7 obscure status symbols

In some parts of the world, people would rather have a pile of powdered rhino horn than a Lexus

Chanel
(Image credit: (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images))

The expensive SUV, the family vacation that requires a passport, and the causal assertion that you never (have to) shop at Walmart — these are all familiar American status symbols, showing the difference between the people who thrive and those who merely survive. But every culture and sub-culture has a hierarchy, and ways to show your place in it. Here we look at the different ways people let their status show.

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Therese O'Neill

Therese O'Neill lives in Oregon and writes for The Atlantic, Mental Floss, Jezebel, and more. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Unmentionable: The Victorian Ladies Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners. Meet her at writerthereseoneill.com.