As a modern form of influence on the lives of individuals, social media platforms of the digital age make television, the previous generations’ vehicle for the cues of choice, appear almost sloth-like when it comes to creating new trends and fads, and pinpointing new avenues in fashion and lifestyles. The combination of speed and the ability to connect to specific individuals at any time of the day or night is hitherto unmatched.
The New Year is still in its infant days and TikTok and other social media platforms have repeated the trick; popularising and introducing a new term into the everyday vernacular, and thus, kick-starting the initial fad for the year – ‘bookshelf wealth’. This follows on the heels of the last few years’ offerings and trendsetters; ‘cottagecore’, ‘stealth wealth ‘ and ‘quiet luxury’, to mention but a few.
‘Bookshelf wealth’ can be loosely defined as a curated selection of shelved items which are meaningful to you. These prized objects need not be books exclusively, or, not at all for that matter (surprisingly, according to some sources), and can comprise art, or other collections. Most importantly, this ‘bookshelf wealth’ must be organised in a manner which conveys the acquired style of the person whose collection is exhibited. A sense of casualness which skirts an intellectual mindset and elegant taste – a touch of class – is the much sought after ambience to convey with this arrangement.
The spark which ignited this redecorating frenzy was a relatively short video posted on TikTok last month by Kailee Blalock, an interior designer of San Diego. During the 59-second post, which so far, has garnered over 1.3 million views, Ms Blalock stated, “These aren’t display books…,” before adding, “I think to really achieve the look and the lifestyle, someone has to be an avid reader and has to appreciate the act of collecting things, especially art and sculpture.” It has been open forum in online debates and discussions about this fad, and naturally, authentic bibliophiles are peeved with it. Apart from regarding this activity as an image-building exercise, they cautiously fear a potential increase in book prices. Others opine that it is a lifestyle trend rather than a design option.
Within the last two weeks, several prominent monthly publications ranging from Architectural Digest to Vogue to Homes and Gardens to Elle and House Beautiful have published articles accompanied with several detailed colour photographs of various methods of organising your shelves. The Digest explains, ‘Why “Bookshelf Wealth” is 2024’s First Major Trend’, while according to the title of the essay in The Business Insider, “ ‘Bookshelf Wealth’ is the latest way to show people you’re genuine”. These features and those in the other publications, as well as leading international newspapers, will quickly fan the flames of this latest fad. Secondhand stores will most likely witness an upsurge in people scouring for antique bookshelves and good copies of selected first edition hard covers. By the end of the month several catalogues of ‘must have’ volumes on subjects ranging from politics to financial planning to sport to humour will probably be circulating on social media platforms. Lists of ‘other suggested items’ for the shelves such as sport trophies from high school, photographs of previous generations, bookshelf ladder, and objects of art are also likely to follow suit.
One should not be surprised at the development of this latest fad, after all it has been staring at us in the face over the past few years. With the advent of the Covid pandemic and television guests unable to appear in studio there was a sharp rise in Zoom interviews conducted from the guests’ homes. More often than not, the guest appeared on the television screen seated at a desk in his/her study with a well organised bookshelf as the backdrop. These leading authorities, whether their subject was politics, constitution law, sport, history, or warfare, often sat close enough to their bookshelf that it was quite easy to determine the titles of the books on it. Can the trend be a delayed response to the perception that expertise on a specific matter is associated with books?
Today, we live in a world trending in the direction of imagery and appearance – where one should be seen displaying the trappings of wealth, even if one cannot afford it – which, unfortunately, are given more credence than strength of character, integrity and honesty. These facades of being hip and trendy and ‘in-the-know’ or ‘in-step with the times’ are the choices of the delusional wishing to appear in the upper class or seeking to join it. These bandwagon jumpers of the ‘stealth wealth’ and ‘quiet luxury’ fashionable trends would be better served if they started acquiring a collection of pragmatic books, such as, on wealth management and proper parenting, actually reading them and applying the proffered advice to their life choices, rather than chasing after some social media aesthetic which glorifies the lifestyles of another class.
