Niki Demar’s “Old Money” Commentary Feels Like a Reality Check the Internet Needed
If you’ve spent more than three seconds scrolling TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen it: the glossy “old money” aesthetic. Perfectly tailored blazers, European summer hauls, hair so slick it could double as a mirror. And according to Niki Demar, it’s more than just an innocent trend—it’s an online movement that’s quietly reshaping how young women feel about themselves.
In her recent Get Real video, Niki takes the “old money” conversation and turns it into something deeper: a look at why we’re all obsessing over an unattainable lifestyle… during an actual recession.
The Plot Twist: Luxury Is the New Relatability
One of Niki’s sharpest observations is that social media used to reward relatability like messy bedrooms (hey Siri, place “Messy Room” by Niki Demar), thrifted outfits, and red carpet looks that still included jeans. Now, it feels like the only way to “make it” online is to present yourself as already having made it. Being “that girl” no longer means a 5AM workout and an açai bowl. It means a country club membership, a €20,000 holiday wardrobe, and the ability to casually fly to Europe “for the plot.”
She points out the irony: “old money” isn’t just a vibe, it’s generational wealth. It’s something no one in their 20s can realistically create overnight. Yet the internet pushes the aesthetic as if it’s a checklist anyone can complete, leaving followers feeling behind before they’ve even started.
The Euro Girl Summer Industrial Complex
Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising part of her commentary is how she connects fashion marketing to this new pressure cooker. Niki calls out how every major brand’s summer collection seems themed around Europe. Not just inspired by it but marketed as if you’re already booked for a Santorini getaway.
It’s a subtle but powerful push: if you’re not sipping Aperol in Positano, are you even “in”? And that’s where Niki sees the harm. Not in enjoying nice things, but in the unspoken rule that they’re now the baseline for being relevant online.
A Personal Confession
Niki doesn’t keep this as armchair commentary. She admits she’s been pulled into the aesthetic herself. In her late 20s, the YouTuber swapped her colourful, chaotic wardrobe for neutrals and “clean girl” minimalism, partly because it felt like what she was supposed to do. The result? Internet validation… but a creeping feeling that she’d lost her identity in the process.
It’s a relatable gut-punch for anyone who’s ever bought into a trend so deeply that they forgot why they liked it in the first place.
Why It Hits Hard
What makes this video resonate is that it’s not anti-fashion, anti-success, or even anti-aspiration. It’s about naming the quiet pressure that seeps in when aesthetics become a status test. The commentary acknowledges the fun of dressing up and playing a role online, but she’s equally blunt: nothing you see is the full picture.
She closes by urging her audience—especially young women—to bring the fun and chaos back into their 20s. That not every phase of life has to look like a luxury campaign, and that the real exclusivity is being comfortable with who you are without the prop styling.
Honestly, we could not agree more with this episode of “Get Reel”. The “old money” trend has morphed from a playful aesthetic into a quiet form of gatekeeping, where worth is measured by how convincingly you can mimic generational wealth.
The truth is, chasing a curated ideal that was never meant for everyone leaves little room for personal style or joy. Fashion should be a reflection of individuality, not an audition for an elite club most of us will never join. Like Niki, we’re all for stepping off the beige-and-blazer conveyor belt and reclaiming colour, personality, and the freedom to dress for ourselves. Not for a trend that romanticises wealth we don’t actually have.
