A sense of style

This has perplexed me for a while. I don't understand the word "lifestyle."

I see the word used here and there, typically in advertising where it might appear like so: "...our product fits your busy lifestyle."

My issue is that I associate the word "style" with fashion, as in consumerism and keeping up with the proverbial Joneses. No doubt some folks do this, but I don't think that I've ever done it (not consciously anyway). I don't usually care about fashion with regards to clothing or other areas.

In my mind "style" or "fashion" was a marketing gimmick thought up by companies and manufacturers as a means to an end—i.e. revenue generation. Companies were no longer satisfied to provide a product/service when or if people needed it, so they had to come up with a way to convince people that they need the product/service sooner. And thus the notion of "Fashion/Style" was created.

Of course, I freely admit that I have no historical or factual basis for that idea and I'm likely just plain wrong about the origin of the concept. My view probably just reflects my basic cynical nature. Regardless, when it comes to a "lifestyle" I prefer to drop the "style" and retain the "life." Maybe that's just me.

So if I see the word "lifestyle" in an advertisement, it's a significant clue that I don't need to read/listen/view any more about the product in question. They're in pursuit of a different kind of consumer.