Can you tell if someone is White Collar or Blue Collar by observing them?

Question

I was in a shopping center with a friend the other day and he said, "most of the people here are blue collar (working class) people". I asked him how he could know because it was a Saturday and no one was wearing work clothes. He said you can tell by how people communicate, carry themselves, talk, walk, move and a variety of other non verbal cues. You can also tell by their hands, nails, and hairstyles.

He said blue collar people are generally not as interested in fashion, generally look older than their years and have rougher skin. Blue collar people are less likely to have cosmetic surgery, be overweight, smoke, have a big gut and have a tired look.

While he is into stereotypes, I think he may be true eighty percent of the time. Sure you can find exceptions, but maybe a keen eye can tell if someone is white or blue collar just by watching them. What do you think?

Answer 1

sounds like major stereotyping to me.

in many cases you cannot tell by looking.

there are some where it is obvious, but i have met many so called blue collar people who are better dressed, more intelligent, more educated and in general more sophisticated than white collar.

my real question is what is the difference since white collar folks work for a living too.