For years, gin producers did little as superpremium vodka producers like Absolut and Stolichnaya ran away with their business by appealing to status seekers and connoisseurs alike.

In this era of very conspicuous consumption, boats have joined luxury cars and condos in their appeal to status seekers who probably wouldn't be caught dead in a safe-boating course.

SALES of high-priced watches, an adornment of yuppies and other status seekers, are particularly good in warm marketing areas where short sleeves are popular.

Wealthy status seekers are filling their large-lot mansion properties with private pools and tennis courts and putting stress on electricity supplies.

The new segment was made up of status seekers, the wealthy wannabes.

Packard noticed that his status seekers put gold faucets in the guest bathroom first.

Logos are for status seekers; Mr. Hilfiger, whose company does $5 billion annually in retail business and blithely spends $70 million on advertising, already has plenty of that.

It is sometimes called the "artists' cemetery," although the tough competition for plots there has been won by plenty of status seekers, too.

Now, the Upper East Side has always had rich socialites, sunlamp sophisticates and many wonderful examples of aging status seekers still clinging hopefully to their ascots and Ultrasuede.

The French Riviera has long been a favourite hang-out for celebrities, and various status seekers from around the world.