The article raises a good point, but it also frames the dichotomy as an either-or question. In other words, is there no middle ground between buying an Hermès

The article raises a good point, but it also frames the dichotomy as an either-or question. In other words, is there no middle ground between buying an Hermès Birkin bag and dressing in rags? At least in the US, discount stores plus some fashion sense can compensate to some degree for raw dollars and a personal shopper. Where I think the upper class pulls away from the lower class is in access to experience at a young age. Except for very rare exceptions, children are of the social class of their parents, and tend to have the experiences associated with that class.