What are the luxury essentials where you live?

#121
Hehe I loved reading through these! Would have loved to know where people are to compare with the descriptions :biggrin:
I'm in NYC and quite young so I haven't gone for Birkin or Kelly yet (feel like I look odd wearing them, they don't suit me at this age somehow) but here's my usual when I go luxury shopping when I want to look older and richer and pretend I'm a member of the upper society (bahahaha it's almost like I'm going on an acting trip each time, very fun to dress up and pretend I'm not even a student since I look older anyway. also like wearing a ring on my ring finger to pretend I'm married):
  • Rolex watch
  • VCA 5 motifs bracelet, Piaget rose ring, a few other thin gold rings I stack (all these I wear on the daily though, they're all small)
  • Chanel CF or Boy, or Hermes Roulis
  • Joseph or Moncler coat in winter
  • Casual thin blazer in summer (usually eileen fisher, I like their blazers a lot)
  • Valentino ankle boots in winter, stuart weitzman over the knee boots or yeezy's, depending how casual I am that day
  • Bally janesse mules in summer
  • LV or Dior scarf, both logos are very small on the ones I have and are not monogram patterned
  • Take an Uber
  • My dog (she's tiny and well behaved, very easy to hold when I'm shopping, and it seems people here like to go luxury shopping with their dogs!)
I'm not local at all but I've lived here 4 years now, experiencing the student life. I feel my accessories fit me and I'm not a huge fan of big logos (GUCCI!), the only big logo on me is the chanel logo on my bag that day if I'm wearing one, otherwise my other items on days like this tend to be "signature" items that don't scream logos but either look to be good quality or people can tell brand they are when just looking at them, if that makes sense. Like the Valentino ankle boots, they have studs on them and are recognizable without having logos.

BUT when I go luxury shopping, I find that the older women often have these characteristics:
  • Birkin or Kelly, picotin seems popular in summer too! If not, then lots of Chanel.
  • Some type of furs in winter
  • Expensive watch
  • Minimal makeup (??? haha)
  • Their own cars or drivers for sure, only the rich in NYC seem to bc it's so inconvenient
  • Sunglasses on their heads? :biggrin:
  • Their dogs, sometimes more than 1
  • Also minimal logos! I find it's the younger members and tourists (especially Europeans!) that have big logos like Gucci belts etc.
Dunno though, this is all from a very non-local perspective since I'm not exactly from here, but this is what I feel like I see! But I do go shopping a fair bit and love just looking around and feeling the vibe.
 
#122
Botox botox botox, plastic surgery. Some women look like Donald Duck
Mercedes, Porsche SVU or BMWs
Chanel and LV
Mini dogs
Chanel espadrilles, Tory Burch sandals or Gucci sneakers
Cartier jewelry
Brunch with lots of champagne
 
#123
i live in ankara, turkey. very different than istanbul which is more brand-based and luxury.

here while shopping in premium boutiques i see a lot of bottega veneta bags, especially nodini. shoes wise a lot of balenciaga triple s and alexander mcqueen oversize sneakers. gucci belts and pochette metis or another monogram lv bags are common in younger women. everyone drives here anything from giant bmw suv to more family friendly volvos.

then again maybe i'm not within the high-fashion circle in my city. i have zero time to socialize in charity circles but those are what i see from private/prep school drop-off and pick-up and random shopping outings.
 
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#125
My new favorite tPF thread. I like the term "luxury essentials" as that paints an accurate picture of some of the lifestyles in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of these have been mentioned above already:

-trying out the latest/best restaurant before word spreads and it hits the magazines
-good coffee, pour-over is popular (lots of places to choose from for caffeine, and it keeps getting more expensive)
-OK to look casual, in fact can show off athletic apparel, but carrying a great bag/having good jewelry adds to the picture
-travelling the world and then posting about it on social media or using those pictures for holiday cards
-salon blowouts on a regular basis
-being an "Instagram influencer"
-egregious double-parking, I guess because they can afford to pay the traffic fine
-private chef
-either an SUV or a luxury sedan or a sports car
-season sports tickets (for great seats)
-retaining child care/nanny once the kids are in school to help with driving to and from school and extracurriculars (probably more common in other parts of the world but a luxury here)
-doggy day care (this may not really be a luxury, maybe some dogs who wouldn't otherwise have company get more socializing this way)
-early retirement due to lucrative investments/company that made it big.

I guess I veered away from fashion for the most part, but that's because the daytime fashion really is casual for the most part, but this depends on the industry and role as well.
 
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#126
I’m in the SF Bay Area (CALIFORNIA) and have a different take.
Drive a Mercedes, Porsche or BMW
Belong to a Country Club
Don’t look like you are trying too hard, so not one successful, professional woman is seen with a Birkin or Kelly, most wear LV, Gucci or Prada
Have a beautiful home with maid and gardener
Ski in winter, travel to Europe
Nails always done, lots of leather jackets, coats, pants, even dresses
 
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#128
HAAA this is a fun thread.
My hometown is a mid size city w a bunch of generally VERY well educated citizens.
The "cool people":
Send kids to private school and parents themselves have a prestigious education
Kids in HS party hard, but also do well in school, get into top notch colleges, and excel in lacrosse, field hockey, or the like
Are not religious and lean pretty liberal
No over the top make up/hair - everything is pretty natural, fit, and lean but not gaunt with bolt ons or duck lips
Shop at "health food" stores/Whole Foods/organic and lean green and environmentally conscientious - even though their gas guzzling SUV can bearly squeak into the itty bitty "compact car only" spots at WF
Patagonia/Lululemon get up
Travel extensively - THAT is how you know people have $$$ vs posers.
 
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#129
I live in an upscale pocket of downtown Chicago away from the lake and tourists. Our neighborhood also contains the highest concentration of millennials in the country, and whether they’re highly paid tech workers or tapping into the bank of Mom and Dad, the cost of living here is a bit different than the rest of the city.

You’re fancy if:

- You own. It’s not just the selling price... it’s so competitive in this area that you either paid cash or waived your mortgage contingency. Also, our property taxes are, well, the Birkins not sitting in our closets.

I’m lucky to be in a lower-assessment building. In some other buildings, the HOA assessments are like a second mortgage principle payment.

- You have a parking space. If it’s indoors, you likely paid $20K-30K for it. And annual property taxes on it too. Added bonus if you have a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, or Porsche SUV parked in that space (but no one really sees your car other than your neighbors since the best neighborhoods tend to be pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods).

- You’ve got expertly applied hair color, lashes (either extensions or lifted), neat mani/pedi, micro bladed brows. Maintenance adds up.

- LV Neverfulls and Goyard St. Louis are pretty common, especially among work commuters. Hermes is not really our vibe here. You will see Chanel but also embellished Gucci, LE Louis Vuitton (Virgil Abloh), and Valentino.

- Chicago’s cold, so your coat matters. Canada Goose, Moncler, Max Mara, etc.

- Same for your boots. OTK Stuart Weitzman and designer lug-sole motorcycle boots are a thing.

- You’re always checking out the latest restaurant. Even if it’s only once a week, you should budget $800/month (not including bottles of wine).

- For jewelry, diamond studs. I see designer jewelry too.

- You travel to warmer places in the colder months. Possibly to your house in Arizona or Florida. Also, you have access to a rooftop club pool or a boat to enjoy Chicago in the summer. If you’re really fancy, you have a luxury lake house.

- Your dog. It’s not necessarily a purebred thing. There are the “good” doggy daycare on waitlists, grooming, accessories, and doggy menus on trendy patios.
 
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#130
Montana

The only luxury bags I've ever seen here (not counting my own) are LV. Those are few and far between. Coach and MK are the most prominent designer bags.

I've never seen luxury shoes here, that aren't mine. Our admin assistant told me she got similar shoes at Payless one time when I was wearing Louboutins.

People in Montana like big trucks, guns, four wheelers, and lake houses. I don't want any of these things. I don't tell people what my luxury items are. My very first luxury purchase was about $800 for Louboutins. The guys I worked with were aghast. If I spent that on a gun set up, no one would've blinked.

I travel internationally frequently. I don't know anyone else here that's been out of the country much, save for Mexico or Canada. Nor are they interested in travel. Weekends spent at the lake, in your big house with your boat is the dream. Totally not something that interests me.
My grandparents old lake house, taken by the state to pay for end of life housing, is sitting run down and vacant. My realtor was trying to talk me into buying it and fixing it up. That sounds like a money drain and a lot of work to me. I don't want to visit the same lake over and over either. I want to see different places.
 
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#131
I can't say where I live but here goes, and it really depends on who you are as your luxury items:

Multi-millionaire - Billionaire Types
Private plane
Home in exclusive enclaves that have the best modern gadgets
Multiple homes elsewhere
Yacht or maybe not
Car collections, yet drive regular cars around town
Khaki trousers, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters on men
Brook brothers, Lululemon and other brands that are nice but hard to place on the wives
On the patrons list of the museum, symphony and anything that makes the city desirable

Other rich people
Tesla or some other hybrid (Prius was a major status symbol for awhile) or a Ferrari
Nice boat that can sleep at least 6
Two homes w/main home in neighborhoods with the best public schools or you send your children to private
Khaki trousers, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters on men
Lululemon and a yoga mat for the wives or women in general
Timeshare on an Island somewhere or a regular two week holiday abroad

21 - 35 ish and living here temporarily
Expensive high rise apt or condo
Jag, Maserati or some other high-end sports car
Guys in jeans, leather jackets, polo shirts or whatever they fancy
Girls in Loubs, Choos or vans, converse, Max Mara, Michael Kors Collection
They shop Niemans or Barney's and Nordstrom has mostly recovered from a buyers mishap

Here the person in jeans and scuffed shoes might be one of the most wealthy and the person with a BMW or Mercedes not so much.
 
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#132
I live in a medium-sized Swiss city and it's low-key luxury. Flashy isn't the thing here, but that isn't to say they don't spend on quality. Overall, luxury-wise:
  • The Neverfull is ubiquitous. I have a few LV bags, but am not a NF fan.
  • LV wallets are also everywhere. I prefer Ferragamo these days, but I do have an LV Zippy
  • Birkins are seen from time to time, very few Kellys. Occasionally a Constance, but all the Constance bags I've seen in town have been alligator/croco and seem to be vintage.
  • Chanel Boy bags and flap bags are a common sight.
  • Gucci is mostly for shoes. Generally, shoes are Italian except hiking shoes, which are Swiss or German. Whatever brand you wear, the shoes must be in good shape, not worn out
  • Akris for more formal work clothes
  • Winter coats are Max Mara wool/cashmere or Bally/Moncler puffer. Except for skiing, in which case you wear some serious German, Austria, or Swiss ski brand that I don't recognize (except Bogner, of course) of as I don't downhill any more
  • Most common luxury watch is a Cartier Ballon Bleu, followed by a Cartier or JLC tank with alligator strap. Rolexes seem to be a guy thing
  • Beautiful, expensive cashmere sweaters are a winter staple along with great scarves. Etro has a lot of fans for that flash of color and intriguing prints
  • Ultimate cachet: having a genuine connection, however tenuous, to Roger Federer (most recently overheard: "we rented a house that used to belong to Roger's sister." Ooohs and ahhhs all around.)
Absolute no-no, a true reputation killer, second only to chronic lateness: any kind of counterfeit. Openly carrying fakes will make you an object of scorn that you might never recover from. It's just not done.
 
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#133
Copenhagen

Luxury here is very understated!
Nothing too flashy or blingy

Celine, Chanel, Mulberry, Loewe, Gucci, Proenza Schouler bags are very common. I've seen very little Dior.
Acne, Balenciaga
Chanel suits
Ganni, Stine Goya are trendy
Long mink coats on the older generation
Blonde hair and minimal makeup and jewellry
Having a house in Hellerup/Charlottenlund/Klampenborg/Frederiksberg
An apartment in Copenhagen with more than 6 rooms (not bedrooms - just rooms, including living room etc.)
A second summer house
Tesla, Porche, BMW - though even wealthy people cycle about town on a daily basis
Buying everything organic
Eating at michelin restaurants like Noma and Alchemist
Lots of expensive interior design + furniture in people's homes - this would be considered luxurious in most other countries but is perceived as practical and high quality here - even students often own design classics such as Arne Jacobsen and Eames chairs, PH5 lamps etc.
 
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#134
I live in a small town in Northern California.
This area is hippyville, I don't see many designer clothing or shoes unless I travel south to San Francisco an hour and a half away.
Michael Kors bags.
Apple Watches.
Shopping at Macy's
Some Louis Vuitton bags mostly Neverfuls, and interestingly enough a lot of vintage Louis Vuittons.
Dansko clogs.
Shopping at discount stores like Ross and TJMaxx.
A lot of denim (Not designer denim) but Levi's.
A lot of fleece and hoodies.

Nothing like my home town of Dallas.
 
#135
Chicago--we have many designer and high end stores-Neiman Marcus, Barney's (in bankruptcy), Bloomies, Sak's, etc.

Downtown ("The Loop" during business hours) one sees successful professionals in designer wear; bags are YSL, Dior, LV, Gucci, shoes are usually Cole Hahn to more upper end; good coats. After 5 or 6 PM The Loop is almost deserted.

Lower Michigan Avenue, and especially Oak Street/Rush Street after 5: the above plus Hermes and many more Chanel sightings; tiny dogs that Mumsy will bring into stores and salespeople pretend to gush over; chic boots, designer sneakers, nice shoes; relatively few jewels (crime is out of control). Those who wear expensive watches/jewelry are not riding public transportation, and usually have a driver waiting for them. Great hair, nails, makeup. A great body stands out, others let their money speak for them. High end cars. Somewhat similar to southern California, but less blond and less low body fat figures, unless...... many older men/younger stylish women on Rush street (what is sometimes referred to as The Viagra Triangle).

In addition, there are so many people clad in athletic looking wear to the point they don't stand out too much among the designer wearers. It can be a really odd mix.
 
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