A young woman explained how she differentiates between old and new money at her local country club.
Darby Parham, 22, from Charleston, South Carolina, encounters a spectrum of ultra-wealthy individuals through her work.
“One of the many things working at a country club has taught me is how to tell old money from new money from a mile away,” she began.
People with new money, she pointed out, always looked like they were doing their best.
Darby Parham, 22, from Charleston, South Carolina, meets a spectrum of ultra-wealthy individuals while working at a local country club
She then analyzed the main differences in style and tilting tendencies between ‘old money’ and ‘new money’
‘New money is tasteless. It’s flashy. They show off every brand you’ve heard of. Maybe they have some Louis Vuitton bags. Maybe they have an Hermès bag,” she explained.
‘Does this mean they have style? Absolutely not.
“Will they tip you? Yes, in front of their friends, or in front of business associates, in front of people who can see exactly how much they are tipping you. It may be a good tip, but it is not consistent.
‘And again, terrible, terrible style. Usually not always the women; always the men.’
As for the old money, Darby insisted, their style was almost unimaginably stylish.
‘Old money, but stylish. Style,” she served.
“But you might not even know what they’re wearing. Because you’ve never seen anything as beautiful as what they’re wearing. You won’t understand what it is. You’ve never heard of the brand.
“Even if you ask where it’s from, you go look it up, and it’ll say, ‘Oh, by invitation only.’ You can’t even touch these clothes unless you’re a billionaire.
‘That is exaggerated. But you know what I mean.’
People expressed a range of responses, including many who endorsed Darby’s overall assessment
She continued, “It will be custom made, it will fit snugly to their body, it will be the most beautiful, softest thing you have ever touched. When you touch their arm to say hello, when you go to hug them, you think, “Wow, that was funny. I should have paid to touch that.”‘
Regarding the customs of tipping with “old money,” she explained, “They will tip you consistently no matter who is around, and they will be so nice.
‘But they will also deal with it flexibly. They’re going to fold a 50. You can’t even tell it’s a 50 until you walk away and open it. And you say, “They just gave me a 50 or a 100.
“And if you’ve worked in a place like that, you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Thousands responded with responses to the comment, many eagerly agreeing with Darby’s assessment.
‘My boss goes shopping specifically for each season and buys brands I had never heard of before. Now I know the ‘quiet luxury’ brands,” one was offered.
‘I’d like to be old money or new money. Just any money,” a second wrote wistfully.
“I’m what you’d call ‘old poor,’” another admitted.
Others quickly agreed with Darby’s overall assessment.
‘Money screams. Wealth whispers,” one person wrote.
“Old money has nothing to prove, new money wants everyone to know,” a second agreed.
And, as a third echoed, “Old money is discreet.”