Theleisurerenderedbythewifeinsuchcasesis，ofcourse，notasimplemanifestationofidlenessorindolence。Italmostinvariablyoccursdisguisedundersomeformofworkorhouseholddutiesorsocialamenities，whichproveonanalysistoservelittleornoulteriorendbeyondshowingthatshedoesnotoccupyherselfwithanythingthatisgainfulorthatisofsubstantialuse。Ashasalreadybeennoticedundertheheadofmanners，thegreaterpartofthecustomaryroundofdomesticcarestowhichthemiddle-classhousewifegiveshertimeandeffortisofthischaracter。Notthattheresultsofherattentiontohouseholdmatters，ofadecorativeandmundificatorycharacter，arenotpleasingtothesenseofmentrainedinmiddle-classproprieties；butthetastetowhichtheseeffectsofhouseholdadornmentandtidinessappealisatastewhichhasbeenformedundertheselectiveguidanceofacanonofproprietythatdemandsjusttheseevidencesofwastedeffort。Theeffectsarepleasingtouschieflybecausewehavebeentaughttofindthempleasing。Theregoesintothesedomesticdutiesmuchsolicitudeforapropercombinationofformandcolor，andforotherendsthataretobeclassedasaestheticinthepropersenseoftheterm；anditisnotdeniedthateffectshavingsomesubstantialaestheticvaluearesometimesattained。Prettymuchallthatishereinsistedonisthat，asregardstheseamenitiesoflife，thehousewife’seffortsareundertheguidanceoftraditionsthathavebeenshapedbythelawofconspicuouslywastefulexpenditureoftimeandsubstance。Ifbeautyorcomfortisachieved-anditisamoreorlessfortuitouscircumstanceiftheyare-theymustbeachievedbymeansandmethodsthatcommendthemselvestothegreateconomiclawofwastedeffort。Themorereputable，“presentable“portionofmiddle-classhouseholdparaphernaliaare，ontheonehand，itemsofconspicuousconsumption，andontheotherhand，apparatusforputtinginevidencethevicariousleisurerenderedbythehousewife。
Therequirementofvicariousconsumptionatthehandsofthewifecontinuesinforceevenatalowerpointinthepecuniaryscalethantherequirementofvicariousleisure。Atapointbelowwhichlittleifanypretenseofwastedeffort，inceremonialcleannessandthelike，isobservable，andwherethereisassuredlynoconsciousattemptatostensibleleisure，decencystillrequiresthewifetoconsumesomegoodsconspicuouslyforthereputabilityofthehouseholdanditshead。Sothat，asthelatter-dayoutcomeofthisevolutionofanarchaicinstitution，thewife，whowasattheoutsetthedrudgeandchatteloftheman，bothinfactandintheory——theproducerofgoodsforhimtoconsume——hasbecometheceremonialconsumerofgoodswhichheproduces。Butshestillquiteunmistakablyremainshischattelintheory；forthehabitualrenderingofvicariousleisureandconsumptionistheabidingmarkoftheunfreeservant。
Thisvicariousconsumptionpracticedbythehouseholdofthemiddleandlowerclassescannotbecountedasadirectexpressionoftheleisure-classschemeoflife，sincethehouseholdofthispecuniarygradedoesnotbelongwithintheleisureclass。Itisratherthattheleisure-classschemeoflifeherecomestoanexpressionatthesecondremove。Theleisureclassstandsattheheadofthesocialstructureinpointofreputability；anditsmanneroflifeanditsstandardsofworththereforeaffordthenormofreputabilityforthecommunity。Theobservanceofthesestandards，insomedegreeofapproximation，becomesincumbentuponallclasseslowerinthescale。Inmoderncivilizedcommunitiesthelinesofdemarcationbetweensocialclasseshavegrownvagueandtransient，andwhereverthishappensthenormofreputabilityimposedbytheupperclassextendsitscoerciveinfluencewithbutslighthindrancedownthroughthesocialstructuretotheloweststrata。Theresultisthatthemembersofeachstratumacceptastheiridealofdecencytheschemeoflifeinvogueinthenexthigherstratum，andbendtheirenergiestoliveuptothatideal。Onpainofforfeitingtheirgoodnameandtheirself-respectincaseoffailure，theymustconformtotheacceptedcode，atleastinappearance。
Thebasisonwhichgoodreputeinanyhighlyorganizedindustrialcommunityultimatelyrestsispecuniarystrength；andthemeansofshowingpecuniarystrength，andsoofgainingorretainingagoodname，areleisureandaconspicuousconsumptionofgoods。Accordingly，bothofthesemethodsareinvogueasfardownthescaleasitremainspossible；andinthelowerstratainwhichthetwomethodsareemployed，bothofficesareingreatpartdelegatedtothewifeandchildrenofthehousehold。Lowerstill，whereanydegreeofleisure，evenostensible，hasbecomeimpracticableforthewife，theconspicuousconsumptionofgoodsremainsandiscarriedonbythewifeandchildren。Themanofthehouseholdalsocandosomethinginthisdirection，andindeed，hecommonlydoes；butwithastilllowerdescentintothelevelsofindigence——alongthemarginoftheslums——theman，andpresentlyalsothechildren，virtuallyceasetoconsumevaluablegoodsforappearances，andthewomanremainsvirtuallythesoleexponentofthehousehold’specuniarydecency。Noclassofsociety，noteventhemostabjectlypoor，forgoesallcustomaryconspicuousconsumption。ThelastitemsofthiscategoryofconsumptionarenotgivenupexceptunderstresSofthedirestnecessity。Verymuchofsqualoranddiscomfortwillbeenduredbeforethelasttrinketorthelastpretenseofpecuniarydecencyisputaway。Thereisnoclassandnocountrythathasyieldedsoabjectlybeforethepressureofphysicalwantastodenythemselvesallgratificationofthishigherorspiritualneed。
Fromtheforegoingsurveyofthegrowthofconspicuousleisureandconsumption，itappearsthattheutilityofbothalikeforthepurposesofreputabilityliesintheelementofwastethatiscommontoboth。Intheonecaseitisawasteoftimeandeffort，intheotheritisawasteofgoods。Botharemethodsofdemonstratingthepossessionofwealth，andthetwoareconventionallyacceptedasequivalents。Thechoicebetweenthemisaquestionofadvertisingexpediencysimply，exceptsofarasitmaybeaffectedbyotherstandardsofpropriety，springingfromadifferentsource。Ongroundsofexpediencythepreferencemaybegiventotheoneortheotheratdifferentstagesoftheeconomicdevelopment。Thequestionis，whichofthetwomethodswillmosteffectivelyreachthepersonswhoseconvictionsitisdesiredtoaffect。Usagehasansweredthisquestionindifferentwaysunderdifferentcircumstances。