There’s nothing wrong with having good taste or enjoying a bit of luxury.
However, there’s a difference between appreciating quality and trying a little too hard to seem like you belong to a world you’re not actually part of. When someone’s fixated on looking upper class, it usually shows—not in how much money they have, but in how self-conscious and performative everything becomes. Here are the things people do when they’re more concerned with image than ease.
1. They force accents that don’t belong to them.
Suddenly, their vowels are longer, their tone more clipped, and their sentences sound rehearsed. It’s not a natural change; it’s a performance, and it usually doesn’t land quite right. People can hear when an accent is being put on, and it tends to make the speaker sound less confident, not more posh. Authenticity is harder to fake than some realise, and a borrowed accent rarely fools anyone who actually speaks that way.
2. They overuse fancy brand names in casual conversation.
When someone mentions their “Hermès this” or their “Ralph Lauren that” every time they open their mouth, it’s not about style, it’s about status. It feels less like a conversation and more like a catalogue reading. The irony is that people who actually come from money rarely feel the need to name-drop brands. It’s often the ones trying to climb socially who treat labels like credentials.
3. They correct other people’s manners—loudly.
Pointing out someone else’s table etiquette or pronunciation in public is never really about being helpful. It’s usually about trying to position themselves as the one who “knows better.” That kind of behaviour doesn’t read as refined, though. It reads as performative. Real class involves making people feel comfortable, not embarrassed.
4. They obsess over wine or food in a showy way.
It’s one thing to enjoy good food and wine, but when someone turns every meal into a chance to flaunt obscure knowledge, it stops being about enjoyment and becomes a weird flex. Genuine appreciation is quiet and confident. Over-explaining the origin of a cheese or the “correct” way to drink something feels less impressive and more like they Googled it right before dinner.
5. They drop references they clearly don’t understand.
Maybe they mention a classic novel they’ve never read or reference polo like it’s part of their weekend plans. These things don’t land because they’re used awkwardly, out of context, or in the wrong crowd. The point isn’t whether someone enjoys niche interests. It’s the trying-too-hard energy behind the mention. If it doesn’t sound natural, it usually isn’t.
6. They treat service staff like a captive audience.
Whether it’s overly formal language, forced politeness, or talking down under the guise of “good manners,” this behaviour often reveals more than they think. Trying to seem important by overplaying courtesy can come across as condescending. People who are genuinely comfortable with status tend to treat everyone with ease — not as an opportunity to perform social graces. If it feels like a show, it probably is.
7. They act overly concerned with “tasteful” decor.
Suddenly, everything in their home has to be muted tones, designer-approved, or strategically placed to signal quiet wealth. There’s nothing wrong with wanting things to look nice — but when it starts feeling more like a showroom than a lived-in space, something’s off. Their hyper-curated aesthetic often says more about insecurity than elegance. Comfort takes a back seat to optics, and guests pick up on that vibe whether it’s mentioned or not.
8. They talk more about what they don’t like.
“I would never drink instant coffee.” “I don’t shop there.” The emphasis flips to rejection, not preference, as a way to signal taste by contrast. Their selective snobbery is less about refined standards and more about distancing from anything that feels “too common.” However, it often sounds more judgemental than polished. Why does anyone need to yuck anyone else’s yum, so to speak?
9. They fake cultural literacy to seem sophisticated.
You’ll hear vague mentions of art exhibitions, opera, or foreign films, always with a tone that suggests depth but never with much detail. It’s about sprinkling in buzzwords, not sharing genuine enthusiasm. People can usually tell when someone’s passion is real versus when they’re just trying to impress. It’s okay not to be an expert in everything. Pretending to be tends to backfire, and it just comes off as a bit cringe.
10. They overreact to anything that feels “low-class.”
Whether it’s getting annoyed at a casual dress code or recoiling at supermarket own-brand goods, the disdain comes through loud and clear. They’re not just uncomfortable; they’re offended by the idea of being seen as average. That kind of reaction usually says more about insecurity than standards. Truly confident people don’t need to make a show of what they’ve risen above.
11. They treat holidays as status performances.
It’s not just a trip—it’s an event meant to be admired. The location, the hotel, even the in-flight champagne gets name-checked, not for excitement but for status signalling. Sharing joy is one thing. But when every story sounds like a résumé bullet point, it’s clear the trip was less about rest and more about optics. Besides, if they were really having such a great time, why are they spending the entire holiday on social media?
12. They constantly compare themselves to other people in subtle ways.
“We always stay in that part of town.” “Our friends send their kids to that school too.” These phrases are loaded with quiet one-upmanship, slipped into conversations that didn’t ask for it. It’s all about gently establishing rank without sounding too obvious. But when it keeps happening, the pattern becomes hard to miss, and it stops sounding subtle at all.
13. They’re hyper-aware of who’s watching all the time.
Whether it’s the way they walk into a room or how they speak in public, there’s a performance quality to everything they do. It’s less about being in the moment and more about managing perception. That self-conscious energy can be exhausting to be around. It makes everything feel curated instead of relaxed, more like an audition than a social interaction.
14. They never seem fully comfortable in their own skin.
At the heart of trying too hard is a sense of discomfort, like they’re constantly reaching for something just out of view. Their jokes feel rehearsed, their posture tense, and their presence a little too polished. True confidence doesn’t come from looking like you belong. It comes from not needing to prove that you do. That’s something no amount of refinement can fake.
