Class is cultural before it's monetary. You can give Billy-bob a million dollars- a rich hick, a hick remains. Every class tranche uses fashion to differentia

Class is cultural before it's monetary. You can give Billy-bob a million dollars- a rich hick, a hick remains. Every class tranche uses fashion to differentiate themselves from the tranche just below, while imitating the tranches above. The upper class used to wear fancy clothes to differentiate themselves from the middle class; the middle class started wearing the clothes of the upper class to try and join them; boom, ghetto chic becomes popular among ivy-leaguers. (They don't have to worry about being mistaken for actual lower-class people; the cultural differences are big enough that that isn't a concern). This helps maintain in-group selection with all the wonderful effects it has.