Stealth Wealth And Modern Power Fashion
The rise of quiet luxury aesthetics is IYKYK
My first few years spent working in fashion were dedicated to lusting over designer handbags with big logos, loud clothing that screamed big-name designer brand, and monogrammed luxury shoes that were hard to miss. In my naivety and fresh into the fashion industry mindset this clothing was what was going to firmly cement me as an insider in this space. But times have changed, and what was trending back then has been replaced. This is the era of stealth wealth and quiet luxury.
Buzzy fashion phrases come and go but ‘stealth wealth’ and ‘quiet luxury’ have cemented themselves in the greater collective consciousness. It’s very much an IYKYK kind of vibe and if you don’t, well, then you may as well keep on walking. As the saying goes “money talks, wealth whispers,” and that's definitely the impression this inconspicuous aesthetic gives off.
But what do stealth wealth and quiet luxury actually look like? It’s off-duty Olsen twins roaming downtown Los Angeles in monochromatic cashmere and flats, it’s Amal Clooney in a pinstripe suit and pumps on her way to work. And its ladies of leisure casually wearing a £10,000+ Hermés Kelly bag paired with a camel Max Mara coat and vintage Levi’s jeans.
This new iteration of luxury is sleek, minimalist, and classic in its sensibility. Think tailored suits dark in colour, oftentimes bespoke, think fine wool in navy and camel tones, think neutral, toned down but tasteful attire. When wearing this carefully curated wardrobe, it’s become a secret language that many of the wearers speak with subtle stitching and clever hemming coding for those that are in the know.
Now these looks aren’t anything new. There’s been a longstanding fascination in the West with old-money lifestyles, and this filters into fashion through coded luxury that's more to do with attitude and mood than it is with what people wear. It’s about catering to a group of uber-rich individuals whose pockets are too deep to wear anything other than designer goods, and it’s about communicating status through low-key but high-end style.
Take the fictitious Roy family from the wildly popular HBO show Succession. I haven’t watched the show myself, but I’ve seen the character's outfits pop up on my feed time and time again. For instance, Kendall Roy, a ruthless businessman and second in line to take over the family empire, dons Tom Ford hoodies and Maison Margiela knitwear. Luxury thrives on the show in a covert sense. Wealth talks, but it talks quietly.
Someone who made a splash in the stealth wealth space recently was Gwyneth Paltrow. During her March 2023 court appearance, the Goop multimillionaire was pictured wearing Celine boots, a wool coat from The Row, Proenza Schouler leather culottes, cream cashmere from Loro Piana and Prada. And when Sofia Richie married Elliot Grainge in the south of France, she showed off three custom Chanel outfits over one weekend. These logoless wardrobes were intended to look expensive and are modern power fashion being put to work.
With this influx of stealth wealth and quiet luxury comes a roster of brands profiting off of the success of the latest aesthetic to make the rounds on the internet. Old-school heritage brands like Brunello Cucinelli, Hermés, Loro Piana and Zegna are experiencing an increase in market value, while new players like Khaite and The Row are seeing reinvigorated interest. This is a new age of elegance where timelessness wins out over cultural clout, however stale it may look.
In this day and age, overt displays of wealth are distasteful. At a time when people are choosing between heating and eating, and when mass layoffs are affecting numerous industries, showing off via loud fashion just isn’t on. People are over it, it’s why TikTok hashtags like #stealthluxe and stealth wealth fashion videos have billions of views. Stylists are even breaking down how to get these looks for less, and multiple articles have been published that speak to quiet luxury aficionados and their wannabe counterparts.
Stealth wealth and quiet luxury are the moment. And if you were in doubt, 2023 was the year they returned in full force. These looks are a far cry from logo-heavy, short-lived trends, and are instead characterised by a timeless quality and attention to detail. But if we’re honest, they’re boring. Fashion is a powerful tool in conveying money and status, one that even HNWIs use, but this club is one I want no part of. After all, if everyone dressed the same, wouldn’t the world be an incredibly dull place?
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