Luxury isn’t just for the rich, says James B. Twitchell. Today you don’t need a six-figure income to wear pashmina, drink a limited-edition coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Mercedes home to collapse on the couch in front of a flat-screen plasma TV. In Living It Up, sharp-eyed consumer anthropologist Twitchell takes a witty and insightful look at luxury — what it is, who defines it, and why we can’t seem to get enough of it.
In recent years, says Twitchell, luxury spending has grown much faster than overall spending — and it continues to grow despite the economic recession. Luxury has become such a powerful marketing force that it cuts across every layer of society, spawning a magazine devoted to spas, cashmere bedspreads on sale at Kmart, and a dazzling array of bottled waters.
Twitchell says that the democratization of luxury has had a unifying effect on culture. Luxury items tell a story that we want to identify with, and more people than ever aspire to the story of Ralph Lauren’s Polo or Patek Philippe. Shopping itself is no longer a chore but a transcendent experience in which we shop not so much for goods as for an identity.
Sharply observed and wickedly funny, Living It Up is a revealing and entertaining examination of why we are all part of the cult of luxury.
Related Posts :
The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia’s Love Affair With LuxuryThe Cult of the Luxury Brand is the first book to explore how and why an amazing phenomenon is rocking Asia, sweeping up not just the glitzy upper crust, but also secretaries clutching Burberry bags, junior executives sporting Rolex watches and university students flaunting Ferragamo shoes. Hong [...]
The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia’s Love Affair With LuxuryThe Cult of the Luxury Brand is the first book to explore how and why an amazing phenomenon is rocking Asia, sweeping up not just the glitzy upper crust, but also secretaries clutching Burberry bags, junior executives sporting Rolex watches and university students flaunting Ferragamo shoes. Hong [...]
Luxury Living New YorkThe distinctive urban experience, New York is often considered the ultimate city. This captivating compendium contains the very finest the Big Apple has to offer. Whether a glinting modern masterpiece in Manhattan or a solidly traditional structure set in the Hamptons, there is an unsurpassed array of architectural and interior options. Home to captains of [...]
Living a Luxury LifeWould you like to feel fabulous all the time, to fully enjoy your life? Open yourself to interior wholeness. When we feel love on the inside, life becomes joyful and exhilarating on the outside. Living a Luxury Life invites you to begin the journey. Live a luxury life!
See Details
Related Searches : ...
