Looking around me daily at Singaporeans around me on buses and the MRT, I have come to realize that possessions do indeed constitute a form of “signalling” to tell others more about yourself. Whether it be branded goods, an iPod or a luxury car, all these material possessions are a way of declaring your financial status, or in some cases, showing off how indebted you really are! I was mulling over this over the last few weeks, and decided to write something on it which is appropriately titled “Functional Versus Status Items”. I will seek to explore items which many possess which can be classified as just being functional, as compared to having some sort of status attached to it. For each category, I will state the functional items within and the approximate cost, then compare this to a similar “status” item and state its cost as well. Clothing Clothing ......