19 Feb 2013 17:41:24
It might be obvious, but buying a "fabulously British" Jack Wills polo shirt in Southwold immediately marks you out as different from the bling-obsessed young mum who frequents a retail park to buy a bright pink Paul's Boutique purse. Or so you might think. Actually, argues journalist and consumer broadcaster Wallop, these are both decisions based on similar ideas of class aspiration, and Consumed is his entertaining attempt to understand how we define ourselves through our consumer choices. He does so by making the definitions for us. He names the mega-rich "Portland Privateers", after the private London clinic in which they give birth to Hermiones and Oscars. There's the "Wood Burning Stovers", who pad about in Birkenstock sandals and eat from organic veg boxes, "Asda Mums" and, at the bottom, those Paul's Boutique fans, the "Hyphen-Leighs", who have a penchant for naming their children Kaydie-Leigh. As something of a toff himself, it's impossible not to read a little derision into his descriptions of the Hyphen-Leighs. But happily, as Wallop whizzes through the determining factors of social status in food, family, property, clothes, education, holidays, leisure and work, he pokes as much fun at the ridiculousness of the class insecurity that drives sales of £3,500 Mulberry ostrich handbags.
But for all the interesting social history, and his achingly true observations – taking in the clever packaging of the Waitrose Essentials range, Farrow & Ball paint and Jo Malone "scent" – the general tone of Consumed is detached amusement at how suckered we are by brands. And in the end, it means Wallop doesn't achieve much more than reinforce the stereotypes he has so much fun building.
