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Status symbols may not be a stairway to heaven but they are sure to get you pretty close to it
Mayank Singh

Most of us aspire for them. A few of us own a couple. While only a privileged few (or scoundrels based on which side of the fence one is) can lay claim to most of them. If you have not figured out by now we are speaking about the totems of status – the material possessions that distinguish the cognoscenti from the hoi polloi. While the best things in life may be free these symbols of affluence are certainly not gratis their price tags often rivalling a king's ransom.

Whether we like it or not in a status conscious world these are indispensable handmaidens of Mr Moneybags. And for anyone looking at climbing up the prestige ladder, our recommendation is simple – buy, beg or steal... just get them. More importantly make sure that you are seen owning them. While we leave the latter to PR professionals here is a quick checklist.

Snobbery on wheels
Nothing raises your social esteem more than a hot car. Driving around town in a Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche or a Hummer is a sure head turner; a ringside ticket to an elite social club. A car being the most visible manifestation of one’s wealth tips the scale decisively in its favour as the numero uno status symbol.

For those with a yen for the understated, a million-rial mansion in a billion dollar neighbo-urhood may be better. A villa at Shatti al Qurum with a swimming pool and a designer garden is surely the stuff of dreams. And if that is not good enough there is always the private villa in the south of France, coastal Spain, or the Caribbean, your holiday hideout.

Clothes do not make a man, they speak about him. And when it comes to clothes and accessories it's all about designer labels – Armani, DKNY, Hugo Boss, Maharishi and Yamamoto being the pick of the lot. Designers like Giorgio Armani, Cesare Attolini or Ermenegildo Zegna still spell magic. Coming to eyewear, pick up a Gucci, Dior or Armani sunglasses. And of course, nothing less than a custom made Savile Row suit and shoes would do. A class act that has stood the test of time.

Gadgets spell magic
If time is money then a watch for jetsetters is not merely a time keeping device but a visible symbol of power. So see what suits your style quotient and strap on a Gerald Genta, Patek Philippe or a Rolex limited edition.

Hi-life and high end gadgets go hand in hand. Hold the world in your palm with a Dolce&Gabbana and Motorola cross combination phone or an RO2,000 Vertu, for what is a cool communicator without a hot mobile. Anything smaller than a 42-inch plasma TV is infra dig.

While ethnic is chic, holidaying abroad is what matters. The flavours of the season are Shanghai, Milan, London, Paris, Prague, New York and Barcelona. If these are crass then there is eco tourism. Take a break in the lush green rice fields of Bali or experience high priced solitude in the seven ecosystems at the Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

The road to be glitterati goes through exclusive clubs and chic restaurants. So book a table at the world's best restaurants – The Fat Duck, Britain or a El Bulli, Spain. And take a membership at blue chip clubs – like Mossimann’s Dining Club or Fifty Below in London.

Finally, get a yacht – it does not get bigger than this. Now that you have arrived take a bow and soak in the applause.