# Quiet luxury

Quiet luxury is a lifestyle characterized by understated elegance and refined consumption, emphasizing exclusivity and discerning taste without overt displays of wealth.
Other terms to describe the same concept include stealth wealth, old money aesthetic, or silent luxury.

## Definition

The quiet luxury aesthetic focuses on subtle sophistication through the use of muted colours and quality materials, and an emphasis on craftsmanship and timeless design, rather than flashy logos or ostentatious branding.
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.
Quiet luxury has also been likened to minimalism, although more elevated and riskier, and normcore, but more polished.
A related concept is "affordable affluence", where the average consumer purchases goods or services that are perceived as exclusive, yet are still affordable. While quiet luxury underscores the widening gap between the ultra-wealthy and the general public, affordable affluence provides a way for the general public to aspire to the lifestyle of the ultra-wealthy.

## 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.
In the Anglosphere, "stealth wealth" has been historically associated to the aesthetics of the traditional Protestant privileged class, who possess inherited wealth, or "old money". 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.
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.

### Rise in popularity in the 2020s

The concept's most recent popularity arose briefly in 2023 when conspicuous consumption become less favorable in some circles. The ostentatious display of wealth increasingly became perceived as gauche and fostering futile competition. During this time period, the ultrawealthy subtly exhibit their status through expensive, yet inconspicuous, domestic and personal items. Such discreet display of wealth is often through subtle signals recognizable only to those in the know, who know what to look for.

## Social context
### Reasons for popularity

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. However, quiet luxury emphasizes privacy, discouraging overt displays of wealth that might make one a target. Contemporary status symbols for the wealthy include inconspicuous designer clothing and discreet, yet expensive, jewelry.
The quiet luxury trend in 2023 likely arose for a number of reasons. 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. The fear of economic stagnation or recession influencing the trend led to it being dubbed recessioncore. 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. This led to the term Succession core. The Gwyneth Paltrow civil court case in March 2023 in Utah also contributed to the trend, as her wardrobe reflected the concept as well. By January 2024, the trend was considered outdated as the 2024 Paris Fashion Week featured styles with more flair.

### Benefits

The benefits of quiet luxury include that it tends to focus more on the customer's needs and less on image. Also, because of the focus on quality, it tends to be more sustainable. Although it may superficially appear bad for business since the consumer will need to make fewer purchases, it may actually be beneficial for businesses as well, as the consumer may continue to buy goods from the same brand. Quiet luxury also places an emphasis on more conscientious purchasing and investment pieces. Quiet luxury items in theory should have a timeless appeal.

## Brands

Brands that embody the quiet luxury aesthetic include manufacturers such as Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, Hermès, Brioni, and Kiton, along with designer brands like Thom Browne, Bottega Veneta, Celine (under Phoebe Philo) and The Row. The concepts of stealth wealth and old money style are typically linked to Savile Row tailoring and heritage luxury brands, including Purdey, John Lobb, Turnbull & Asser, Anderson & Sheppard, and Huntsman.
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.