Affordable affluence
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Affordable affluence refers to a cultural phenomenon where consumers use accessible luxury goods and lifestyles to project status and align themselves with a higher social class, without requiring substantial wealth.[1] This concept is embodied by brands such as Aritzia and Erewhon, which position themselves as offering high-end, trendy, or health-conscious products that are relatively accessible to the average consumer.[2]
A related concept is quiet luxury, where the ultra-wealthy signal wealth through subtle means.[3] Quiet luxury emphasizes the widening gap between the ultra-wealthy and the general public, whereas accessible affluence provides a way for the general public to indulge in the lifestyle of the ultra-wealthy.[3]
An early use of the phrase in this context in a 2023 article in The Cut called "Meet the People Working 3 Jobs to Afford Erewhon."[2] One of the interviewees used Erewhon as an archetype of affordable affluence.[2] It was described as “a way for regular people to position themselves adjacent to the upper class.”[1][2]