Classism in Clothing?
How a divide is stitched into our wardrobe
I’ve tried them on countless times, just for the purpose of pairing them with my heels to pace up and down in front of a mirror, but noticed that on the inside, along the seams, it’s stitched with purple thread. I hadn’t noticed this in other jeans before, but when I then looked at the seams of both my other jeans, and those belonging to people around me, it was the only pair to have this. So if it’s not necessary, given that most other observed jeans were constructed just as well, why is it there?
Surely that potentially increased the cost of production to change the colour of thread from a typical navy or brownish one along the seam, and despite the Beckham’s wealth, this cost isn’t necessary for something so minute… right?
The decision of the purple stitching would seemingly be unnoticeable, but as someone who hasn’t seen this feature but was fascinated by the composition of an alleged ‘higher quality’ piece, it struck me as strange. But mostly because of the colour choice, according to Daily Mail, who conducted an interview for their piece on ‘Fifty things you didn’t know about Victoria Beckham’ in April 2024, Victoria Beckham’s favourite colour is ‘sunset orange’. So if it’s not purple because of her favourite colour, why else? Maybe sunset orange wouldn’t have been the right call for the style or colour palette, but as her brand, would she not want it to reflect her style, her as a person… or instead as an image? And what does the colour purple represent as an image? Royalty.
Not only does this align with fashion’s hierarchy, but as a British citizen, also the class system she is part of, the same one that benefits her greatly. As one of 12 sovereign monarchies left remaining in Europe, Britain has a rigid class structure that has arguably been so normalised that it is now an unspoken part of the culture. Themes of ‘Old money’ vs. ’New money’ aren’t just trendy Pinterest aesthetics, but valid concepts within such class structures. New money is defined as ‘wealth that has been recently acquired, typically that which a person has earned rather than inherited.’ Compared to Old money, ‘wealth that has been inherited rather than earned’, a reputation, a title, an image.
This idea however isn’t a new one for the Beckhams. Looking back at their lavish wedding of ’99, the couple famously hosted an expensive, but intimate ceremony, followed by a reception photoshoot in purple dress. Part of this same photoshoot, featured them sitting on golden thrones, which made a reappearance earlier last year, when the couple recreated these photos 25 years on.
On a wider scale
The world of fashion has become increasingly more accessible: to people of all backgrounds, all classes and all styles. But does this mean that we’ve completely erased the elitism that previously defined the industry?
The simple answer would seem to be no, with most of us probably considering the heavy presence of nepo babies in the industry, or the continuation of exclusive fashion shows and events, with items that exceed many of our tax brackets. But even in the areas that the rest of us consider part of our everyday style, are they any better? There’s the obvious bias towards high-end brands, the assumption many of us fall victim to that expensive = good quality. When looking for these jeans, I was embarrassed to admit that I wanted a branded pair more than a random find, this isn’t always the case, but often is if I’m being honest. And yes, while it can be true that some higher end products are better quality, again, isn’t always the case.
So perhaps it was just to feel satisfaction with my purchase, that by cheating off the original price but gaining the same value — arguably more now because its rarer… more exclusive — I somehow achieved something more than if I were to have found a similar off-brand pair.
For having built the brand from 2008 to what it is now, although it’s stocked in over 400 stores in over 50 countries, you likely wouldn’t come across 'Victoria Beckham' in your average department store — not in the clothing section anyway. Her makeup brand however, is more commonly found in various stores from what I’ve noticed. So why might it cross a line in clothing? Perhaps with makeup it’s just something you put on as a temporary thing, whereas your wardrobe and your style are more permanent, and recognisable. For a branded item to be priced so high, it would mostly be worn by a specific group, which we’ve seen in celeb street style. This allows others of that standing to give off the same image she presents herself in through her brand.
The Beckhams are only one example of how this concept and reminder of the difference between them as fashion consumers, and many of us as fashion consumers, is still advertised to us today. So much of marketing is subliminal, far more than most of us will ever likely realise, and this has always been the secret ingredient in fashion’s success. How we form assumptions of others based on how they present themselves in clothing, a seemingly shallow approach sometimes, but still one that we all undeniably participate in.
So although I’ve written this from a more critical perspective, I still love my jeans, and appreciate the work put into them. It’s always interesting to experience the awareness of being a consumer in moments like those when I first noticed the stitching, the awareness that although I can see through their subliminal messaging and marketing, I still bought into it just the same.
Have you ever had similar moments when buying new clothes? Have there been any that surprised you?
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