This paper provides a systematic review of status consumption, presenting its theoretical structure and historical development using bibliometric data of 515 articles from Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science. The findings reveal significant growth in this area since the late 2000s. Three main theoretical perspectives form the foundation of, status consumption research: status consumption as a compensatory mechanism, status consumption as a costly signal and the conceptualization and operationalization of status consumption. Until the late 2010s status consumption research has prominently studied the effects of status threats and mating motives on consumption of luxury goods, and conceptualized status consumption. However, starting in the late 2010s, new research streams emerged: alternative status signals, the downsides of luxury, and conceptualization of luxury consumption in the contexts of the secondhand market, digitalization, social media, and emerging markets. Based on the results, this review identifies research gaps and suggests future research directions.