What is ‘Luxury’ Anyway?
It is not what you think, or rather, been made to think.
A story cropped up this week in Singapore. A young girl on TikTok took to the channel to joyfully show off her gift from her loving dad — a handbag from Charles & Keith.
She gleefully termed it as her ‘First Luxury Buy’.
She was met with a barrage of derogatory and downright rude comments, ridiculing her for her ‘lack of understanding’ of what luxury and a luxury brand actually was and that her bag was mid-market at best.
Comments stating that this brand was probably at the bottom of the rung, if ever, for anyone even aspiring to be in the so-called ‘hi society’ or ‘luxury’ category.
Some really ‘wise and helpful’ types tried their best to ‘educate’ her on aiming higher into the more widely accepted brands like Louis Vuitton and other similar brands, with which she could actually count herself as part of the ‘luxurious elite’.
No need to be excited over a cheap bag, Dahling!
Consequently, and quite disturbingly, she went back online to defend herself, by describing her family’s struggle with money and that her dad gave it to her with all the love in the world and that no one should have any right to undermine and demean such a beautiful act of love.
And she is so right, although I personally wish that people should not have to justify or apologize for their circumstances, much less to people who really have no idea of real life.
The owners of Charles & Keith have, of course, taken the opportunity to meet her and support her in this encounter.
So it seems to have ended well. You can follow her story here.
But it does beg the question — What is Luxury? I mean, really?!?
We Need to Change Our Understanding of Luxury
First of all, we need to understand how luxury is perceived.
Luxury is first and foremost, exclusive.
Do you actually know what ‘wxclusive’ means? In the modern vernacular, it is something that is rare, expensive, stylish, sought after by many, and obtained by a few. It is the ambition that one should strive towards, as per society dictates. Sounds just absolutely dandy, doesn’t it?
However, the word actually means TO EXCLUDE. In other words, THE OPPOSITE of INCLUDE. No longer a nice word. More like an arrogant, dissociative, and a downright rude word. Why?
Because it is the word that tells us that there are some of us better than others. That although we might have all the same appendages, and brain and hopes — there are just some others who are FIRST AMONG EQUALS.
The most saddening thing about this is that this word is used so widely that it has lost its meaning and put everyone on an EXCLUSIVE path from each other.
Rather than be inclusive, understanding, empathetic towards each person or being just plain nice, as I believe humans were meant to be, it has turned us inward looking and really makes this a dog-eat-dog world.
But I digress.
What is LUXURY then?
LUXURY as It Should be Understood
I propose a different viewpoint.
Luxury is not being able to afford something only the 1% can buy. If so, the rest of us 99% have nothing to live for, right?
No.
Luxury is having the right to make your own choices. Ask refugees around the world, in our current time and space, if they can do the same thing, which you and I can do at a whim.
Luxury is access to water.
Luxury is access to food.
Luxury is access to a warm bed.
Luxury is being able to buy a device such as this, and read an article online.
Luxury is all the things we have taken for granted.
Luxury is a family. A spouse. A child. A sibling. A parent.
Luxury is health.
Luxury is not being in lockdown!
If you have some, more, or all of the above, then my friend, you are in the lap of luxury and living a luxurious life!
It pains me to say that I myself have lost sight of these so simple, yet profound points, that I have become a complainer. I suspect that is true for most people.
The pace of life and the keeping up with the Joneses attitude, has really twisted and warped our sense of reality and gratitude, in that we prioritize style over substance, and popularity over empathy.
This needs to change.
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Thanks for reading!
