Heritage or hype? The true value of luxury handbags in 2025: an old money perspective
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
Release Date: 04/28/2025
The etiquette and old money social anthropology of secrets. Awkward etiquette Season 4 Ep 23
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
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Old Money on Horseback vs Ralph Lauren: Equestrian Aesthetic and etiquette with Kiki Astor
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
Why is everyone suddenly dressing like they ride? From “equestrian-core” to “country luxe,” the horsey aesthetic is galloping through fashion — but what does it really say? In this episode, Kiki Astor, fresh from a research trip at her hunting lodge in Virginia's horse country, getting ready to release her upcoming dark old money gothic equestrian romance Scarlet Fever, explores why the equestrian look is the ultimate old money uniform: disciplined, neutral, and quietly expensive. We’ll talk about Ralph Lauren’s lifelong love affair with the hunt, the five essential garments that...
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No-vember: Chic Introversion, Selective Socializing, and Old Money Etiquette
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
As daylight wanes and autumn deepens, the first week of November offers unique opportunities—and subtle challenges—for anyone who cherishes etiquette, aesthetics, and intentional living. In this episode of Awkward Etiquette: Old Money and New Manners with Kiki Astor, Kiki reveals how to navigate early November with elegance, balance, and old-money flair. What you’ll learn in this episode: 1. Daylight Savings Time Etiquette: Adjust your daily routines gracefully, pour drinks earlier, and embrace the cozy rhythms of the season—without sacrificing sophistication. Learn how small timing...
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Slutty Costumes & Full-Sized Candy Bars: The Scariest Etiquette of Halloween
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
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How to use AI to improve your life, the Old Money way.
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
What happens when artificial intelligence meets old money manners, style, and lifestyle? In this witty and insightful episode of Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners, Kiki Astor takes on the rise of the AI Old Money Girl — that picture-perfect, algorithm-crafted vision of luxury and composure who seems to live in a permanent Ralph Lauren ad. She’s flawless, serene, and utterly unreal. She's also damaging to your self esteem and your sense of reality. Here's the thing: true sophistication isn’t generated — it’s cultivated. Kiki explores how to use AI tools elegantly, not for...
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What Will People Say? (And Why You Shouldn’t Care)- The Etiquette of Reputation
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
"People will talk." For ages, this has been used as an excuse for not doing something that could be incredibly rewarding, be it starting a business, writing that book, making the art, or wearing the dress or the lipstick that makes your heart sing. In this week’s episode of Awkward Etiquette- Old Money and New Manners, Kiki Astor explores one of the oldest social anxieties in the book: what people say about us—and why it still stings, even - or esecially- in the age of curated feeds and public personas. From the elegant discretion of old money circles to the performative transparency of...
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Old Money Entertaining: From Potluck Panic to Perfect Supper with Kiki Astor
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
Hosting doesn’t have to be hard — unless, of course, you make the tragic mistake of calling it a potluck. In this sparkling episode of Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners, Kiki Astor reveals the secrets of easy entertaining the old money way. From what to wear as a host or hostess to the timeless menu formulas that never fail, Kiki shares how to create effortless elegance (even on a budget). Expect chic dinner party ideas, old money anecdotes, and the kind of practical charm that transforms chaos into calm. You’ll learn why gracious hosting is less about perfection and more...
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Grande Dames, Patina & Patriarchs: Old Money’s Secrets to Aging Gracefully
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
Beauty fades. Fortunes vanish. But style—the kind old money has mastered—is eternal. In this week’s episode of Awkward Etiquette with Kiki Astor, we unravel the old money secret to staying unforgettable long after the roses wilt and the cheekbones soften. From patched Barbour jackets to grande dames in caftans, from Brooke Astor’s birthday notes to Diana Vreeland’s “garden in hell” apartment, this episode explores how true style outlasts both beauty and wealth. We’ll meet the archetypes of age and authority—the Dowager, the Grande Dame, the Patriarch, the Patron, the Spinster...
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The etiquette of friendship & friendship in old money elite circles
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
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When Old Money Decor Goes Wrong: The Decorating Mistakes (almost) Everyone Makes
Awkward Etiquette: Old Money & New Manners
What makes a home look quietly elegant… and what makes it look like a Cheesecake Factory in disguise? In this episode, Kiki Astor breaks down the common, supposedly “old money” decorating elements that actually cheapen a house when done wrong. From blinding white exteriors and shiny DIY lacquer walls to overdone marble countertops in modern farmhouse McMansions and Greek columns that aim to make a 60's ranch-style home look like a neo-Palladian estate but instead fall painfully flat, Kiki explains why these popular choices fail — and how true old money interiors whisper rather than...
info_outlineIn this episode of Awkward Etiquette with Kiki Astor, we dive into the true value of luxury goods—especially designer handbags—amid a shifting global economy, social media overexposure, and growing transparency about where and how these so-called “heritage pieces” are actually made.
In the age of the Wirkin, or Walmart Birkin, and in the wake of the Chinese revealing exactly how many luxury goods get produced in their factories rather than in chic Parisian ateliers, Kiki unpacks (pun very much intended) the history of handbags as status symbols, from old money necessity to nouveau riche billboard, and dissects the old money perspective on luxury: discreet, enduring, and never desperate.
With juicy anecdotes from her recent travels through Morocco, Turkey, and China, Kiki shares firsthand observations of the proliferation of fake designer bags, the depressing state of luxury duty-free shops, and the disillusioning reality of modern production—even at historic maisons like Hermès and Chanel.
Topics we cover:
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The erosion of luxury's mystique in the age of TikTok unboxings.
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Why handbag resale value isn’t the flex people think it is.
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How discerning old money treats luxury goods (hint: if it has a TikTok hashtag, it’s already over).
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Spotting a dupe without losing your mind (or your manners).
Whether you're a bag lover, a social climber, or simply etiquette-curious, this episode is your guide to navigating the luxury landscape with wit, wisdom, and perspective.