Paul Fussell on the Tell-Tale Signs of Class.

Photo by Andrejs Pidjass (Nejron).

 

"At the bottom, people tend to believe that class is defined by the amount of money you have. In the middle, people grant that money has something to do with it, but think education and the kind of work you do almost equally important. Nearer the top, people perceive that taste, values, ideas, style, and behavior are indispensable criteria of class, regardless of money or occupation or education." —Paul Fussell
 
In 1983, the departed literary writer, cultural historian and scholar, published his book, Class, A Guide Through the American Status System. As New York Times writer, Bruce Weber described it: "Mr. Fussell brought an erudition, a gift for readable prose, a willingness to offend and, as many critics noted, a whiff of snobbery to subjects like class, clothing, the dumbing down of American culture and the literature of travel." He was unapologetic in his views and commentary, and completed a well-dissected analysis of the social classes within American society. What tell-tale signs differentiate us along this ladder, from top to bottom? Here are a few of my favorite excerpts from this groundbreaking (and rather humorous) book. It is a little dated, but much still rings true, denoting that most features of class defy time and generation.

INTERVIEW: Dana Thomas. New York Times Best-Selling Author & International Fashion Reporter Reveals How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

Dana wearing a Philip Treacy hat. Photo by Hervé d’Halluin.

 

"The story of luxury goods today is really about globalization, capitalization, class and culture. Dana Thomas has a feel for all of this and more and has written a fascinating book. A luxury product about luxury." —Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek

Brand-name luxury today is beyond what it ever was—from light-hearted desire to dire necessity. I remember in the late 1980s/early 1990s when stories of a few inner-city kids, many who subsisted on government aid, were being robbed (or robbing others in their peer group) of their expensive brand-name tennis shoes. You had to pack heat when wearing your Jordan's. This was also the time when wearing head-to-toe logoed Gucci warm-up suits (often knock-offs) with a matching fanny pack was the player’s choice. Looking poor—even though economically disadvantaged—made one an outcast and even the butt of jokes. This is a cultural anomaly whose roots are deep and growing in prevalence, in considerable part by its superstar advertisers (Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, etc.). If you want to be admired and envied, you’ve gotta look like you can make it rain, or at least appear rained on, and that means luxury brands.