Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down What Used To Signify Poverty But Now Is A Sign Of Wealth

it is astonishing when we look back at the evolution of the signs of money.

From fashion to food to decor darling, the poor have created and fashioned the style of the rich.

Sadly the rich keep all the coin and steal the style.

If some stogy old dead rich people could see what their generational wealth is buying today... they'd die again.

Redditor Wezard_the_MemeLord wanted to discuss how the representation of money has shifted over time. They asked:

"What used to be a symbol of poor person 50-100 years ago but now literally says 'this guy is really rich?'"

Money has evolved so much over the years. I'm intrigued to see where I fit now.

On Top

will ferrell elf GIFGiphy

"Before elevators were common, the higher up you lived in a building the poorer you were."

User Deleted

"When I lived in apartments, I would always try to get something on the top floor. Sure, moving is easier on the bottom, but bugs and robberies and upstairs neighbors are less of a problem on the top."

JADW27

"Too far"

"Handmade clothes made of natural fabrics. 50 years ago, people with money had paisley polyester shirts and bell bottoms."

zoqfotpik

"Yo. That was me. Early 70's. I had leisure suits. More than one. Navy blue with flared bottoms. Mostly synthetic. My favorite shirt was polyester with a giant collar, opened to the third button. The colors were mostly gold and blue, featuring images of swans. Mostly. Tony Manero would have taken a look and said, 'Too far.'"

SuboptimalButHopeful

Chaos

"Here in Brazil the floor of most houses is made of ceramic, but not so long ago it was really expensive to have your entire house with ceramic floors, which are usually square, so poor people went to the stores and asked for remains, shards, pieces etc."

"Theoretically they wouldn't be as beautiful as the whole floor but this 'chaotic' and 'rustic' style ended up falling in the taste of the rich, today it is more expensive to pay for a floor made of shards than a floor made in whole and large pieces."

ReiDosNSFW

Size Always Mattered

"100 years ago being tan and muscular was a sign that you were poor and had to work all the time. Now being tan and muscular is a sign that you can afford to eat healthy and have the free time for an exercise routine."

jerrythecactus

"Well, back in olden times, a large, fat person like this was a person of power. A person who had money, who could buy food. A person of respect, like the regional manager of the day. Whereas someone athletic and trim like myself was somebody who worked in the fields, and I was a peasant."

KypDurron

The Burroughs...

Giphy

"Living in Brooklyn."

Vast-Bend6076

"I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo. For like 2 million. That same building today is worth 25 million. Guess how I'm feelin'? Dumbo."

beardedkingface

Ahh Brooklyn. I feel like this thought can define MANY parts of NYC. But yeah, Brooklyn is now unaffordable.

fried or steamed?

Cancel White Rice GIF by John Crist ComedyGiphy

"Brown rice. Used to be poor/prison food in China. Now it's expensive (and healthier) option over white rice."

Deliximus

"natural"

"Currently very en vogue in Germany are 'natural' construction materials like clay, hemp wool and wood. I had workers on my house from Rumania, and they were all laughing, because they are happy that they don't have to use this dirt and crap back at home anymore, and now they come to Germany just to work with it again for big money."'

Barackenpapst

The Menu

"Eating brisket. Brisket was consider poor person food. It is the toughest piece of the steer and difficult to cook properly. Now brisket and smoking meats are considered almost gourmet."

Dogstarman1974

"Eating lobster and crab was the same way. They were bottom feeders fit for peasant tastes before it became fashionable to eat."

Blacksun388

Fashion...

"Ripped jeans."

Silvan_Foxy

"I was in college in the 1980's. I wore a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee home for a visit and my Grandma gave me $5 to buy a new pair. (NOTE: Jeans did not cost $5 in the '80's, but there were a few outlet stores around which sold Levis for $10. I wish that were still true today!)"'

whatyouwant22

Shades and Color

Wig Hair Style GIF by Reba McEntireGiphy

"Having a tan and hair highlights. People pay good money for those things today but 100 years ago it meant you likely had to work outdoors in rough conditions."

Anticrepuscular_Ray

Well now I feel super rich! I'm glad times have changed.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Lewis Capaldi; Kim Kardashian
Sarah Stier/Getty Images; Karwai Tang/WireImage

Lewis Capaldi Has Hilarious Reaction After He's Accidentally Romantically Linked To Kim Kardashian—But Some Fans Missed The Joke Entirely

This just in: Hollywood's hottest new couple is Kim Kardashian and... Lewis Capaldi?

Okay not really, but the internet thought so for a hot minute after the two were thought to be spotted together at Justin Bieber's Coachella performance over the weekend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Gregg Phillips
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images; Al Drago/Getty Images

Trump Reacts To Conspiracy Theorist FEMA Official Who Claims He Once Teleported To A Waffle House

President Donald Trump appeared noticeably confused after CNN asked him about FEMA official Gregg Phillips' bizarre claim that he once teleported to a Waffle House 50 miles away.

Phillips, a former top Texas health official, was appointed in December to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery—a division with more than 1,000 employees—despite a background that raised questions. For instance, before taking the role, he had made unverified claims, including allegations about election fraud.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Riley Gaines
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

Trump Just Made A Brutal Dig At Anti-Trans Swimmer Riley Gaines After She Criticized His AI Jesus Photo—And Yikes

President Donald Trump lashed out in typical fashion at former swimmer and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines after she criticized his decision to post an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ.

Last week, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of JD Vance
Fox News

JD Vance Ripped After Directly Contradicting Trump's Defense Of His AI Jesus Photo—And Whoops!

Vice President JD Vance was mocked online after he directly contradicted President Donald Trump's defense for why he posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ.

Last week, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of "America’s Newsroom" anchor Dana Perino and Marc Siegel
Fox News

Fox News Just Complained About How Low Teen Pregnancy Rates Currently Are—And WTF‽‽

During a Friday segment on Fox News's America’s Newsroom with anchor Dana Perino, senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel called a declining birth rate among people aged 15-19 a "problem."

The discussion revolved around new CDC data showing the United States fertility rate, based on birth rates, has fallen to a record low. The fertility rate fell 7 percent in 2025, from 53.8 births per 1,000 childbearing aged women—defined as age 15 to 44—in 2024 to 53.1, according to a report released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics on Thursday.

Keep ReadingShow less