Selling a Lifestyle

To most people in China, WeChat is the portal to the intra-intranet (first intra-: WeChat, 2nd: GFW). It has a built-in search engine, and the WeChat Moments feature that is basically a heavily censored twitter that only "friends" can see.

I posted once in 2018 in my first year of college and got a lot of likes, but it gave me anxiety, so I never posted again. It became a read only thing for me like many other social media platforms.

I was trying to impress by posting something I thought was cool / impressive. I'm attention seeking and wasn't detached to the outcome, that was why I quitted.

Ralph Lauren wasn't originally named Lauren, he changed his last name when he was like 14, and I cannot remember his original last name.

People said he tried to incorporate the British style into the American style and that he created the thing called "old money asthetics" (think a rich man dressing casually, braided belt, textured sweater, and of course, no logos to be seen anywhere).

People also love how he dresses, breaking out of conventional rules, and that his brand is selling a lifestyle, not just clothes and home goods.

He successfully associated his brand with a lifestyle that is desirable, a way that people want to live.

I went with a friend from Fudan to watch the race cars in Jiading, NW Shanghai. He's a pro WeChat poster. Looking at his post history, he's trying to be very, very impressive. During the intermission, he was busy editing photos on his phone, adding another interesting entry to his Moments. And he's really good at it.

He studied philosophy and is a very good stock trader, and he's good with people and the last time I heard, he was working at a top firm in a fancy skyscraper downtown.

I'm reading a book that touched on the topic of dating, about how you're trying to sell a lifestyle. The author looked at female online dating profiles and was shocked that everyone has skiied or travelled to fancy places, and he suggested living the life you want to live, and pay attention to details (how your home looks), because you're seeling a lifestyle too.

And I agree.

In China, most people do not speak any English, and the trade mark laws are arbitrarily enforced, people tend to associate the word polo with a type of shirt with solid colors and a logo where a man is riding a horse and holding some sticks in his hands.

Lots of copy cats. Few know polo as a sport. But the companies are smart in that they continue to make people associate the icon with a lifestyle with status and style, and well, some people buy it.

Now I'm writing in public (with no comment section), and posting unlisted YT videos and randomly posting on IG, Microfeed and my own public gallery, mostly as an experienment - I wanted to see where this goes.

I deliberately do not advertise my IG to people, because I consider it to be quite personal, and I sometimes refused to give out my handle and insisted to just text.

I made some friends and they tend to give me attention by liking my posts, I'm happy about that and I understand it goes two ways. Anyway, I try not to get too attached. :)