How the super-rich signal their wealth to each other
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Sturdy red curtains cordon off the lives of plutocrats at play. To better hide their gilded world from the 99.9%, the super-rich avoid high-end labels, favoring “quiet luxury" and “stealth wealth." When this affluent army enters our world, they camouflage themselves with earthy-colored cashmere and luxurious suede.
Yank back those curtains, however, and a quandary emerges for the highest of high-net-worth individuals. How to signal to each other where they rank on the totem pole? Today, especially with talk of new wealth taxes heating up on the campaign trail, gauche display is out. A subtler set of cues and signifiers is required.
The most straightforward symbols start with watches. One Wall Street macher explained, “You see a gold Rolex Daytona, that’s one thing. You see a Patek Perpetual and you say to yourself, OK, this guy’s playing a different game." For women, it’s about the jewelry.
These days, gemstones are too go-go 1980s and flashy. Instead, it’s about the weight of gold, so they favor chains thick enough to secure a bike to a lamppost. Hefty charm necklaces from Foundrae are purposely designed to hang coins and medallions on separate links up the collarbone.
The message is clear. Exclusivity brings you up a notch. “You want the thing that has only 10 in existence," explains Plum Sykes, it-girl Vogue contributor and author of the recent novel “Wives Like Us." “In England, with Range Rovers, the company invites people to buy them, like a Centurion Card or a table at the Met Gala.
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