Opinion: Looking rich is not worth it

Looking affluent may be an outward expression of social status, used to demonstrate one’s wealth and power, but is it all really worth it? 

The purchase of expensive items for no purpose other than portraying yourself as a rich person to public society is counterproductive and pointless compared to the practical value of the item, which is about the same as a regular-priced one.

Although certain people need to look affluent in order to do business and build relationships by purchasing designer brand material, it usually isn’t necessary to wear them every day in public, as most people do purchase expensive clothing specifically for important meetings and occasions. 

In modern-day society, faked designer brands are prominent around the world, making it difficult for people to distinguish between legitimate and phony designer brands. This causes the overall worth of legitimate brands to diminish since you can basically get the same value out of cheaper, fake brands that do the same job of making you look wealthy to the public. 

This contributes to how overrated designer brands are since they don’t offer much practical value at such a high price and their job of making one look affluent can be substituted with illegitimate brands that look just as good. 

Another possible downside of looking rich is the aesthetic it portrays to the public. Looking rich in the United States can also be looked down upon, especially due to the controversial topic of wealth.

With increasing calls to tax the wealthy and reduce their power over the country, exemplified by the popular slogan “eat the rich,” according to the Washington Post, one may find themselves viewed negatively in public by looking rich with overvalued designer brands. 

With this sentiment in the country, it’s not always a good idea to look rich, for fear of negative public sentiment, not to mention robbers and muggers that could target you for appearing affluent.

Keeping these reasons in mind, looking rich in modern society is not only counterproductive but also risky, especially in places where rich people aren’t all too appreciated. It’s much better to look for practical value in items instead of purchasing expensive goods based on how wealthy they’ll make you look in modern-day society.