As a society, we continue to search for new ways to identify ourselves and live our lives. Whether you’re a self-proclaimed DINK or lean heavily into almond-mom energy, there seems to be a sociological term for every kind of lifestyle. Lately, I’ve been interested in the aesthetics of rich aunties.
Not only, trending hashtags or Instagram page, But instead it’s a way of life. The rich aunt aesthetic has exploded on social media. For Black women, this term is especially meaningful. For those unfamiliar, a wealthy aunt is a woman who typically chooses to live without children and puts her own happiness and financial freedom above everything else.
Rich old ladies aren’t worried about living up to the expectations society has placed on them. The rich lady lives life to the fullest, and stands authentically and unapologetically in her truth, enjoying the joy of living life on her own terms, based on intentionality, purpose, and self-compassion. You are choosing yourself with an abundance of love. And self-care.
And while wealthy aunts are self-sufficient, earn their own money, and have a healthy relationship with that money, what’s most important is that they “feel good about themselves,” says the LA-based author. says marriage and family therapist Cherry Phillips. “She knows who she is and refuses to let the world define or put her in a box.” In other words:
Why more black women are choosing the rich lady aesthetic
Despite its recent rise in popularity on social media, the rich lady aesthetic “has always been a colloquial word that we know and one that has always resonated with us.” Rich Auntie Energy Lifestyle Brand told Good Morning America interview.
The service gained notoriety as Black women continued to redefine what fulfillment looked like for them and now had a platform to share it.
But fundamentally, “the rich lady aesthetic is the result of many factors, one of which is that black women are taught from a very young age to maintain a family, save a plight, or save the world.” It means you’re expected to take on multiple responsibilities. The metaphors are very exhausting,” cultural anthropologist and researcher Immaculata Ajuogu told POPSUGAR. Instead, Black women are “exercising independence and cultivating core relationships and sisterhoods outside of romantic relationships and motherhood, all of which break cycles of intergenerational trauma and give them freer choices.” ” she explains.
As Ajuogu said, black women have long had the obligation to be mothers. The rich aunt aesthetic rejects these conventional norms. In the milieu of the rich aunt aesthetic, black women have complete autonomy in their choice to become mothers, but historically, as a result of slavery, capitalism, and other factors, black women have always I didn’t choose to become a mother.
“Thinking about marriage and raising children fills me with anxiety because I worry that these responsibilities will require sacrifices that compromise the essence of my identity.”
Not only do Black women choose to build or not build families, but they also re-create success through travel, acts of self-care, businesses they start, and experiences that enrich their lives both personally and professionally. I choose to define it. Over the past two decades, we have seen the rise of Black women in leadership grow across corporate America and entrepreneurship. black women are the most educated group In the US.
Needless to say, with the rising cost of living, mounting student loan debt, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice, Black women are choosing to protect their peace. Join 44 percent of other Americans ages 18 to 49 People who choose not to have children.
What a self-proclaimed rich lady talks about her lifestyle
Alison McKee, director of nonprofits, said her decision to embrace the wealthy aunt aesthetic was easy. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to value certain aspects of life more and more, like independence, quiet, and moments of stillness,” McKee told POPSUGAR. “Thinking about marriage and raising children fills me with anxiety because I worry that these responsibilities will require sacrifices that compromise the essence of my identity.”
For some Black women, being a wealthy aunt is not about having children of their own, but being a role model or mother in the lives of other children, usually those to whom they relate through the title “aunty.” It may mean playing a role like They may also develop these relationships through volunteering in civic organizations or as educators and professors who mother the next generation of Black women leaders.
“I’m definitely a rich old lady. I love other people’s children and then I love giving them back,” says Alegia McGrigor, a merchant buyer and executive at C-suite. McGrigor says she never wanted to have children “to live a life with meaning and purpose.”
This aesthetic has proven beneficial even for some wealthy aunts who choose not to have children. “The choice to have a child was taken away from me when I had to undergo an emergency hysterectomy at the age of 28. At first I was upset that that choice was taken away from me, but… Over time, I was able to accept and choose,” “Peace,” Diana Bernardez, a successful Black nurse, entrepreneur, and advocate for Black patients, told POPSUGAR. “I’ve always wanted to adopt a child, but to be honest, I just like being responsible for myself. It’s given me the freedom that I absolutely love. I’m not going to lie. I don’t have any intention of doing so. I love that my house is quiet and I can pick you up.’ And you can go whenever you want, do whatever you want, and make my wildest dreams come true. ”
Brittany Williams, a Black woman who works at a technology startup, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Black women need to know that they are making the best decisions to support a life filled with happiness. , are being liberated. It undermines the lives they have built.”
Is a rich lady aesthetically pleasing to you?
For these women, the rich aunt aesthetic has provided freedom and autonomy outside of traditional expectations of motherhood, enriching their lives in ways they could never have imagined.
If the rich lady aesthetic is calling your name, then go for it. Please live your best life as a rich lady. But if having children and starting a family is important to you, that’s fine too. You have value and you deserve it. All Black women have the right to live according to their own values and priorities. There is no right or wrong way. It’s your path to creating, growing, and thriving.
Whether we choose to live an aesthetic life or not, we can all learn from the rich aunties of the world when it comes to living our lives with confidence and fearlessness, and unapologetically basking in our own joy and happiness. You can learn a little something.
As we move further into the new millennium, it’s clear that the rich aunt aesthetic is here to stay. Black women will continue to emerge, reclaiming time, choice, and freedom, and experiencing a season of resurgence. Rich aunties, keep taking up space, we love to see it!
