Singapore ❤️ 🇸🇬 class

 Why do Singaporean people look poorer than foreigners?

On the surface, class isn’t the divider in Singapore as much as it is something else. Looking “rich” almost means nothing here. The middle class is quite mobile here, so there is no need to flaunt how much money one is making.

I am not rich by any measure, and I once sat next in a theatre to the CEO of one of the biggest companies in Singapore. (We had a lovely evening chatting about their grandchildren and my job as a drag queen.) And this is not an uncommon occurrence.

I’ve met and hung out with celebrities, old money, and important people here as sure as I’d bump into old friends all the time. We all end up in the same places without having to negotiate all the time who makes more money (which seems to be the thing in many parts of the world).

Sure, there are still lines that divide according to class, but I will say that they aren’t as explicitly drawn out as in other places I’ve been.

COMMENTS:

freedom to live simply unostentatiously with no pressure to keep up with the Joneses is a peace and joy to treasure

It’s one of my great joys about living here.

I TOTALLY AGREE!

FREEDOM!!!

Only people with inferiority complex flaunt their wealth to reassure themselves to feel good. Singaporeans don't give a damn. No matter how rich or is they go to best foodstalls in the hawker centre if the food if the food is good. Clothes? Please think about what's good in this hot humid climate. Footwear? Slippers and saddles are best.

Because foreigners are unaware that to Singaporeans, everywhere is home. Quite a few times, during a big hot morning, I saw an expat on board the train wearing a suit and tie. Gosh… I thought, “ What a sick guy, obviously he is sweating like a monkey. ” Well, I guess there is a price to pay for trying to look rich. Coming into our home, wearing to look rich won’t impress us. We are not impressed. Do something wrong and out you go. It’s as simple as that. Another point is, that I have seen so many times, a poorly dressed “ housewife “ entering a multi-million 4-story bungalow after alighting from a bus. Finally, it might be because without dressing up to look rich, foreigners felt insecure as they knew there are too many rich people walking around here. Yeap. I guess that answers your question.

That homemaker most probably doesn't have a driving license or she does own a car, with another one belonging to her husband, but decides to take the bus or train because it's more convenient to do so in regard to her destination. She may also think that a bit of exercise would do her some good.

I know one such homemaker. ;)

Wondering how do you gauge one wealth by look? By dressing, height and size, accent, skin color or …? That is something to learn.

The thing is you don’t guess. If you want to know who’s rich, you have to interact with them and get to know them.

Well since you asked.

This isn't limited to Singapore but it's from my own circle and experiences.

Dressing plays a part. From what I can infer, most people wearing business wear are low-middle class. Working. Now even CEOs wear business wear but the number of CEOs+whatever O’s to working class is miniscule. From what I have seen, poor or new money rich will wear branded. Rich people wear very normal clothes. I do the same, it's for two reasons. Very rich people wear very good quality clothes but no brands found anywhere. Some appear as shabby (very typical Singaporean dress style) but they buy stuff in cash sometimes. The reason is ridiculous at times.

Height can't be changed. For size, most rich people have time to exercise and maintain a good diet. So they usually aren't overweight. They naturally look better. I have seen an Indonesia mom with her daughter at the immigration and asked the officer what's the hold up as I waited at least the period of processing four people just for her to finished. Officer was cool. Said she was 60. She looks foken 30. Heck I will choose her over her daughter if I have to date one. I personally interact and know around 10k women from my job previously and she didn't go under the knife. Or she have a very very good surgeon that's beyond the market rate locals go to. But many hollywood people are rich too. Surely they use good surgeons too. She just look very natural (still stand by my stance she is), Just a very carefree and stress-less life for her to look like that. Ray liu is near 70 by the way. But when he was 60 he looks nearly 20 years younger.

Accent is useless to determine how rich one is. Some old money people have accents you would laugh at until you know their net worth.

If possible, most rich people prefer light skin as opposed to darker tones. You never see a rich person go artificial sun tanning. Unless said person is by ethnicity or genes dark by nature.

As opposed to what Scarlett has said above, which shows she probably doesn't have access to rich people, one, rich people usually don't display themselves as rich. You don't have the resources to talk to everyone and know everyone. Heck most people don't even know what their siblings are doing besides cny gathering. Have time know yourself and your family first.

Second is rich people gain nothing talking to “you”. Or a common folk. Lest wanting to spend time on “you”. Or knowing you. So going that route is left to chance.

Last even if you know that a certain Mr Lee or warren Buffett is rich, you can't even get close to them. They have security. They don't go buy groceries in your high level supermarket. One virtually has no common places of interest or meeting chance with rich people in everyday setting.

Singaporeans find value beyond class

You mean there don't Rolex watches, carry LV, and branded goods. Their dressing is casual which is appropriate in tropical weather.

No, we do. We just don’t call attention to them in very conspicuous ways. They all just quietly come together.

I was watching an international news channel covering Kim Jong Un’s journey to his hotel upon arriving in Singapore, the news commenter went: I thought is one of the richest places in the world, why are people on the street in tank tops, shorts & slippers?

A lot Low income families

😂

Most Singaporean are poor, most of the rich people here are the elites and foreigners staying as PR in Singapore. Majority of Singaporean are living in poverty, hundred of thousand Singaporean are living in extreme poverty, poorer than people living in India and Africa. Especially those Singaporean who are above 40 years old and earning below $1500 a month (probably over a million such Singaporean). The reason is because Singaporean are being marginalize by foreigners mainly from Malaysia and China.

Haha, that's because all we own are on lease. With ever escalating cost of living exponentially, saving is only meant for retirement survival. Nothing to flaunt.

“no need to flaunt how much money one is making.” nothing like Crazy Rich Asians? Hong Kong and Shanghai and Beijing folks dress stylish and well.

they like to claim higher classes.

5Cs?

Santos's assessment is rather accurate, at least for the Singapore of 2024.

And if you are going to assume that I'm not a true blue Singaporean by my name, let me disabuse you of any misapprehension. I am as Singaporean as they come. I am Peranakan Chinese, and this means that my ancestors were in this region for centuries. Any connection to China would have to go back to the Ming Dynasty.

There was a time when flaunting your wealth through your possessions was a thing in Singapore. That was common in my babyboomer parents’ time, and usually amongst the nouveau riche. My parents did not give a shilling about any of it. Anyway, from generation X onwards, more people in Singapore became middle class, and you must know that the middle class in Singapore is one bloody big group. And most of us live in public housing. Some prefer to invest in property but still live in flats.

I always admire the confidence of people like you. Bless your spaniel heart. <3