Keyword

Ladies who Lunch

THE TYGER IN THE CHANGING ROOM

THE TYGER IN THE CHANGING ROOM

‘THE ACCURSED SHARE’ REVISITED IN TIMES OF THE DIRECT–TO–CONSUMER FASHION ECONOMY

The surplus of time and money of the Upper East Side clientele is mirrored in the quiet and calm behaviour of the store personnel: it is a Veblen-esque type of conspicuous consumption which shows off the privilege of the leisure class: a dressing down of your high economic status, and squandering time just because you can. These leggings and sports bras in muted colours are markers of status and wealth, an opulent lifestyle expressed not through golden logos but mesh fabrics. The group habitus of these women shapes the bodies and local economics of the area, which is densely populated with plastic surgeons and athleisure stores, mirroring each other in the quest for physical perfection.

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Mainbocher & the Decline of the Socialite

Mainbocher & the Decline of the Socialite

Reflecting on the Bygone Era of High Society

A quick Google search on ‘socialite’ will inevitably come up with any number of recognisable faces from twenty-first century celebrity culture. Touted by gossip magazines and tabloids like The Daily Mail, Hello and Who, the term is rarely used with flattering connotations. Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Tara Reid, Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian, among many other women, are just some of the wayward celebrities that nowadays are deemed as ‘socialites’.

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