The global used to belong to the elites while the masses had to content themselves with the local. Jet-setting all over the world, flying in oysters and caviar from across the globe, admiring Garcia Marquez if you are not Latin America and hating him if you are – those were the marks of identity of the select few. It used to be expensive and exceptional to have access to the global.
Today, the global belongs to the masses while the elites consider it chic to cultivate the local. The most expensive restaurants in the world serve only the food grown within 30 miles of them. The richer you are, the greater is your network of local artisans who provide your candles, soaps, bath salts, bed linens, writing supplies, etc. The height of chic is to be able to say, “Yes, this jewelry (dress, suit, brief-case) is by this great local designer – you won’t find it anywhere else.” It is now expensive and exceptional to have access to the local.
Clarissa's Blog 
Easy to explain. Those with upwardly mobile aspirations want to cultivate the same tastes as the elite while the elite want to distance themselves from those with upwardly mobile ambitions.
As soon as enough (or too many depending on your viewpoint) people can afford something the elites are into they have to find something more difficult to distinguish themselves.
If I had to guess, I’d say that the next elite thing will be extreme (and extremely expensive) automation and a servantless lifestyle (since growing inequality will mean that having servants will be more affordable for the dreaded middle class). That or some kind of yet unknown or impractical biological modification (not plastic surgery, something both more subtle and more radical).
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“Those with upwardly mobile aspirations want to cultivate the same tastes as the elite while the elite want to distance themselves from those with upwardly mobile ambitions.
As soon as enough (or too many depending on your viewpoint) people can afford something the elites are into they have to find something more difficult to distinguish themselves.”
– Exactly!!
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