing from conservative. The same way I can enjoy cottagecore without buying into the whole tradlife thing. Honestly as a broke person it represents an ease and comfort in life that I’m unlikely to experience firsthand, but dressing a certain way allows me to experience it as a fantasy.
Exactly,I like these outfits cause they look pretty and wearing stuff like them makes me feel pretty,I don't like all the bad/way outdated values
The old money look in the UK is really interesting. There's plenty of people who are land rich but cash poor. They might own a huge country manor, but it's a crumbling hole that they have to rent out for filming to pay for refurbishments. The parents drive old school land rovers that look army surplus, and swan around in motheaten cashmere.
Nowadays many of the children are becoming independently wealthy again because their connections got them work in finance or PR, or they've pressed their acres and acres of land into an organic farm producing £7 a jar jams or heritage breed pork sausages. The look is usually clean and neutral; not flashy brands day to day. Heritage brands like Burberry, Barbour, or suits from Saville Row.
Its a good point that it really differs in the UK, but as a uni student id also add that a lot of rich folk wear baggy clothing or casual wear adorned with posh jewelery bits. There's a bit of a vibe that rich students who come to uni are desperate to emulate the working class sportswear aesthetic by wearing pieces that cost hundreds of pounds.
This had me rolling and crying because most people I go to school with fit into this. The first paragraph is too funny and true i cannot 😂
@@rebeccaatkinson5073 yes! If you live in london ‘south bank girlies’ basically r just the girls who come from probs the nicest parts of London but dress trashy for the aesthetic and you can probs find them squatting outside south bank despite the fact they have a 5 bed home & 2 parent household to get back to. In all honesty, I kind of want to make a vid on this since it such an interesting but common phenomena
@@_hannasdiary these are the same people who went you say you live in E&C reply with "omg don't you worry about getting stabbed????" 😑 I lived near East Street back in 2014 and fucking loved it, but people acted like I was living in the most dangerous place in the world 🙄
in germany as well. 😋
The movie Titanic first introduced me to this concept of "old vs new" rich. The "new rich" lady was the only one that was nice to Jack. She was also the only one upset about leaving her husband behind while on a lifeboat, probably cause she married for love instead of for money and the family name, like Rose was supposed to.
Molly didnt leave her husband behind. They were separated or divorced and he wasnt on board. She just wanted to save people. She said "those are your men out there."
You can't encompass the new money population because of a character's personality. Many of the new rich can be arrogant, and the old money can have higher values as a person. 💀
@@ShapingHumanHistoryOfficial It's an anecdotal comment about a movie, not a sociology essay. ❤
@@m.m.2310 I have misunderstood it as an assumption about elitist societies, sorry, I go in the comments like a crazy pirate attacking 💀😭🤣
@@ShapingHumanHistoryOfficial That's okay, I totally agree with what you said btw and see how it could be taken as that. I also clearly misremembered or misunderstood Molly's situation, and after making the comment I realised it's pretty shitty judging someone's silence as indifference while irl those people were probably going through the most traumatic event of their lives.
I'd like to touch on the "taking tennis lessons on your free time" part because for me, it's pretty relevant. Many of us who romanticize old money admire and/or wish for the ability to have more time to enjoy life and develop skills out of sheer interest, or simply have a decent amount of time per day or week to dedicate to our own pleasure. Millennials are the victims of hustle culture in a decaying economy and gen Z are the consequence. Wealth doesn't even have to be extrapolated to generational level: it's extremely hard for an individual to make enough money to be able to afford said activities and when achieved, requires a 60 hour work week, if then. I am in med school in a third world country, aware of the fact that the first few years of my career won't allow me to pay rent.
As the atheist/agnostic population grows and the romanticization of sacrifice as a way to find purpose devalues, a sense of meaning emerges in pleasure. Most of us don't know or don't believe there is a point to life, but agree it is to be enjoyed, either as a purpose itself or as a way of making the pointlessness more tolerable, yet, most of us are barely able to make some time to go to the gym or a bar on the weekends.
Juxtaposed, old money families. Who spend their weekends at the country club, horse riding lessons, impromptu trips wherever and whenever, parties. Families who don't have to think twice or look at their wallet before making the choice to give into a desire. I think deep down, we all want and need a bit of this.
That is so well said ! Thanks for tbsi
This is the best comment on this video!
i cannot agree more, as someone who goes to an expensive pvt school in a 3rd world country knowing that i cant get into college if i dont do well in my entrances while my friends are trying to "find themselves" and "discovering their personality" is sort of really frustrating coz they only hv to make portfolios to get by while i have to cram 12hrs everyday to get into a college my parents can afford. Its also funny that i got inspired by them and decided to take tennis classes during sports period in my school but i managed to only take one class coz the other time im in the library trying to finish my syllabus.
Well said
The rich get richer both in money and in time.
One thing I do like about the “Old Money” aesthetic is that it’s comprised of minimalist basics (white button downs, little black dresses, neutral tones, etc.), which means that they’re more versatile and people are likely to hold on to those pieces. Essentially, it’s a more sustainable/environmentally friendly trend than other recent aesthetics like “avant-basic” (although I know that trends are inherently unsustainable).
what if the aesthetic's trendiness is short-lived? :/
isn’t it kinda interesting that old money houses are considered more ornate and decorative where new money houses are very monochrome and minimalist
@@em-jd4do I think the point they're trying to make is that these signature pieces, due to their "basicness" and versatility, are not the kind of clothing that will go away any time soon and are less likely to be abandoned when it's not "trendy" anymore. White shirts, sweaters, cardigans etc. went through very little changes over the past 50 years and while the aesthetic/trend will change, it's likely that a lot of people who like this trend to hold onto these clothing and make them staple items :]
Is old money preppy ? Because in elementary school and middle school I wore uniforms like Blair Waldorf minus the headbands .
@@Missmagazinebura it's not necessarily the unifroms Blair wore. It's all the stuff she wore after school and the way she accessorised, I always loved the way she dressed, but she's also a fashion maniac
I feel like this whole "old vs. new money" is still just the rich trying to be better than everyone around them. It's not enough to have money, you ALSO have to have a family name attached to you. And this whole concept of one looking down on one another has no meaning to the rest of us. I wish I could remember who said it was "the 5% fighting the 1%", but that is what this wholething reminds me of.
Love the video and your content ❤
the 5% fighting the 1% is such a good way to express this!!
This is exactly why I don’t understand the idea of putting down the TikTokers for going to the met gala as if it’s a paragon of society that needs to be protected.
@@PrincessLioness That issue is a bit different since the Met Gala is supposed to be full of talented people, not TikTok dancers.
I mean there’s a sense of wealth security when you come from a long line of wealth. The nouveau riche are seen not just as tacky and classless, but unstable and fickle. If you gained your millions just yesterday, you’re likely to lose it all tomorrow (type of thing). New money usually hasn’t had time (or thought/care) to invest in major assets either. Old money has estates around the world and many secret bank accounts they could fall back on if anything. Old money families have proven themselves with a long history of maintaining and amassing wealth while new money families have not.
I sooo agree with you!!! I think that its in our nature the fact that we need to feel special and unique and even better than the rest ! Imagine how many times this is multiplied when money is involved!!! It is historicly proven!
I'm from a lower-class family and somehow ended up dating a guy that was old money. Despite being worth millions they were frugal in odd ways. Most of their possessions were things they found second-hand or inherited and preferred to buy quality items that lasted them for a lifetime instead of overpriced fast fashion. They chose simple, local handmade items with no noticeable logos instead of a gaudy Gucci jumper that was made in some sweatshop in China.
They taught me it's about having an eye for quality and the knowledge behind how/where those items were made. Just because something is expensive doesn't make it worthwhile to buy. My ex's mom knew the history behind all the books, clothes, jewelry, kitchenware, and art she owned, and all the different companies or designers involved. Everything in her house had a story to it.
Books and being learned were also important. My ex and his family went to ivy-league college and there was a definite emphasis on doing well through discipline and hard work, not by throwing money around. He and his sisters didn't have any social media. They didn't have a TV in the house either. Just a radio. They were in their own bubble in some ways, disconnected from the world.
They were also quite "normal" at times. They got groceries at a normal store, enjoyed going to the beach and having ice cream in the summer, drove an old defender, ate at a pizza joint once in a blue moon. There was very little, if any, junk food in the house actually. My ex didn't have McDonalds till he was in his late teens either.
Anyway, they were kind of insane in other ways and did judge me for being lower class so eventually I had to peace out. God, I miss being bouji sometimes though...
I'm sorry they judged you. You don't deserve that. Thanks for sharing though.
Sweetie, glad you had that experience…
Who tf r they to judge you when they didn't move a finger to earn their money. They inherited. You should have thrown that to their faces
@@EughhBrothereughh i love your energy haha and i totally agree
Wealthy people avoid buying anything disposable. Every sungle purchase is seen as an investment, ideally in something that accrues in value over time. So, obviously things like property, art, wine, etc. would fall into this category, but this is also how they think about clothes.
This reminds me of my first year in an elite prep school. I'm a scholarship kid, and I remember right before the year had started my mother was going really harsh on me about dressing rich (so that other students wouldn't know I had scholarship) and strict rules I'd need to be following and all this stuff, and when I got there, the environment was wayyyy different from her perception. The school itself was beautiful and definitely gave off this old money dark academia atmosphere, I still love it. But the students, most of them were legit walking around in sweatpants, and luxury brand puffer coats that looked like something you'd see a homeless man wearing. And the school was also not nearly as strict as I'd expected, many teachers were laid back and helped out with homework or test difficulties and didn't care about dress code. I know why those students dress that way, but I also couldn't stand how ugly it looked, so I decided to dress up and wear pretty things anyway. It turns out most of the other scholarship kids did that too, I met them through our mutual respect of fashion 😂.
Your story just brought back some of my nightmares. My family was considered the "new rich" kind of ,(we were also called poor often) at the school I went to. My Dad's family was not connected at all, and were second-generation immigrants, and he literally got into college and law school on scholarships, so we would shop at the discount grocery store and bought shoes at discount sales places, and somehow the kids at my prep school *always* knew. In 7th grade, I was made fun of because of my "poor person" clogs by so many people I almost threw them away when I got home. They also (this was the late 90s) seemed to have a thing about me wearing skirts, because then it was all about the designer jeans.
@@earthcitty I had a somewhat similar experience in sense I went to a college prep school and basically get in through a lottery it wasn't provite but a charter school but nonetheless had pretty strict uniforms and colors we could wear everything had to basically have the schools emblem on it and grade levels were also differentiated from the uniforms for someone who was ecoermental with fashion and loved color it was pretty stifling and suffocating to pretty much to have most parts of your outfits and prescrnce be under a microscope and restricted for 4 years . And they pretty much drilled how hard college would be and how we have to prove ourselves when after getting to college it's was the nost laid back environment with tons of cteative freedom.
I think the true things that separate "old rich" and normal people apart are lifestyle and future planning. For rich people, going to "prep" school is normal schooling for them. It is not going to make their future any different. But for regular folks, this could be an opportunity to get connection and eventually be "rich". I met some rich friends. Honestly, they're nice people, but we still eventually drift apart because I just cannot keep up with their "normal" but my "too expensive" lifestyle.
I missed the portion on future planning. So basically when they finish all those schoolings,, their future is either predecided on a certain path by their family, or they simply don't need to worry and can do whatever they are passionate about without worrying about the bills. But for most of not so connected people, finding out what to do for a living is difficult. Honestly doing what you love and making a decent living is definitely a privilege and need a bit of luck as well.
This Is How New Yorkers Dress, HomeLess Fashion...
I was always told that “old money” families dressed in neutrals because they understood that being ostentatious would agitate the lower classes, who might threaten to disrupt the hierarchy.
It's because black, white, red, and sailor outfits all have a significance to do with their heritage (illuminati heritage). These favorite colours and themes are represented in the propaganda offered in fashion, housing and car colours available for the public.
@@deannatroy8113 can you explain further???
@@deannatroy8113 Girl, what? Don't explain conspiracies as facts. Young and gullible people might believe you.
Old money doesn't feel the need to show off because they have a long lived family reputation. There's just certain family names you hear and others know they're old money families - example: Rockefeller, Kennedy's, Vanderbilt, etc. They wear casual and neutrals because don't need to prove anything. New money feels like they have to prove their status/wealth, so they'll buy ugly gaudy brand name shit to scream it, so their desperation looks obvious.
@@deannatroy8113 Sailors outfits were invented not to fucking die, not for some bloody bAVARIAN cult. No Bavarian has ever seen the sea ever, and they have yet to invent seeing a sailor
The Kennedys were considered nouveau riche amongst east coast social circles. Jackie’s step father Hughdie Auchincloss was from old money thus giving the Kennedys more credibility through marriage.
They already had credibility before JFK's marriage. His sister was a Marchioness and married into one of England's top families. Jackie's stepfather (or any WASP family) wasn't topping a literal Marchioness. Considering how all old money just basically copied British aristocracy.
To old money, the fact that the Kennedy’s wealth only went back a couple generations, could never be changed by a relation marrying into old money and getting a title. It was a thing for nouveau riche, super wealthy American women basically being sold by their parents into poor European Aristocracy via marriage. One gets a title and the other gets an infusion of cash. But the sigma would always remain. Just like the stigma that the Kennedys were Irish and got their wealth from bootlegging. Not saying I agree, but just this is how it would be viewed.
@Don K yessss we love an eccentric elite moment
@@grannyweatherwax8005 Well that doesn’t really make sense. It absolutely did change “old money” people’s view if a person married an aristocrat. The actual old money with titles and actual generations of blue bloods beat out the waspy people who came over on the mayflower who were poor. There’s a reason why Mrs. Astor and other people changed their tune and had to allow people with titles in their social circles.
@@bbybella9937 The point is yes, aristocrats would be allowed into the drawing rooms that 'new money' were refused entry to, but the owners of those drawing rooms remembers very succinctly how that title was earned. A marchioness by marriage is not the same as an Earl's daughter.
I think a lot of people, that dress "old money rich" or "classy rich" and aren't, end up looking like the staff of the ultra rich. I briefly worked for rich US people, and I certainly did. It was clear that they appreciated the clean and preppy look, but also because I got quite a few hand-me downs and expensive gifts. I carried a handbag that new would have been worth 500+ dollars. "Because M. dear, yours won't fit the baby bottles". They themselves did dress sloppy at times but stayed far-away from brands the masses deemed trendy or rich. Gucci and Versace for example.
😂😂
Aaaaah yes the life of a nanny, myself and a few friends have been there as well 😅 wild times 😬
I’m sure you have a lot to tell, sounds very interesting
Expensive things would get stolen
Growing up in NY and Long Island I can say all of this is so true til this day. I have some old money relatives via marriage and I can say their style is very basic with great fabrics, designers you wouldn’t know unless you know lol. I still remember when I was a teen and my aunt told to look to the models and those who run in certain social circles. They hardly wore bright nail polish but had immaculate nails, their hair was never too trendy, they wore certain bright colors but not others, they wore simple clothing that looked clean, they wore certain brands or carried inherited accessories… they even frequented certain beaches and towns that you only had access to if you knew certain people or were invited. It was so different than the NY I grew up knowing that focused on working until you drop lol. I really don’t think people understand just how different old money families operate, they even shop differently- i.e a few times a year via private shoppers or personal connections to designers/shops. Everything must be exclusive.
What do you mean by only certain bright colors? I’m a painter, so, I love color theory and symbolism. I.d love to hear you explain this one to me.
Yes this is so true. I grew up in the richest neighborhood in my country (Denmark) in Scandinavia, and the part you explain with exclusivity is so true. Most of the people who live here, have inherited everything from their ancestors, so it’s mostly old money people. Of course designer brands like Balenciaga and Balmain were super popular, and Isabel Marant was a top favorite, but there always had to be this sense of exclusivity to it. I remember how all the popular kids would always have connections, through their families, to some artist or some locally famous designer and how they got some “custom” graduation gift from these people, that was made specifically for them - and people thought that was super cool. It didn't even have to be anyone famous, It could also just be pretty local or just someone nationally known. There was even this girl who got a complaint (signed letter with a royal stamp and everything) from the Queen Of Denmark, for partying too loud, because her apartment is right next to the royal castle. Then there was an Italian kid in my class who’s family owned a small island in Italy from centuries ago. It’s really all about having prestige connections and the “right contacts”.
I went to private school and had to wear uniform similar to Blair Waldorf and I was only in Elementary and middle school.
@@kamilyakadyr7063 the delusion of rich people will never cease to amaze me
@@sisifyme I would say some were delusional, others weren't. There were some kids with rich parents who were actually genuinely nice, humble, pretty invested in education and understood their privilege. I've come across people with no money who seemed pretty delusional as well but in a different way, it just depends on the people.
It’s crazy to me that this was published 6 months ago, and this aesthetic is already out and replaced with the “clean girl”
I hate clean girl aesthetic, it's so boring lol
@@caitlingill trueee lol
Update: it came back girl😭😭 because of Sofia Richie
@@kiyah4581 sophia richie is the epitome of the old money/quiet luxury aesthetic lmao. she's not a clean girl imo.
@@timepasstubee She's saying old money aesthetic came back because of Sofia Richie.
I love the „old money“ look but people definitely forget that most inherited wealth was made through SUPER harsh and exploitative labor conditions, union busting, and slavery
I was just saying that as I was watching this! I could care less about liking the aesthetic but when people confuse a less overt dressing style with being "better" than a more overt one it must be noted how many people were, and still are, being trampled over to maintain that money. Along with how they could be to this day with their more conservative views on race, class, gender etc
Yeah like how do y'all think the money *got* that old🤡
Wealth today is still made by exploitation, both of people and the land. An influencer who makes money off of wearing a certain brand's clothing makes money off of Asian workers earning a ridiculous wage and working long, long hours, as well as off environmental pollution caused by that brand's production. If an influencer shows off any kind of electronic gadget, a car etc. chances are it was made is China, perhaps in a so called reeducation camp, with rare earth elements that may have been mined by children. There's no way to know for sure. There's no way to get wealthy in a "clean" way without stealing from other humans or polluting nature (see bitcoin mining).
@@HankaAAR Different, show, same schtick
This!!!
I grew up in the Silicon Valley and I think a huge aesthetic within the “new money” community is tech giants. They’re emulating the old money in a way by dressing very casual and understated, but it’s all about tech gadgets and expensive athleisure. Think Apple Watches in Hermes bands with a full Lululemon set. The richest people lived in a specific area I would sometimes frequent, and it almost felt like there was a uniform going on of expensive athleisure paired with the latest tech gadgets. Oh, and they’re always driving Teslas~
You’re not wrong! When I lived in SF I developed an obsession with lululemon, Patagonia, more brands like that. Don’t know why but I managed to get my hands on a couple of items. Now I know why by reading your comment lol
Absolutely true. Shout-out to everyone who grew up Silicon Valley and is still scared to wear bright colors.
I am from SF and I as a reaction to that, I can't stand the Silicon Valley aesthetic. No Lulumelon or especially Patagonia or anything fleece!
Tell me about this! Near the Microsoft headquarters has an older generation of “new money”. It’s all about Teslas, apple watches, and who’s friend has a yacht to hang out on during the summers. Newer new money are those in Seattle, thanks to Seattle transplants who work for Amazon and Google. Some of these come from the older “new money” who’s parents worked for Microsoft in the 90’s.
@@BeautifulDreamerK i grew up poor in a super wealthy suburb of seattle and it was def all Microsoft kids. In 2012 they all had the first iPhones, North Face windbreakers, Lululemons, and uggs. Also Nordstrom and Abercrombie. That was the uniform lmao. That was honestly when I first became aware of class, I would get home and look up the brands and feel so hopeless at how much they cost, it changed the way I saw them like, I would stumble over my words when talking to those kids.
The fact that the female side of the "old money" esthetic was born from a desire to look "smart" and not sexualize yourself makes it seems alot more appealing to me. Under normal circumstances if someone told me I dressed like a rich white lady id be deeply offended but I am down to appropriate the look of a 50s/60s era college girl attending some prestigious school and trying to change the world.
At the same time, it’s kind of fucked up that dressing “feminine” was so undesirable and looked down upon during those times. I do love the preppy style, but I don’t like the idea that you can’t be both smart and feminine simultaneously.
@Don K your mom is my fashion icon
I think the ideal aesthetic was also supposed to be virginal, as many young women at those universities were socialized to be the property of a wealthy husband upon graduation. Their education made them suitable upper-class, stay-at-home wives and mothers. Women were not even legally permitted their own bank accounts until the very late 1960's.
@@melinaritter Yees, l think same
In that respect l like film Legally Blonde (it's comedy of course) but i love how Elle stayed faithful yourself and your style
Or you can remember Gloria Steinem, feminist who dressed as she liked
@@melinaritter Totaly agree, that is very sexist actually. Looking boyish to look "smart".
Concerning the line about how "real rich people" just mend old shoes, it's worth mentioning that to me "mendable" a shoe has to be of good quality to begin with. A cheap shoe that looks like an old fashioned "dark academia" shoe cannot, usually, be mended and will fall apart relatively quickly. Same goes for clothes. And this is part of the inequality structure: when you're not wealthy, you need to buy more often. It's cheaper to be rich than it is to be poor.
nice!!
Exactly! It’s like terry pratchett’s boot theory: “ The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”
@@florriefightingale5161 Pratchett was a very valid author and he was taken away from us too goddamn soon.
amazing
YES
As a Canadian, the fact that you can get into a university because your parents went there is ABSURD to me. Like, dystopian alternate reality absurd
The fact universities even exist is already dystopian
@@strad404 I'm genuinely curious, can you please explain me why do you believe in this?
@@lizzycheek250 It’s nuanced, but I’ll explain it to the best of my ability. Most colleges profit off of people who cannot afford it. Society thinks of people who do not attend college to be failures when that’s not true, in fact it puts most in debt, thus creating the “failures” people go to college to not become. Not to mention, a lot of what academia acknowledges as fact is usually white-washed/false. Universities started off like it was stated in the video, a place for rich kids to hang out. Now they are either places for rich kids to hang out or for other rich people to continue to profit off of poor people.
@@strad404 I don't know where you live but you do realize many countries around the world have free universities? Many of them don't even ask for a tuition at all. State funded universities are affordable to everyone. I just think that this is a very American-centric take, and yeah that's why I think the fact that universities exist is not dystopian when most people in other countries can get the same degrees without drowning themselves in debt
@@yaelvacacenteno1382 that’s very interesting you assume I’m American when a large portion of the world does this as well. I just think that’s a very White Europe-centric take. Let me just put some facts out here about “free” university: Governments are in charge of those Universities, they hurt low income students the most as they accept a limited number of students to the point where researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research stated “the gap in degree attainment between high- and low-income students more than doubled,” most students drop out or fail in the first year, the taxes are SO MUCH HIGHER for normal people to pay and tuition costs so much for countries they have had to decrease resources for the students.
I read this in 'Rich People Problems', that the reason old money like to pick on the new money is actually deeply-rooted and hidden insecurity and distorted inferiority complex. Old money might feel a little uncomfortable, as unlike them, new money actually earned their wealth themselves, which makes the former wonder if they deserve their wealth.
right on the nail.
I know this is mostly about clothing but imo jewelry plays a huge part in the old vs new money aesthetic. I think old money people are likely to have classic, understated fine jewelry that can instantly elevate casual preppy looks. I've seen new money influencers on red carpets with either no jewelry or cheap jewelry. On the other hand I think new money men are likely to buy flashy, over the top jewelry that can give off the same off-putting vibe you talked about
very true! jewelry plays a key role in the old money look and style, like the scene in movies where the child of old money goes to an exclusive jewelry shop with vip access. only a minority of people can emulate that lifestyle.
True old money is one dainty necklace and some tiny studs. New money is like four layered dainty pieces, multiple piercings with tiny studs, layered cartier bangles, and lots of rings
I find it interesting that there is never any talk of the "old money" of non-Western societies, which also exists quite a lot, and is usually even more "hidden", as in India, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, Lebanon, even some parts of South America like in Brazil (well, South America is part of the Occidental world mostly of the time too), etc
As a Turkish person, i have absolutely no idea about the old money in this country. I've never heard of these families and have never seen them in news. They're so hidden away. You see the edges of their acres and acres of lands and hear about their private islands, but that's about it. Then again, I don't have social media so maybe I'm just extremely out of the loop about this.
i'm from ecuador and my school is very much for the old money people (i'm def not one of them lol) but it's crazy all of my classmates come from extremely "respectable" families that have been rich for generations, they own hotels and businesses that have been around for decades. not-surprsingly they're all white/white passing and all are directly in touch with their european ancestors. most of the things said in this video also apply for them. all of the rich families have been friends forever, the kids all attend "rich" extracurricular activities like polo, horse back-riding, tennis, etc. they all own country houses (here they are called haciendas) that are extremely old but very historically valuable. in fact one of my classmates is actually related to one of the men that lead the ecuadorian independence, not surprisingly she is loaded lol. also the "legacy acceptance" thingy is also very predominant. almost all of if not every single kid's family has attended the school for generations. my mom went to the school cause her dad was friends with someone from the school board so that's pretty much why i got accepted too.
Its the same way in Europe, especially in Germany considering privacy is important to many Germans.
Indian zamindars, old landlords, royal families that were once connected to kings and later to colonizers exist, but I have never really heard about them in public. Other than that, yes, old money-new money still exists. Like, I studied in a posh school despite coming from a humble background - wasn't treated well by the classmates, and there was a key diff between old money(who had wealth for at least 3 gens), and new money - they both stayed apart and didn't like each other. However, propensity towards flashy stuff also depends on culture/where person is from bc some regions are about showing off, others consider it cheap. The school had old royal family members in their board and students as well, but it didn't make a diff. Well, we also had uniforms so it was very hard to decipher on the fly who was new/old money/poor in the first glance.
@@x_slaughotto_x3129 But I was referring to non-Western societies, Germany is part of the world and Western culture
I grew up poor in an old money town. Those people are just as nasty as you can imagine any new money ever being. The difference is the old money does it with ice, new money with fire. Either way you're left with burns.
As someone that grew up in the very class-obsessed UK, I always found the "nonchalance" of the upper classes utterly fascinating. Truly, the richest girls wore the most BASIC clothing, and had the messiest hair. Rich boys would literally wear decrepit, torn sweaters, then go and spend 300 pounds on coke.
Damn, the rich class do NOT need to do anything to show off their wealth, and still highlight their presence anywhere 🤦🏻♀️
and yet their accents are what drip wealth. i assume the intention is to embody it, to suggest it's a part of their core identity that they can't just take off and wash at the end of the day.
Rah got any baccy
Really weird to me and beyond of my comprehension that people that did NOTHING to gain wealth but inherited it look DOWN on people that EARNED wealth themselves. I don't understand why do we glorify these snobbish hypcrite lazy people and insult those who got what they have by their own and now simply enjoying life. I am not logo-person but who am I to judge those who love? Let them wear what they want.
My mother grew up in a very poor family, as one of 9 children in a war-torn country with a HUGE wealth divide (lots of very very wealthy and very very poor, rampant inequality in terms of safety, quality of life, etc). My mom often told me a story (to emphasize to me the importance of appearances) about how one of her sister's (my aunt's) class at school was made to greet soldiers coming home and the teacher told my aunt that she will be in the front because she looks rich (to this day my aunt is meticulous about hygiene, grooming, her clothes being clean and looking nice, etc.) And told the very very very wealthy girl in the class that she doesn't dress as nice so she will not be in the front.
My aunt is the same way. When I was young, my aunt and I went to a sporting event. We were both dressed to the nines. She shows the usher our tickets and without a word we're excorted to the VIP section. We did not have VIP tickets. We're very much not rich. By all standards we should not have been allowed there but because of the way we dressed we were.
honestly the difference of “west coast and east coast” rich definitely gives me west and east egg vibes from the great gatsby. that even tho they both equally have large sums of money, each sides judges each other from how they got their money (as in old or new money)
that's literally their entire point
"New money" is derided for being based on labor -- trade and merchant classes before, and athletes, celebrities and tech moguls now. "Old money" is based on land owning and slavery. They look carefree because they literally do not work. Sure, new money can sometimes be gauche, but I'd rather someone exploited their appearance and/or talents to make money, rather than benefit from generations of colonization, slavery and abuse.
New money is just as bad…
@@jacqeulinebourbon3618 honestly if we're talking about how they get there, then new money are definitely far more diverse and grey than old money. old money exploit, benefit from exploitation, or both-but they've never been exploited themselves. there are absolutely new money types who are also like that, but some other new money like athletes: they tend to be the ones who were exploited.
So many points were made.
Er... They work. Not with their hands, but they work. That's why so many rich people lose their family fortunes when some delinquent son tries to live the lifestyle that people think rich people live - lounging around spending money like water doing nothing while others serve you. Rich people can afford that every now and again, but people who hold onto that money for generations have quite a bit of work to do. It s just a different type than you or I.
This is why it's considered very rude to discuss salaries and where someone's money is coming from. If you were born to generational wealth, it feels awkward to start explaining things to an outsider from their perspective.
It is in the finer details. The type of watch you wear , what color nail polish, how much and what kind of jewelry you wear. Also, something you didn't mention was etiquette. Good etiquette in all things- table manners, what to wear to what kind of event, how to set a table, writing thank you notes.
I grew up going to private schools (and had to attend cotillion classes) and my mother emphasized all of these things.
You buy quality once, take care of it and have it forever. You buy basics like neutrals, whites, blacks since they don't go out of style and wont have to buy again quickly. My mother still to this day has a very active disdain in what she calls "trendy" clothes. We were NOT a wealthy family by any means - my mothers insistence on dressing well, going to private schools, etc. came from my grandmother- who was a nanny/maid for a wealthy family. Also, my grandparents were Irish immigrants so I believe looking the part and getting an education was a way to over come their immigrant status, move past the stigma of being "Irish" (which was not a good thing to be at that time) and to create a better life for mothers generation.
thats so lame though.. I mean your mom mindset towards trendy clothes. The rest is cool, but if its coming from insecurity then it's just lame.
omg this is very much how i was raised by my irish american mom, who is the granddaughter of irish immigrants, one of whom was a maid!! i think the kennedys being an irish-american and catholic family who fit into old-money society really encouraged that aspirational element for working class irish folks.
@@jeanneann3545 how so? (clothing) trends are harmful for the environment, fashion development, self esteem, etc
@@jeanneann3545 Yes, it's lame. And human. Humans have insecurities all the time and being an "undesirable" immigrant is very challenging to anyone's pride. Especially a few generations ago, when society could be much meaner than today at the light of the sun. It doesn't help anyone to snap judgments like yours. Life is... convoluted.
@@jeanneann3545 Trends now a days come and go so quickly. I understand why her mom has that view. Also just like what the other person said fast fashion is harmful for the environment and usually comes from underpaid workers from 3rd world countries
I feel like it also ties in with seeking stability in chaotic times. Because the old-money aesthetic speaks to having a robust safety net and not needing to worry like ordinary people about job loss or medical bankruptcy.
Underrated comment for sure. Old money = safety
Interestingly, the Kennedys weren’t considered “old money” in New England high society (probably because they’re Irish-Catholics). In fact, JFK could only enter the country club in Newport as a guest of his wife Jacqueline’s old guard stepfather Hugh D. Auchincloss.
I think people forget how Irish were second class citizens
They were the reasons why the WASPs went out of style. Funny how they became much more prominent than the other old money families and basically beat them at their own game. I would say they actually made the whole preppy/old money look popular.
But weren't the Kennedy's also just "new money"? Besides being from a family that didn't have "history" in the US. JFK's father was the one who got rich.
@@kaylenpeterson5996 His grandfather was wealthy and a successful businessman, his maternal grandfather was also a successful politician. it’s just that JFK'S father made them richer. They were third generational rich by the time JFK became president and now have been wealthy over 100+ years.
@@jordanpatry4099 were the Kennedy’s Irish?
Something I've noticed, especially in myself and my desire to achieve this look is the feeling of inherent value associated with these aesthetics. Old money families don't have to prove themselves to have value, they just do. If you are insecure, that feeling of unconditional worth can be really comforting.
!!!!
I said something similar before finding this comment. I used the look to emulate being intellectually and socially superior as a way to justify my loneliness and insecurity.
That's what it is! My mind was grasping for a similar explanation, but struggled to make the connection, but this point is exactly it.
Yes!!! Exactly
This! I find the style to be boring but the idea of not stressing about money, being able to travel and experience things, have knowledge passed down to you about art, be self assured and have guidance and connections for your academic and working life is sth I'll always be jealous of. Like, these people are the opposite of impostor syndrome.
I was adopted (from El Salvador) by old money in Boston. I went to the $30k a year private school with the uniforms like in the movies. Honestly I never had anyone say anything racist to me. It wasn't until I moved to Florida and went to a public highschool (still in an affluent neighborhood) that I heard stuff about Spanish/Latino people in a negative way pointed at me. It's about class, not about race with them. They did talk about poor people and low end workers, but not as a race but as a class. They did not talk about a wealthy Latino or Asian as anything bad. You were either in the club, or you weren't.
Are they still adopting pls 😭 I volunteer
Basically, EVERYONE needs to stop buying into the idea that an aesthetic = prestige and/or happiness, and also just stop buying (disposable) things in general
nah gossip girl and the prep aesthetic equals happiness
Bruh I cant afford reusable stuff I wish tho :(
@@moc-gamer-pal9061 if you want a tip on that, thrift stores typically have items that have proven they are durable.
@@moc-gamer-pal9061 thrift
@Don K A lot of thrift stores have online stores, then there’s EBay, Depop, Mercari.
Thrifting has many new accessibility channels.
And if you happen to go into larger cities like Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, or Huntsville, find the thrift stores closest to the wealthy neighborhoods.
I enjoyed this episode. I happen to be a former scholarship student that attended boarding school. Boarding schools do exist in the US but they're not well known unless surprise, you come from old money.* There's also a hierachy of prestige among them and they act as a precursor to Top 10 universities/the Ivy League/the Sister Colleges. It was a culture shock (but ultimately valuable experience) for me coming from the inner city to be surrounded by the WASP elite. Based on what students wore you could sometimes get a sense of who received financial aid and who didn't! My preppy classmates were incredibly consistent with their polos, slacks, varisty sweaters from J Crew, La Coste, etc. And conservative the style was because it was hard for me to believe there were 15 year old girls that chose to look decades older by wearing a solid color cable knit sweater with a pearl necklace as everyday campus wear. Our dress code was pretty generous but prints were not allowed. I think track pants to class were also a no but rarely enforced. A pea coat became my staple outerwear and still is to this day.
*There's also a number of prestigious small liberal arts colleges concentrated on the East Coast which are extremely familiar in old money circles but no so much to the general public.
Forgot to add: I went on to attend a Top 10 university in a different part of the country and I noticed I could pick out who the old money kids were easily. But even Ivy League schools have more socioeconomic diversity than the typical American boarding school on the East Coast.
I'm not even from the city, but I totally agree with the "you could sometimes get a sense of who received financial aid and who didn't" part. I went to an "elite institution," and the classism was insane, simultaneously managing to be vaguely insidious and objectively alarming. I didn't go to a feeder school, but a good amount of my former classmates did, and there is definitely a ~vibe~ for those that did.
@@isw_1214 how did you noticed? What was diferent?
I also went to a private, all-girls boarding school for my freshman year of high school, and I noticed the same thing. My family is working class (my dad is a mechanic), but I grew up in a pretty affluent area so I thought I knew what I'd be getting myself into. I was so wrong; I was going to class with girls who could just casually jet off to Europe for spring break or a skiing weekend or whatever. We had a pretty strict dress code but the distinctions were still obvious, especially with accessories.
You are living the dream! I just went to a normal school and always dreamt about going to a Top 10 university. Hows the experience? Did you and the old money students actually mix or did they stay in their circles?
watching The Great Gatsby film when I was a kid kind of introduced me to this idea of there being a difference between 'new' and 'old' money. Because I don't come from money it's insane to me that the people with money have so many rules and drama about the worthiness of their money and lifestyles
I went to an international school and it's interesting to see that each culture has its own old money aesthetic but new money kinda looks the same regardless of where they came from.
What are some examples of the differences? I can imagine that there is an emphasis on quality in all of them
@@nicoletamer3513 my mother is a maid and I used to spend my summers surrounded by mostly old money (and sometimes new money). This is what I have noticed:
English/east coast: the stereotypical old money. Not flashy but very distinguishible.
French (my mother used to work for them so I now more about them): there are two types: the "aristocratic" (basically like the English but the clothes are more toned down, they always live in France) and the "modern". The latest have adapted mainly to not look normal and most of them move to other Mediterranean countries because they save money and no one knows they are rich. They tend to be very nice (in my experience) and they dress like every day people but with higher quality.
Nigerian: they own a lot of land, like way more than anyone I have ever encountered. They prefer more flashing colors but with classic French cut.
Italian: They do spend more money on clothes and they do wear designers ofter (mostly Italian ones Ofc). They usually keep their cars very classic.
Again, this is just what I have noticed from exposure, do not take is at facts. You can find just about anything anywhere.
Et
@@mistressofthedark5775 as a Nigerian, it is interesting seeing this from someone else's perspective. In Nigeria owning land is something that's possible with enough money and everyone works towards achieving that. Its interesting to see that the practice transfers to Nigerians living outside Nigeria as well.
True! Old money families from middle east usually wear bright colors with many patterns and heavy makeups ,its just part of the culture
The Vasser aesthetic looks like they’re trying to avoid accusations of ‘going for a MRS degree’. So misogyny drove them to look more “serious” and “academic”, to avoid being called frivolous. I’m sure it was practical, too, but they weren’t choosing this look in a vaccuum.
an important note to add!
Agreed, which is why Legally Blonde was so subversive.
yeah, they literally had to dress like men to be taken seriously. very anti-feminine, first wave "feminism" if you ask me
This is actually a pretty good point. I had this cousin of mine who was a former gifted child and she intentionally dressed in serious preppy looks that covered her body just so her academic achievements would be taken seriously. To this day, she still sticks to that classic academia style because of her male-dominated field of work.
What I noticed when working with (very) wealthy people was: No brand logos. They dont wear Dior or Prada or whatever. Most if it is just tailored at a local store in 5th generation. At least in western Europe.
with all the respect, that isnt true
@@vivacetan6479 they said Western Europe. It’s true that’s what it’s like here in France. They think Americans are very gaudy.
@@magdalenasamandova I’m not American
@@vivacetan6479 I figured. Are you Western European?
It's the same here in Spain. They wear locally made clothes and the materials are amongst the best in Europe. Here they say that the bigger the horse (referring to a certain brand), the newer the rich. That and manners and etiquette, because it's easy to see who was educated to be rich and who has reached certain economic status later in life
I saw a tiktok in a British school where this guy was going around asking people "are you posh?" most of them would reply "no", then he'd follow up with a question like "how many horses do you own? How many trips are you going on this summer?" and they'd be like "three" LMAOO
omg i saw that it was so hilariously true... at least the first person was honest and said yes
Too be fair, rich does not equal posh. By definition Posh means; "elegant or Luxurious"
In British Society I think the term "posh" has become a insulting word implying that the 'posh person' is Entitled and spoilt, naturally anyone would say no to that.
I go to a grammar, and although it’s very clear who went to a private school beforehand and who is going on 3 trips a year to the rest of us, they’re completely oblivious 💀
Max Fosh on RUclips! The guyy
@@tyrranide8708 no it means rich
Living here on the east coast, I grew up with a parent obsessed with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. Not a year goes by that I or she didn't receive these brands as presents. The preppy style has always been a favorite. As an adult I find myself romanticizing this aesthetic, more and more due to recent world events. Just the same, the obsession with the wealthy is concerning. It's not the wealth that people want, it's the freedom.
@Don K omg I grew up in Connecticut and literally everyone in my high school wore vineyard vines😭
My dad always buys my mom Ralph Lauren stuff for xmas. Im from Toronto and Club Monaco has been a favourite of hers for years.
remind me of my dad (Taurus) who love to wear Ralph Lauren & Lacoste, a former stranger crush with TommyHilfiger (Libra)... They are ruled by Venus planet.. Old money look but New Money life...
I was 15 before I realized that brand names on any clothes other than jeans were a thing that mattered to anybody. Such a sheltered upbringing I had!
This is interesting. I actually grew up what would be considered "old money" (we don't have much left in my generation, but a lot of the elements are there). The main idea that I got from growing up that way was both an outward and inward idea of not "wasting" money. We re-soled our shoes, mended our sweaters, and used our grandfather's tennis rackets. New clothes, furniture, and cars were rarely purchased, and even then with great consideration to "how long will this last" and making "investments", and keeping things as timeless as possible. We wear good wool sweaters over our shoulders because it was smarter to own one sweater that we could take off when hot, put on when chilly, and layer when cold, than getting two or three jackets for all weather. You also dressed like everyone else because it kept you "in the club" so to speak. I remember accidently going home in someone else's shoes from the beach, we never even bothered to swap back and later my brother took them. I suppose it was this way of keeping the money generational instead of blowing through it in two or three generations on fashion and excess like "new money" did. We also tended to be low-level hoarders and glorify our even wealthier ancestors by holding on to all their stuff; my mother would sleep in her great-great-great grandmother's pearl necklaces to preserve their luster, even though she rarely wore pearls herself and preferred an art-deco emerald pendant her great aunt bought in the 1920's. I can understand the idea of not looking too "neat" as well, this was supposed to be your everyday clothing instead of something special and new you've put on to show-off. Neatness was for weddings and dinner parties. Great video.
This is so interesting to learn the origin of prep school attire. Having gone to an expensive prep high school and being extremely out of place (since I did not grow up in the town having lived an hour away, did not have the popular family names everyone knew, and did not come from a family of doctors, lawyers, and politicians), I remember after my first day freshman year, I came home and asked my mom to buy me “bowling shoes” so I could fit in. Yes, I quickly learned that they are called saddle shoes, but I also learned being amongst people who came from multiple generations of wealth, that no matter how many pairs of saddle shoes I bought, or how much money I/my family made, I would never be good enough or fit in with them.
YES i remember i bought a pair of sperrys (discounted from burlington💀) at the time bc that was what was in😂 i always tried to look my best and get other brand name things like nike socks and the north face jackets but i will never forget how one day i casually mentioned i prefer using conditioner as opposed to shaving cream to shave my legs and my classmate laughed and said it was because i couldn’t afford shaving cream.. it was then i realized it doesn’t really matter how much i dressed like them i was just never going to be seen the same and they could tell 😅
As a British person I find it strange that you mention doctors and lawyers. My dad is a doctor, but here it just doesn't carry that kind of 'old money' clout. Nor do lawyers. Doctors and lawyers are solidly middle class professionals, they're basically middle class by definition.
@@user-ed7et3pb4o doctors and lawyers in the US earn a lot of money due to the amount of education that is required and how they help people. They have a lot of respect in the US it’s so weird that y’all think of them like that in the UK
I was waiting for The Great Gatsby mention! Studying the book in school was my first insight into the ‘old money vs new money’ theme - the Buchanans being from generational wealth whilst Gatsby has come into money and is determined to flaunt it. Gatsby was the rich influencer of his time 😂
And STILL my man got rejected by this girl 😂😂 it’s also so funny and tragic, the way Fitzgerald wanted to show how brutal old money can be, despite Gatsby becoming super rich, the old money STILL rejected/questioned him because their understanding of wealth is very very exclusive and traditional, they are so entitled, that they look down on a man who in reality is richer than them, just BECAUSE he wasn’t born into wealth. Its a very ostracizing and pressuring environment. It’s not even about how much money you have, it’s about your belonging and rank since birth. It’s the same for Dan in Gossip Girl, the others, specifically Blair and Chuck mocked him because he wasn’t born into wealth and therefore didn’t belong, even though he would be considered rich and wealthy by common standards.
My daughter and I just had this conversation - what It means to dress “rich”. To me fashion is about style and about enjoying select pieces that are well designed and made. I’m an architect and this is just one of my life principles. In any case I find your perspective really fascinating and a peek into younger generations’ minds. Now I can have a better conversation with my teen!! Lol. Thank you! (Also appreciate that you call out references… keep it smart!)
I like your observation about select pieces. I've come to find from studying the royal family that they dress by their body-type and also their color-pallet/season. Its always rich fabrics and tailoring vs logos or brands. Why would royally ever wear a logo? Hahaha
Hi! I'm an architecture student. Nice to see an architect on here
Thank you for pointing out that whether old or new money, the money these rich folks have was gained unethically.
interested to hear ur thoughts on the “clean girl” aesthetic too!
Tf is that 😭
Like a girl who doesn't do meth or smth ?
Far away from understanding genZ-dressing fancies I will always remember the richest lady I knew [from - allegedly low - catholic french/italian/german aristocratic background (a family-tree that features kings and emperors some six centuries ago is not necessarily low), so this is no WASP-thing]: When I excused for being underdressed during a charity-dinner, arriving not knowing that there was a dressing-code, she looked at the other guests and then down at herself somewhat confused and told me, she did not know anything about a dressing code. Her clothes had been fitted on her body some 40 years ago, and she was rather proud to have kept her shape. She herself didn't care for clothes a lot, nor did her friends, whom she had seen in the same dresses at least for the last decade. And that her mother had always told her: who buys cheap buys expensive, and clothes that one could not wear for an entire life were a horrible waste of money. (And she minded money a lot, because she used her income entirely on charities and not on herself.)
The only thing I learned from that conversation was: Buy ONE expensive dressing item every second, third year (in best case have it fitted to your body) and wear it until the end of your life. It is far cheaper than getting a junk-wardrobe four times a year.
i really feel like people, myself included, really are "falling out of love" with technology and hustle-culture and so many of the popular ideologies of the last decade and i think that the pandemic has also contributed because people have had to put big things on pause right now because there is still so much uncertainty and i do think that there might be big societal/opinion changes coming in the future when the pandemic is a thing of the past, but if ww3 starts then it may still be a while. some other things ive noticed are simpler/minimal makeup looks are more common now, and many people seem to be longing for a world where everything is more real because when your online so much things irl don't feel as meaningful, people want a more in-person life with less technology i think.
I do think it is also important to mention though that all of us watching this video and commenting are kind of in an echo chamber.
I resonate with this hard. Abandoned most social media because of the pure drudgery and then had people ask me 'where I've been' or 'how come I disappeared'? In reality, I'm just trying to experience a more present life. You're definitely able to evaluate your interactions with people better after time off technology. Spot on about the pandemic driving this.
Literally this, everything you said about falling out of love with technology & always being on(line). I think people are getting tired of using technology as a way to escape from their day or to air their opinions and frustrations (result of said hustle-culture, the pandemic). I think that’s an unsaid way people become drawn to these trends (such as the one in this video). I see people’s jaded-ness a lot in comments online
I will say this: my mother worked years in a small, family attorneys office (a prestigious address) and she used to come home baffled about how shitty the heiresses dressed and kept themselves... like they never ever had to bother.
And yes: we’re talking Names and Families here.
Cause when you are rich it's ok. Smt!
Celebrities are literally out here okay with telling everyone that they don't shower. When you are rich, you are protected from scrutiny that regular people suffer from.
accurate because they don't need to be dressed up to be respected because they have their names and titles do it all for them.
@@AllTheArtsy when you’re that wealthy you’re also pretty well protected from the consequences those ‘mistakes’ can cost regular people
@@lunar686 exactly
From my experience, old money ppl are nonchalant because they know everyone. The new money may be talented, rich & successful, but don’t know anyone in the “club”. It’s like showing up to a party not knowing anyone. Kind of stressful. Old money ppl also feel the pinch when they start to be “poor,” in comparison to new money.
I really like how you mentioned this generation getting tired of technology, I one thousand percent agree and feel even though technology is very helpful we are now realizing the strain technology and social media as a whole has on our generation. As a person who enjoys the old money aesthetic, I can assure you your right. The "old money aesthetic" allows for a more simple and relaxed feel to life that a lot of Gen Z is craving.
I as a Gen Z actually am exhausted with my tech but idk how to break away from it
Funnily, the west coast is actually old enough now to have actual old money. East coast wealth that moved there in the 1850s and continued doing well. My impression has been that people act like the old money aesthetic is superior not because the people are any better morally but because it's just less flashy. Less prone to reminding you of your own circumstances than nouveau riche is. And there's the assumption that old money is more philanthropic, but there's no reason to think that's true.
Yeah regulars have a weird relationship with modesty and minimalism when in reality wealthy people just know how to manipulate the masses
😂😂 1850’s old money… compared to European old money that goes back to feudal times or Asian money going back to the ancient dynasties and their rulers 😂😂
Not yet. We have a lot of generations to go…
@@bajabl Rich people do not always manipulate the masses, because they do not always belong to the elite social class. For example, a German economist who owns a large oil company can easily intervene in German politics, but a Reggaeton latino rapper like Bad Bunny cannot control the government of Puerto Rico. 💀
I have a feeling it’s bc in the late 20s/ early 30s you had to hide your wealth because of the depression in the US. Being from the uk I would consider old money to mean land and a title- but by that definition no one across the pond would be old money lol
@@LivBotting I was expecting Mina to mention land and title as a definition of old money! I don’t quite understand how old money has to be to be considered “old money” in the US because the country itself is so new?
Probably the best breakdown I've seen of what the styles preppy, ivy, wasp, academia and old-money mean. Love the history research on this.
We also cannot dismiss the racism aspect of new money vs old money. The vast majority of poc in America can’t be old money because none of us have any generational wealth to inherit.
Yes. My dad works three jobs because he cares about our generational wealth and wanting to pass it down to me and my sister and our future families so we won't have to live like he did as a kid. It's really sad when he misses family dinner and sometimes sleeps 3-5 hours only each night to just get up and work again. So many of us people of color can only dream of a life like this and it's disheartening to say the least.
Exactly ngl, it’s kind of sus how quick people are to shit on. I understand not liking the aesthetic, but some of the critiques have problematic undertones.
That's true. That said, my ancestors are probably first family or almost so. Slaves, yes, but I've got as much history here as anyone else. No money but can't I have the same 'class based on age'? Well, I don't think anyone can stop me!
@@rachelclark6393 get it girl, just start talking about your family and ancestors the same way these old money people do. i am here for it, i believe in you!!
racism does play a role in old money vs new money but this happens in the black community too. particularly within the AA community. i’m not african american but my AA friend told me about classism within the community. the old money vs new money debate in america has layers of not only classism and racism, but also xenophobia and colorism.
My mother is from an old money family from what is known as the “Main Line” in Philadelphia. The snobbishness of some of her older family members is insane. Where you lived, specifically which neighborhood or even as specific as which street, often determined whether you were allowed into certain social circles. Even if you had all of the traits that they valued such as generational wealth, the right clothing/manner, etc., you could be ostracized if you had a certain zip code. Thankfully that is slowly changing, but there are still individuals that enforce these arbitrary rules.
i lived on the main line in the late 90's. it was referred to as the Land of the Green Pants.
That's crazy. Kinda really disgusting and ugly behavior.
My mom is a total wasp from Philadelphia. Ive never heard anyone ever talk about this other than her and her older brothers (my rich snobby uncles). She moved to Toronto when she was a young teen and thats where I was born.
oh my god the main line! I grew up near there- either your family was old money or one of your parents was a professor at a nearby university (hello, me) and although I don't really remember any discrimination my parents said they never really felt welcome at any of the open house events or really, anything
Same on my dad's side. They're usually pretty obsessed with Cool Ancestors, so if one tries flexing with lineage ask them what side their relatives were on in the Revolutionary War if they don't immediately brag about how Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Chester McMoneybags captained the USS Freedom Eagle or whatever after being personally appointed by some famous American general whose name maybe kind of rings a bell. If they don't brag about having 'invested' in the states from the start, then they'll probably uncomfortably yet expertly dance around their ancestors being spineless fence sitters. Bonus points if any Quaker relatives are used as an excuse for not having gotten involved in the war.
New money is about impressing the class you were in and old money is impressing the class in which you've always been
not really no
@@FoxCaps no
@@FoxCaps your welcome
@@FoxCaps you are*
This is pretty true even for myself. It’s not like I’m rich but I’m not “old money” and my mind is always structured in trying to understand how people from my “older class” will view me as opposed to people who were born and brought up in their higher class.
I like the old money style of clothing because they're usually made of good quality materials that last a long time (wool, cotton, real leather, silk) that are more natural fibers, and also better for the environment. I think everyone should be able to wear good quality clothing, and I do personally like feeling well dressed and put together, although sometimes I feel awkward or that I'm standing out in a bad way
me too! i think the cultural background behind the aesthetic is terrible, but the actual clothes are very appealing to me because they all seem like pieces i could wear for decades!
Yes, you're right! Also I am tired of chasing fashion, whichconstantly keeps changing. And the old money style is somehow timeless .
Same as someone who came from a family who struggled a lot financially it feels humanising and secure
oh yes! so true!
The best way I've ever seen to sum up new vs. old culture: "money talks, wealth whispers."
Funny how people treat new money worst than old money even though old money literally has a heritage of wealth that comes from exploiting the poor.
But one i deem ugly and one i deem pretty 😢😢😢😢 wdym
capitalism
not that new money made their wealth completely ethically
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You are literally generalizing more than an entire generation of people. Not all generational wealth came from those kind of means.
i live on the east coast, and while i think "new money" / "west coast" people are annoying and flashy as hell, "old money" people from new england have been brutal in my experience. at least people of new money embrace diversity, these people on the east coast are straight up racist (probably bc of all the wasps) and i even think their classism is more intense. the old money aesthetic would have you believing this is a beautiful, ideal life, and that these people are classy and polite, but thats definitely not my experience.
I had friends who went to those private colleges in the east coast, what you said is very true in their experiences.
West coast also looks more creative, carefree, hedonistic and artsy. It is funny because Rembrandt paintings would be old money, and the new money would have more modern art like Mondriaan. Bit high tech vs tradition.
My style is a bit more European old money/academic than European new money, which both looks different from the American versions. But all styles can be fun. As long as you don't go broke over any of those, I don't see the issue.
I’m from west coast and I had to dress like Blair Waldorf in elementary and middle school
You're absoluctly right. Look at Ralph Lauren, a jewish man from Brooklyn who sold the aesthethics of the idilic world you described, to the masses.
@@annabelleeh i don't think they're being brutally honest, i think it's more them being classist to anyone else who's not as wealthy honestly.
Tbh it’s funny seeing people get mad when they get “tricked” into thinking people are heiresses - literally all you have to do is look nice lmao
Reminds me of that ome story of the girl tricking everyone to believing she was a super high socialite or something similar- I think her name was Anna something , it was hilarious lowkey
It wasn't really about her "tricking" peopling into believing she was an heiress, it was that she lied, stole, and gaslighted people. She was a master manipulator in the criminal sense. That said, I'm sure some of the outrage and sensationalism was about her being a "commoner" and not from money but still
@@roxyoursox524 i think they’re referring to the one that happened in China. She didn’t gaslight anyone, she just lived on freebies for a month and people got all fussy about it. I say don’t give so much free stuff to well dressed strangers.
@@beans7867 and from what i remember i guess she did it for her college research related to the rich privilege.
I used to go to a girls' summer camp in Maine and while I wasn't rich, it was the kind of place where wealthy families had sent their daughters for the past century. It was such an interesting window into this subculture, because I was definitely an outsider there. I didn't really notice it when I was fourteen, because everyone just seemed rich, but in hindsight, this was a very specific kind of old-money wealthiness. Many of these girls came from families where their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had all gone to the same summer camp. Their brothers, fathers, and uncles all went to one of the nearby boys' camps. It was casual and normal for them, just the thing that they did over the summer because that's what their family had always done. They came to camp already knowing how to sail and play tennis and ride horses. They wore pearl earrings every day in the Maine woods without even thinking, because they just always wore pearl earrings. They all went to boarding schools in Connecticut or Newport or eastern Massachusetts, and they liked to brag about which particular school they went to and compare notes. They weren't always trying to be pretty or fashionable, because they didn't need to prove their wealth in that way: the very fact that they could go to boarding school for nine months and then summer camp for two months meant that their family had money, and there was no need for the flash and garishness of the nouveau-riche.
I went to one of the remaining Sister's colleges and it was interesting to see how different it is compared to the earlier years. I went to Mount Holyoke and most people dressed super casual and there was almost a stigma against the old-rich students in their presentation.
Usually this cumulated in grouping them, ex: "the horse girls" were the wealthy students on the equestrian team who could afford to board their horses on campus and almost always wore their thousands dollars worth of riding gear. I didn't know any of them but they were definitely not talked about nicely. Interesting to think this happened despite the fact that many students who went there were just like them, coming from families that could pay a $56k/year tuition out of pocket but were "not like the other wealthy kids" because they didn't dress with the signifiers of wealth
I went to Vassar and the people who came from wealthy families often co-opted a “poor” look with lots of secondhand or “ratty” looking clothes but then would put on their Canada goose jacket over the top and drive a nice car.
@Mary .Mary, wow that's just blown my mind, I had no idea there were colleges with the option to bring your own horse....that's the poshest thing I've ever heard!!
I went to Mount Holyoke, too! Looking back, everyone dressed so casual (including me). I didn’t see anyone looking “old money”. I only got those vibes if the subject of student loans (or lack of) came up. Except for those horse girls!
The idea of Harvard restricting particular social groups from getting in made me think of legally blonde. Elle Woods is the only one who does not dress preppy and most of the other students immediately look down on her..
I remember someone telling me that in the musical they touched on how Elle is new money. When I read about that I thought it created a lot more depth as to why Warner's family, Vivian and her friends, and even the other kids in Harvard looked down on her.
@@corneliastreets the musical is so good. it’s on youtube and i highly recommend it. so fun and bubbly and they characterize vivian and luke wilson’s character so much better
Legally Blonde and Pretty In Pink are great examples of that. Now, of course, if the main leads were BIPOC, they wouldn't just get looked down upon...
Yes, but outside of the movies, that's not the reality. Studying at Harvard right now is so easy, you just need to be someone black, Asian or Indian, be politically of left, and show that you have many scholarships for being a great student. Now, go to any university in Newport, the admissions is truly elitist if you're not white and rich. It's because these unknown universities can be select, Harvard is very famous, they can't tarnish their reputation for being elitist.
"harvard is easy"? "to study in harvard you just need to be black, asian, latino, left"?
That doesn't make any sense, seems like a dogwhistle about "universities being marxist" spook in a way to discredit social progress.
Harvard had that infamous lawsuit regarding their mistreatment of Asian students and applicants. Left? They still profit off donations from billionaires, they don't defend socialism. Unless you think being progressive and less prejudiced always equals left (only "socially"). But, of course, it makes sense that a university would be more accepting of differences and that they would think racism, sexism and prejudices are bad - except, in this case, that they're still classists.
Just because the elitism isn't all in the open doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I find very interesting how this concept exists literally everywhere LOL here in Brazil, for example, we have both public and private schools, and identifying who's from which kind of school is the easiest thing, as the public school uniforms always have the government symbol printed on them, while private school uniforms have bright, loud logos printed on them. Now, I'm referring to schools planned for low and middle class - because the most expensive, reputed private schools where the kids of old rich family studies, they have uniforms that are so basic that you can't even recognize, because that elite knows that their kids would be kidnapped if they walked around boasting themselves!
In Colombia some of the richest schools don't even have uniforms 💀 and for what I've seen nowadays, the trend amongst rich people (in the region I live) is to emulate an European lifestyle in which they gravitate towards more natural/organic and all about country and farming. Wearing hippie-like clothes and using little to no makeup
@@paulaz.flaquer9570 Interesting! Rich people here in Brazil basically have two operating modes: or they are extravagant show offs (new riches) or very nonchalant farmers (old riches) who still lives very luxurious lifestyles
@@zuzuomelete oh yes we have those too, and the narco culture 🤭
Very true. I had an Italian friend who went to high school in Europe and South America. He recounted these dramatic stories about his car being chased by kidnappers and his uncle having to get out the long guns to defend the family compound. He was a second son and expected to join the priesthood so he went to catholic seminary for a while in the 80s. He quit because of the priests’ relentlessly predatory sexual behavior. So I was not surprised when the catholic sexual abuse scandal finally exploded 10 years later.
@@ArsenicJulep at first i was like,they can just get married,( that cathlic priest ofcourse), but now I am realizing that this people are just demonic beings who pray on kids and They would still do the same even if they were married
The nonchalance and classic style discussed at length in your video made me think of The French Girl aesthetic which I find interesting as they are both styles that tend to romanticize while glossing over the negative historical roots behind the looks. The uniformity/conformity of both aesthetics is interesting as well.
Ive lived in Paris for three years now. What’s interesting to note is that the ‘French girl aesthetic’ only applies to two types of people here: people who come from old money/ un affectionately names Bobos And tourist trying to emulate the style to fit in.
.
. Actually it’s something I’m incredibly interested in: is how many tourists come here and think French people dress a certain way: when most French people avoid touristy areas or take months long vacations out of Paris in the summers. What most people are witnessing are actually other tourists, putting on a performative interpretation of what they believe is necessary not to look like a tourist! However, the bobos are in a state of performance themselves. Often generationally wealthy ( as much of Paris is, it is the city of the 1 percent here). But they are attempting to tap into that international understanding of wealth in order to be associated with it. Sometimes they just put on a good show, and are not inherently wealthy themselves. I’m a sociology student, and I’ve been researching individuals in certain areas and business districts to find trends in dress by categorization of activity. Rich professional women: black skirts, black tights, black boots OR black jeans, black usually tapered trousers. Almost everyone of them wears a wool coat with a thin to med lapel and usually is straight and has a ‘tailored’ look. At least in the winter. And for professional wear. Meanwhile, the majority of Parisian’s who are not professionals or obscenely wealthy dress in American styles. Like, they just look like Americans. With jeans tee-shirts leggings sneakers baggy clothes puffer jackets etc. It’s interesting that while the American upper class style is a little more overall flashy and more dependent on new v old money, the divide between rich and poor, old money v professional is super similar. The French style, like the culture in general, is just a bit more rigid. Which makes sense. American individualism is tantamount to our national identity. But also serves as a tool for distinguishing rich from poor. Here, sometimes it’s harder to tell: since the culture is so much more alright with conformity, and a lack of personal expression.
Love the intellectualism and artistic conversations happening in this comment section. Such a great video!
i grew up on the gold coast of connecticut so i'm very familiar with the "old money" aesthetic. one big tell of whether someone was actually rich or just dressing that way was the quality of the clothes up close, especially men's polos. it's instantly obvious who is wearing actual designer clothing vs the preppy style without the generational wealth behind it in real life.
I met a wealthy old man once and I was completely different from what I imagined it would be. He invited us to sleep at his farmhouse (a mansion from the slavery days) and it's been used as scenario for many movies and soap operas here. I met him briefly in the morning, he gave me honest advices on buying more typewriters and starting a collection. He died few years later of a serious disease, only then I found out that his father actually founded the entire city he lived on and that he improved the city by investing in commerce and market. He was a normal man, with a gray t-shirt and jeans,his t-shirt wasn't even ironed properly.. I should've taken him more seriously. Sorry Marcus and thanks for your advice
There's something dark to me about using former plantations for movies. Those are sites of literal horror and dehumanization of people. But then people hold plantations weddings (disgusting) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
@@cutiepiemania45 dude, is same as egipt or literally any pretty and big old construction...
@@cutiepiemania45 I have an issue with plantation weddings (except when it's black folks/people of colour having them, if they ever have them there), but using those places as movie spots it's not bad per se, specially if it's a movie that condemns slavery and it's bases. I don't know, showing the horrors of slavery and painting the white slavers as the ignorant and red handed monsters that they were, without it being exploitative, it's good.
I loved this video, thank you for it! "Old money aesthetic" has always been my favourite. it is exceptionally difficult to do because it is so subtle. I used to work at Harrods in London, and I could tell immediately who was old rich and who was new rich. Old money doesn't try; it has nothing to prove; it has no sense of its own privilege; and they would be far more picky with their purchases. New money wants everyone to know about their wealth, and they'll be more quick to part with it: because for them, it's the enjoyment of simply having the money to spend. The nonchalance of the old rich comes from a security and knowing that this deep pot of generational cash will be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the week and year and decade after... so why rush?
I think you're spot on.
Mina, have you watched Ouran High School Host Club? Granted, it is an anime so it's obviously with a Japanese lens, but it's one of those classic "poorer scholarship student" rubbing shoulders with generationally wealthy students storylines. There's one episode where the main rich kid is shocked at how Haruhi (the pleb) makes her own lunch every day. Which A) is also a complex that Japanese kids can have if their mom is too busy to make them lunch and also B) is honestly probably a thing bc when you're that wealthy (old or new) you can afford a personal chef to cook all your meals.
15:02 I completely agree. As a poorer relation who still hangs out with cousins from the branches of the family that managed to keep their money after all these generations, I love them because they’re actually good to me and treat me the same as any other family member but the shit the comes out of their mouth sometimes shocks me and I have to double check the year to make sure its the 2020s and not 1920s.
I had a friend with an "old money" family (that was new money 70 years ago) and it seemed they had a massive emphasis on quality. They bragged more about having cashmere sweaters that lived well for years than brands
70 years is not old, it's about generational and land-owning wealth going back hundreds of years
@@nicoletamer3513 USA "old money" can't go back up to hundreds of years, they are just 250 years old.
@@nicoletamer3513 70 years is generational. That could be like 3 generations lol
OMG OMG i’m currently a senior at one of the seven sisters colleges and it’s fascinating to learn that some of these big money prep aesthetics got their start at a seven sisters school is hilarious to me but also makes SO MUCH SENSE. there’s definitely been more of a push for alternative fashion, likely because a LOT of attendees for at least a couple of the seven sisters colleges are queer, but there’s also still a lot of old money aesthetic, even amongst the queer students. cable knit, argyle sweater vests, tennis shoes, straight leg pants, khaki, subtle designer wear (SO much balanciaga), pearls, cardigans, it’s EVERYWHERE here. a cashmere sweater over a button-up shirt with either blue jeans or khakis is the unofficial uniform of rich WASP students here. even the less wealthy students are all over dark academia and cottagecore aesthetics. old new england money really is something else. there’s a reason equestrian is the most popular sport over at mount holyoke
"Legacy applications" reminded me of the way some of my country's recent prime ministers and their decendants (who will sooner or later enter into politics too), got to study in Harvard, Yale, etc, even if they were caught cheating in their senior high school exams. Financing post graduate programs and univeristy chairs on these fine institutions also helps greatly.
Smh this is all insanity lol. Take it from someone who grew up surrounded by old money (I'm the poor relation lol), this is not something to aspire to, none of them are happy. They are the most miserable people and will ALWAYS find a way to exclude newbies. It isn't even about money, breeding is all that matters. I'm extatic that gen z is getting over the crass new money crowd, but you can do that without emulating the most oppressive people in America.
I agree. And, eerily enough, I had a similar sort of upbringing to you; surrounded by old money families but was not of old money myself, well...not for long (long story there. I actually do come from a lineage that has old money ties...but due to abuse, was pulled back from said parent and never saw them again past preschool.)
I wonder how many in the old money families have experienced some form of abuse, too, especially emotional abuse and sadistic forms of discipline? That that was rife in my family, along with esoteric teachings and interest in certain occult practices. The more I saw, the more really unnerving behaviors I started to see in some of the surrounding families, too.
Or maybe this sort of crap is equally prevalent among all families, regardless of socioeconomic status.
But yeah, I have no illusions about these families and don't think for a second that they are superior to anyone. No.
(Aesthetically I do like earth tones and simple, high quality wares. I think it makes sense from a get-away-from-fast-fashion standpoint. Outside of that, old money families undoubtedly have a lot of skeletons in their closests...)
@@kpaxian6044 You made curious. I would like to read a book about your life and what you have seen. As fiction, I mean. I wouldn't want you to expose yourself.
@@kpaxian6044 what do you mean with occult practices, are they worshipping satan?
I hope its okay to ask feel free not to answer
Relax its just a style of clothing
I’m on the poor side of a new money family and I’m convinced all rich people are miserable
My mother grew up in an old money mansion while my dad was new money. I ended up growing up the same way as my mom did and I can tell you that the difference between new money trying to be rich is very visible to old money. It's in the grace and how you hold yourself. There was something my maternal grandma always said "being truly rich is when someone's eyes and heart have been fed enough to not seize everything they can seize" and I think that pretty much sums it up. It's also in how you respond to different situations. Being loud, lavish parties, flashy clothes, and revealing your skin is considered new money. A lot of it is rooted in purity culture.
Being part of a former noble family, our aesthetic was more looking like a farmer all the time.😂
@@Naikomi603 lmfao true
Are you adopting 😭😭😭😭😭
Another interesting thing that happens with old money is that it's associated a lot of the time with intelligence and being culturally versed which in turn adds a layer of classicism and elitism to the already classicist and elitist academic field
living and growing up in a “old money” town i think this is honestly a huge issue because it is so completely divided. my town in on a hill the higher up you go the more mansions, property’s and clubs you find. but living at bottom you find yourself day dreaming a lot being surrounded by this ideal life that you could have had in this old college town ??? it’s honestly depressing
You have to do a dive into Gilmore Girls fashion!! Early 2000s that some how combines small town with old money prep looks because of the mix of social experiences!
I used to dog walk for several wealthy clients and something I noticed… Old money people almost always have two dogs that match. Usually two of the same breed (labs, bulldogs, golden retrievers, Great Pyrenees were popular). Also, that messy nonchalance while wearing discreetly expensive clothing is very real. They walk out of the house looking like they just rolled out of bed, but they’re wearing Cartier jewelry with an old navy hoodie.
on the note of being tired of the same nouveau rich McMansions: yes. I just wish ppl with so much money had better taste! They could own the prettiest home with custom touches like art nouveau crown molding or stained glass windows depicting a scene from their favorite book or anime. Instead it’s the same black and white interior spread across 60 houses lol.
The same complaint was made about the Newport "cottages" back in the day.
Mina's little giggle when she said "the anxiety of being carefree" when discussing preppidom was so precious
“Old money” is an aesthetic now. You can buy similar stuff for far cheaper. You won’t actually look rich, but you can fit the aesthetic if that’s your goal
I really think it's interesting how "Anglo-saxon" has become the word for rich white elites in the US, when in England, the aristocracy is entirely Norman descended. Would be interesting to compare America vs UK for this sort of "old money" stuff to see what is the same and what is different.
And now the term seems to include non-WASPs, newer money like the Kennedys.
@@katyp564 because they essentially beat them at their own game. They have also been rich for about over 100 years so ofc they would include them.
I think titles make it easier to distinguish old money, and keep it pretty static as to who has it and who is new money.
Well, you also have to remember that anything “old” in the US and the America’s is drastically newer than anything old in Europe and Asia because literally American nations are younger.
american old moeny doesn't exist and appropriates protestant blueblood fashion
Old money or real money, doesn't matter, they are all the same. They are all profiting from unjust methods. Old money sit on money that their ancestors conquered from farmers and indigenous people. New money is gained from swindling, legal loopholes, and exploiting labor.
🎯 Wish I could pin this
Old money doesn’t just exist in America so like that is pretty much incorrect.
@@moumuooo.o2283 it's the same for the UK and settler countries
Says the guy named Prince
Around 21:55; that resonated. Gen Z aren't necessarily looking for the physical trappings of the rich/wealthy, so much as they're looking for the access to opportunities and freedom to choose, that the wealth brings.
It definitely seems to be escapism, maybe even closely related to money since more people struggle financially due to Covid and have less freedom. Wealth is seen as a sign of independence and freedom so it makes sense to dream about a fantasy-esque wealthy lifestyle.
BUUUUUUT I have to say it feels like a very American thing to me to dream about baroque and roccoco interior and associate it with wealth. I live in Vienna, Austria, and we have a lot of old buildings and palaces. Vienna is known for it and I would never dream about something like that because I can simply visit a palace if I want to see that kind of lifestyle. It's something we Viennese are interested in but just as spectators. And even if Viennese want that kind of interior, they can just rent an apartment in one of these old buildings and go vintage shopping along with some upcycling. My brother literally has baroque upcycled furniture from the flea market in his living room.
It's definitely interesting to see a trend like that from a European perspective.
Yes this is so true. I also think that “old money” in Europe and America differ from each other. I find European old money rich people to be MUCH more traditional and well-kept, but then these are also more humble, and put emphasis on “being common” but STILL presenting yourself in a sophisticated way whether its appearance, culture or your knowledge of the world. American old money’s mentality, on the other hand, seems more exclusive, un-kept and capitalistic to me.
I'm very interested. I hate the concept of dressing rich. Hearing you talk about it is exciting
Yesss. I have some beautiful thrifted pieces that I love that, although not on purpose, look 'rich' and sometimes it can be even stressful to wear them. So I rarely do (which is, of course, pointless). Like, I have no bussiness looking like I can afford things I'll never be able to afford
@@basiatomaszewska9269 Quit overthinking and enjoy your style. Some asshole out there will always judge you because of your clothes. It doesn't matter what they think. As long as it's authentically you, it's awesome
Nicely done! My mother was from west coast new money. My father was "old" money, though his family was old European money. There is even a different class there in looking down their noses on east coast wealth as not sophisticated enough. I spent a lot of time between west coast family and estates my father's family had on the east coast. Long story short both families hated each other. I agree with you new money tries too hard alot of times, yet when a charity needs help, new money seems more willing to help because they still remember what it's like to struggle in life.
And new money people had to actually work for it. Old money people just inherited it
I'm curious were the other girls more like a Blair Waldorf or were there some exceptions,I'm fascinated by how the Old Money do things as if they're a secret society that only includes those who "understand" their etiquette
@@Justacuriouslady from Gossip Girl?
@@rachelnelson8694 yeah,basically one's you could see were spoiled growing up
@@Justacuriouslady I actually never watched the show. Though I know the person she was based off of. She is a bit older but a very cruel and manipulative person. I think there are spoiled rotten people in every class. There are also decent people in every class as well. I honestly stopped following the gossip back in the early 2000s when my cousin disinherited his son. He claimed it would hurt his chances of being reelected. Him having a bisexual son. The rest of the family supported his decision. After that I never wanted anything to do with any of them again. Except my cousin's son.
Your conclusion about escaping from the discomfort of our current highly digital, highly stressed and homogenous world into a less digital world is spot on.