Sometimes, it can be hard to distinguish between “old money” and “new money.” But if this has ever happened to you, there’s no need to panic. TikToker and country club worker Darby Parnham (@darbyparham) has got your back.
In a TikTok that has now amassed 1.9 million views as of Friday, the creator claims that her time working at the country club has made her able to “spot old money versus new money a mile away.”
“New money is tacky, it’s gaudy,” she explained. “They’re flaunting every name brand that you’ve heard of, maybe they have a couple Louis Vuitton bags. Maybe they have a Hermes bag […] potentially.”
This, however, does not mean the person has “style,” Darby said.
“Will they tip you? Yeah, in front of their friends, or in front of business partners in front of the people that can see exactly how much they’re tipping you,” she said.
The trouble is, these tips are “never consistent,” because if nothing else, these customers are doing it for show, she added. According to her, while it’s “always the men” who have “terrible, terrible style,” those who are “old money” go for a more understated look.
“Because you’ve never laid eyes on something as nice as what they’re wearing,” she explained. “You’re not going to understand what it is. You’ve never heard of the brand. Even if you ask them where it’s from, you’re gonna look it up, and it’s gonna be like, oh, invite-only, you can’t even touch these clothes unless you’re a billionaire.”
While she admits that this might be a bit of an exaggeration, Darby then went on to explain how the clothes were likely tailored and “well-fitted to their body.”
@darbyparham disclaimer that this is not directed at anyone but just an observation #countryclub #cartgirl #oldmoney #newmoney ♬ original sound – Darby Parham
“It’s going to be the nicest softest thing you’ve ever touched, if you go to touch their arm to say hi, if you go to hug them, you’re like, ‘Wow, that was money. I should have been paying to touch that.'” she added.
According to Darby, the “old money” folks will tip consistently.
“They’re gonna fold up a 50,” she explained. “You can even tell it’s a 50 until you walk up and open it and you’re like, they just handed me a 50 or 100.”
“If you’ve worked at a place like that, you know exactly what I’m talking about,” she concluded.
In the comments section, viewers definitely related to what Darby was saying, and as one commenter put it, “Money whispers. Wealth screams.”
Darby didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.