{{Short description|Lifestyle of subtle wealth}} thumb|Outfit on mannequin exemplifying quiet luxury. The outfit is elegant and refined without any labels or ostentatious displays of wealth. '''Quiet luxury''' is a lifestyle characterized by understated elegance and refined consumption, emphasizing exclusivity and discerning taste without overt displays of wealth.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066">{{cite web |last=Trebay |first=Guy |date=2023-07-22 |title='Quiet Luxury' Becomes a Flex for the Ultrarich |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/22/style/quiet-luxury-wealth-status.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>
Other terms related to the concept include '''stealth wealth''', '''old money aesthetic''', or '''silent luxury'''.<ref name="Toit 2023 c020">{{cite web |last=Toit |first=Ilze du |date=2023-07-31 |title=Quiet luxury: all you need to know about the 2023 trend |url=https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/07/31/quiet-luxury-all-you-need-know-about-the-2023-trend |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=The Drum}}</ref><ref name="Highsnobiety 2023 v589">{{cite web |date=2023-10-11 |title=Old Money Fashion is Our Favorite Trend in 2023 |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/old-money-style/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Highsnobiety}}</ref><ref name="Nguyen 2023 t6272">{{cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Rae |date=2023-05-11 |title=Why quiet luxury is bad news |url=https://www.shiftlondon.org/fashion/deep-dive-into-quiet-luxury-and-economic-recession/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Shift London}}</ref>
== Definition == Quiet luxury is characterized by understated design, high-quality materials, and timeless styling, while avoiding conspicuous logos, flashy elements, or other overt markers of economic status.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Charles R. |date=2025-05-19 |title=What do motives for quiet luxury consumption tell us about intrinsic vs. extrinic motivation for consumer behavior in general? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650487.2025.2476903 |journal=International Journal of Advertising |language=en |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=617–619 |doi=10.1080/02650487.2025.2476903 |issn=0265-0487}}</ref> The aesthetic emphasizes muted colours, craftsmanship, and refined materials, expressing luxury through subtle sophistication rather than overt branding or displays of wealth.<ref name=":0" />
Although the concepts of quiet luxury and stealth wealth have been equated, there may be differences in usage. While stealth wealth connotes hiding wealth, quiet luxury connotes subtly signalling wealth.<ref name="Elle 2023 u616">{{cite web |last=Elle |first=Vanessa |date=2023-07-05 |title=Stealth Wealth Vs. Quiet Luxury: The Difference, Explained |url=https://www.glam.com/1330882/stealth-wealth-quiet-luxury-difference/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Glam}}</ref>
== History ==
=== Background === Quiet luxury traces its roots to the rise of the capitalist class in Europe and America during the late 18th and early 19th century. As power shifted away from monarchical and ecclesiastical institutions, wealthy elites adopted understated clothing, architecture, and interiors to differentiate themselves from ostentatious, courtly styles. During this period, a related phenomenon known as the "Great Male Renunciation" saw men's fashion pivoting to somber suits and muted colors as a move away from the lace, powdered wigs, and flamboyant dress of the aristocracy.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Class Signifiers of Quiet Luxury Are Nothing New |url=https://artreview.com/the-class-signifiers-of-quiet-luxury-are-nothing-new/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=artreview.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-04-14 |title='Quiet luxury': No flash, no logos, but big-time style |url=https://apnews.com/article/fashion-quiet-luxury-stealth-wealth-succession-paltrow-8b423bdd671fa9ba753124573604dd00 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
In the Anglosphere, "stealth wealth" has aesthetics similar to those associated with the traditional Protestant privileged class, who possess inherited wealth, or "old money".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> For instance, in F. Scott Fitzgerald novel ''The Great Gatsby'' (1925), old-money families like Tom Buchanan's consider ostentatious displays of wealth (such as Jay Gatsby's pink suit and extravagant parties) as gauche and indicative of new money, highlighting the cultural clash between inherited privilege and newly acquired fortunes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howarth |first=Peter |date=2022-05-13 |title=Menswear designers who take playtime extremely seriously |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/menswear-designers-who-take-playtime-extremely-seriously-z72qp9nrv |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref>
In the 1990s, designers like Donna Karan and Miuccia Prada popularized practical, streamlined clothing, which mirrored broader cultural shifts toward a more casual yet status-conscious uniform, especially among affluent professionals.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
=== Rise in popularity in the 2020s === The concept gained renewed prominence in the 2020s, when conspicuous consumption became less socially acceptable in some affluent circles.<ref name="Nast 2023 p310">{{cite web |date=2023-03-06 |title=If You Pay Attention to One Trend This Season, Make It "Quiet Luxury" |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/quiet-luxury-trend |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=Vogue}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Segran |first=Elizabeth |date=2023-10-20 |title=Quiet luxury isn't just a trend. It's a clever business model |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90967767/quiet-luxury-isnt-just-a-trend-its-a-clever-business-model |publisher=Fast Company & Inc}}</ref> Overt displays of wealth increasingly came to be perceived as gauche and associated with unproductive status competition.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" /> In response, some ultra-wealthy consumers began signalling status through expensive yet inconspicuous domestic and personal items. ''The New York Times'' contrasted this shift with the more overt displays of wealth associated with the 1980s, when affluent elites more openly competed through lavish parties, fashion, and other forms of visible consumption.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" />
== Social context ==
=== Social motivations === thumb|right|250px|This muted color palette of beige, white, and sage is characteristic of quiet luxuryA study by Han, Nunes, and Drèze (2010) found that wealthy consumers with little need for status signalling tend to prefer inconspicuous luxury goods with subtle branding, while consumers with a stronger desire to signal status, regardless of their actual wealth, are more likely to prefer conspicuously branded luxury products.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Charles R. |last2=Borenstein |first2=Benjamin |last3=Pangarkar |first3=Aniruddha |date=2025 |title=What, no logos? Why some minimalists prefer quiet luxury |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.22121 |journal=Psychology & Marketing |language=en |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=142–158 |doi=10.1002/mar.22121 |issn=0742-6046|doi-access=free }}</ref> Eckhardt et al. (2015) identified several factors driving the appeal of quiet luxury. These include the expansion of "masstige" luxury, where luxury goods become accessible to a broader public, prompting affluent consumers to seek subtler forms of distinction; the use of understated consumption to signal affiliation with elite groups; and the association of quiet luxury with craftsmanship, sophistication, and design quality rather than overt branding.<ref name=":1" />
=== Benefits === Quiet luxury items generally focus more on the customer's needs and are intended to remain relevant for as long as possible.<ref name=":0" /> Emphasis on quality tends to make them more sustainable, encouraging thoughtful purchasing and investment in long-lasting pieces rather than following transient fashion cycles.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="ELLE 2023 i475">{{cite web |date=2023-03-30 |title=What Is Quiet Luxury And Why Is The Trend Louder Than Ever? |url=https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/trends/a43449527/quiet-luxury/ |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=ELLE}}</ref> While this approach might seem less profitable—given that consumers may purchase items less frequently—it can foster long-term brand loyalty, as customers are more likely to return to trusted labels for future purchases.<ref name=":0" />
=== Social media trends === The rise of social media has led to the increased spectatorship of the lives of the wealthy, with individuals creating narratives of a lavish lifestyle for public consumption.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" /> However, quiet luxury emphasizes privacy, discouraging overt displays of wealth that might make one a target.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" /> Contemporary status symbols for the wealthy include inconspicuous designer clothing and discreet, yet expensive, jewelry.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" />
The quiet luxury trend in 2023 likely arose for a number of reasons.<ref name=":0" /> One is due to the economic conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic when people spent more disposable income on services and less on expensive, trendy products.<ref name=":0" /> The fear of economic stagnation or recession influencing the trend led to it being dubbed "recessioncore".<ref name="Nguyen 2023 t6272" /> Also, the television series ''Succession'' portrayed some of the wealthiest New Yorkers wearing expensive, yet subtle pieces of fashion and has been attributed to fueling the trend.<ref name="Trebay 2023 b066" /><ref name="Toit 2023 c020" /><ref name=":0" /> This led to the term ''Succession'' core.<ref name="Korducki 2023 w971">{{cite web |last=Korducki |first=Kelli María |date=2023-05-19 |title=What the "Stealth Wealth" Obsession Reveals |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/05/succesion-stealth-wealth-social-media/674121/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref> The Gwyneth Paltrow civil court case in March 2023 in Utah also contributed to the trend, as her wardrobe reflected the concept as well.<ref name="Toit 2023 c020" /> By January 2024, the trend was considered outdated as the 2024 Paris Fashion Week featured styles with more flair.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Jacob |date=2024-01-23 |title=Men, Say Goodbye to Subtle Fashion. Say Hello to Flair. |url=https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/mens-paris-fashion-week-2024-sequin-flashy-e89757d7 |access-date=2024-01-26 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>
== Brands == [[File:HK 金鐘 Admiralty 太古廣場 Pacific Place mall shop clothing Loro Piana Store November 2022 Px3 02.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Loro Piana embodies quiet luxury]] Brands with the quiet luxury aesthetic include Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, Hermès, Brioni, Canali, Cesare Attolini, Bottega Veneta, The Row,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> Valextra,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-14 |title=Whispered luxury: CEO Xavier Rougeaux on Valextra’s quiet appeal – interview |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3310083/xavier-rougeaux-ceo-valextra-explains-subtle-allure-milan-leather-goods-brand-famous-its-whispered |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref> and Celine under Phoebe Philo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Média |first=Prisma |date=2023-05-31 |title=La force tranquille du quiet luxury - Harper's Bazaar France |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.fr/mode/la-force-tranquille-du-quiet-luxury_513 |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=harpersbazaar.fr |language=fr}}</ref> Fashion designers Jil Sander and Giorgio Armani have also been cited as precursors to the aesthetic, particularly through their minimalist and understated designs in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-05 |title=Getting to Know Jil Sander: the Brand That Defined Quiet Luxury |url=https://mayfeyr.com/en-eu/blogs/stylejournal/getting-to-know-jil-sander |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=MAYFEYR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Givhan |first=Robin |date=2025-09-06 |title=Opinion {{!}} Giorgio Armani Is for Everyone (Even if You Can’t Afford It) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/06/opinion/giorgio-armani-fashion-quiet-luxury.html |access-date=2026-03-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-09-04 |title=Column {{!}} How Giorgio Armani built the world of quiet luxury one suit at a time |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/fashion/2025/09/04/giorgio-armani-fashion-legacy-quiet-luxury/ |access-date=2026-03-04 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The related concepts of stealth wealth and old money style are often associated with Savile Row tailoring and heritage luxury brands, including John Lobb, Turnbull & Asser, Anderson & Sheppard, Huntsman, and Purdey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=15 British Heritage Luxury Brands You Should Know to Amplify your Stealth Wealth Aesthetics |url=https://www.forurbanwomen.com/2023/10/british-heritage-luxury-brands-for-quiet-luxury-aesthetics.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=For Urban Women - Awarded Top 100 Urban Blog / Fashion, Lifestyle and Travel}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The style of King Charles: Top-level classic menswear |url=https://www.permanentstyle.com/2023/09/the-style-of-king-charles-top-level-classic-menswear.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Permanent Style |language=en-US}}</ref>
These brands are characterized by their focus on the quality of materials and construction, a classic style designed to be timeless and resistant to fleeting trends, the absence of prominent logos, and exclusivity through premium pricing.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=Le règne du quiet luxury |url=https://www.lopinion.fr/o2-week-end/le-regne-du-quiet-luxury |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=l'Opinion |language=fr}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=The Emergence of Quiet Luxury {{!}} Silent Luxury Consumer Trend |url=https://giantleapdigital.co.uk/insights/quiet-luxury/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Luxury Digital Marketing Agency UK |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==See also== *2020s fashion *Dark academia *Luxury goods *Normcore *Preppy *Sloane ranger
==References== {{commons category|Quiet luxury}} {{reflist}}
Category:Wealth