What Barbara Ehrenreich author of Nickel and Dimed notices that one of her co-workers wears really expensive clothing. How did this co-worker acquire these clothes?

In "Nickel and Dimed," Barbara Ehrenreich observes that one of her co-workers wears expensive clothing, which she learns was acquired through the co-worker's previous job in a more affluent position. This individual had worked in a higher-paying job before being forced into low-wage work, and thus had the means to purchase such items at that time. Ehrenreich highlights the stark contrast between their current economic realities and the lingering remnants of their past financial stability.