Diamonds are out, Lays crisps are in – and zip-top bags make you look poor

A bag of Lays and a $106,000 watch?

In an age where quiet luxury reigns supreme, the ultra-rich have found new and subtle ways to signal their status, opting for simple foods and seemingly inconspicuous jewelry.

When it comes to handbags, the 0.1% are abandoning visible signs of wealth, opting instead for accessories known only to insiders, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

“You see a gold Rolex Daytona, that’s one thing. You see a Patek [Philipe] Permanent and you say to yourself, ‘OK, this guy is playing another game,'” an anonymous Wall Street banker told the publication.

That Patek Philippe watch isn’t as visible or as well-known as a Rolex, but its price is much steeper, with a starting price of $106,640.

Meanwhile, the world’s richest women are ditching flashy gems like diamonds and emeralds, declaring them to be “very 1980s glam and flashy”.

Instead, they’re preoccupied with “the weight of gold,” according to reporter Holly Peterson, who says billionaires “favor chains thick enough to secure a bicycle to a lamppost.”

“The solid charm necklaces from Foundrae were deliberately designed to hang coins and medallions on split links at the collarbone,” Robinson writes, adding that “gauche display is out” and “a more subtle set of cues and indicators is required “.

What’s more, the uber-rich love to pair high and low when it comes to their food, giving the impression that they’re fussy about the finer things.

“You have to act like the big things in life aren’t big,” Robinson explains. “When you can wrangle people in your flat, serve a tub of Ossetra caviar with Lay’s crisps. Put it like guacamole on the coffee table.”

But while anyone can get their hands on a bag of Lays, there are bonus points for rarity.

“You want the one of which there are only 10 in existence,” British author Plum Sykes told The Journal.

“In England, with Range Rovers, the company invites people to buy them, like a Centurion Card or a table at the Met Gala,” she said. “The most limited 10th edition is the bespoke SV Burford Edition. You can actually live.â€

In the US, cars can also serve as a symbol of status and wealth, although for New York’s upper classes, driving is not always the preferred mode of transportation.

When it comes to vacations, it’s how you get to your destination that counts, with an emphasis on private flying and owning your own plane.

“OK, so you went to St. Louis. Barts. So what? That means nothing to me. How did you get there? That’s the key,” a former Wall Street bank executive explained anonymously to The Journal.

And don’t bring too many ziplock bags, because it’s a dead giveaway that you’re poor.

“Avoid too much chain luggage because when you fly private, [because] you don’t even need to lock your bags,” Robinson writes in The Journal. “Anything you like can be placed in an empty space or in the back. Pack like you’re loading your stroller for a weekend trip: a few bags of clothes and plenty of stuffed bags.

Meanwhile, “quiet luxury vacations” are the hottest hidden wealth trend as of late, according to CNBC.

“Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on extravagant getaways that include heli-skiing in Antarctica or a polar bear safari in a remote area of ​​Norway,” is currently loved by billionaires, the site reports.

Jetsetters prefer to vacation where tourists don’t, the media claims, with an emphasis on exclusivity and privacy.