Wellness: the new luxury

Reebok Victoria Beckham Bolton Sock (US Weekly photo)
Reebok Victoria Beckham Bolton Sock (US Weekly photo)

Luxury has a different meaning for everyone. For some it could be reflected in the types of purchases made and for others it could mean living completely organic lives. While both require a considerable amount of disposable income – a common indicator of a luxury life – the latter is often praised as being authentic, even when it is carefully organized in pixels to seem filled with good vibes only.

However, now more than ever wellness seems to be the new wave of luxury that is the most desirable thing to have. I say desirable because it is not something everyone necessarily has access to even if they choose the less expensive options like working out at home. If you have children, you will probably need to hire a babysitter to have a real slice of wellness time and in the modern world this isn’t easy or cheap.

The wellness trend has reached its peak so much so it is being considered the secular new age religion as Jenai Engelhard noted, in 2018. According to Engelhard, “we fast to cleanse our cells, not our souls.” Wellness is different from tangible luxury items because of the level of personalization it allows, where in comparison to luxury products you are pawn controlled by brands that constantly feed you the tagline that you need something else to achieve being you.

Nevertheless, wellness however pure it may appear to be, is slowly being infiltrated with trends that pressure you into feeling as if you can’t obtain the most optimal holistic health unless you adopt new lifestyle trends, case in point the celery juice trend (which I am happily taking part in thanks to my sister).

The only difference with this type of luxury is the purified feeling it undoubtedly gives that material possessions, no matter how many you have, can’t seem to offer you. According to Eventbrite data, “78 percent claim to spend more on experiences than buying physical goods – the wellness economy sells us aspirational lifestyles characterized by similar kinds of individual and communal experiences. From morning meditations to Bootcamp classes and yoga retreats, the purchase of wellness promises a healthier, more meaningful and beautiful life.”

There are still additional ways in which wellness is now being seen as just another marketing gimmick that brands want to tap into.

Within the space of a week, I have seen fitness collections from designers who I would have never imagined would carry a fitness line. People want to cash in, some like brands only selling dreams. One was carried by Victoria Beckham x Reebok and the other by Adam Selman and these are just the late arrivals to the scene. Stella McCartney has been cashing in on Adidas and Emilia Wickstead with Bodyism. They all sell the notion that once you start on your wellness journey, you must look the part. I get this: look good, feel good. But this once fairly innocent luxury is turning into an unrecognizable trend that steers attention away from the core reason why wellness became a luxury in the first place. It was a total body detox from the debris picked up in the outside world.

Health is indeed wealth but is the value the same if we are just following trends? Trends come and go. We must stick to our choices; this I believe is a form of respect for our bodies. A luxury in the truest sense.

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