I watch and read a lot of finance adjacent material, and there is, statistically and anecdotally, a big old link between people wanting to look rich, whilst not being rich. There's also a lot of very scruffy looking people who aren't just rich they are practically bathing in it. Yet they look like they slept in a newspaper recycling bin overnight.
I find it fascinating. A mum at my kids' primary school exclusively turns up in gucci trainers. Varieties on a theme. She has no job, no partner, no owned property, no car etc. What is she getting from spending so much on those? Multiple pairs too. Almost identical but not quite. But it must be something in terms of self worth and status. She's had some work done too. But I think she looked better as she was.
I've found the more money I've earned, the cheaper the clothes I tend to buy on the whole. Or at least, the more unmarked branding. But usually cheap too. I want a plain black t shirt and black jeans. I happily have matalan, primark or branded but they have to be black, with a black belt with a black belt clip. Before I'd have wanted a logo if I'd paid enough to have one. Now I just want to look a certain way (not at all stylish either, I just have a look that I like having because I feel nice in it).
There's a family locally who are easily worth in the millions and the mamapapa bought a crochet circle thing so she can sew up the holes in socks. She doesn't care what anyone thinks, she's not wasting some socks.
I love the juxtaposition of it.
