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May 20, 2024
Does the ‘Quiet Luxury’ Trend Have Staying Power?
A February review of a fashion show in Milan from the Wall Street Journal proclaimed “Everyone’s Over ‘Quiet Luxury,’” a fashion trend embracing understated elegance and quality over conspicuous displays of wealth and flashy logos.
“‘Quiet luxury’ has become a bit of a dirty phrase in Milan,” wrote Rory Satran, the business publication’s executive fashion director. “To some at the Italian brands that embody the term, it’s reductive — an overly TikTok-ified way of describing classic, refined clothing. Many fashion industry people roll their eyes when it comes up.”
However, a new survey from e-commerce logistics provider Radial points to ongoing appeal. Radial wrote in the study, “While quiet luxury has long been a fashion principle of the affluent, quiet luxury now appeals to a broader market as consumers seek to get the most value and longevity out of their apparel purchases and realize their sustainability values.”
The quiet luxury term, also known as “stealth wealth,” began being cited in 2023, with some tracing it to the refined outfits worn by Goop founder and actress Gwyneth Paltrow to her ski accident trial last March as well as the old money looks showcased during HBO’s final season of “Succession.”
Some see the trend as a resurgence of the shift away from conspicuous consumption, including logo-heavy and overt looks, seen in the post-2008 recession. Denim Dudes founder Amy Leverton told Sourcing Journal, “We believe it’s a mirror of the 2008 market crash, a moment when financial uncertainty led consumers to buy more intentionally, buy less and gravitate towards quieter, higher quality garments.”
Beyond more people living paycheck to paycheck, a new generation of consumers valuing sustainability and ethical sourcing is expected to drive purchases of longer-lasting products.
Thomaï Serdari, marketing professor and director of the fashion and luxury program at New York University’s Stern School of Business, sees quiet luxury as the antithesis of fast fashion. Serdari told CNBC, “That is the new mindset that has allowed quiet luxury to stick around a little longer.”
Other factors driving the trend cited by Kantar include increasing protests of inequality that’s “further stigmatizing displays of wealth” and online influencers’ role in “democratizing access and visibility” to perceived luxury items.
The trend is also increasingly influencing interior design and vacation choices.
Nonetheless, a few fashion insiders feel trends always change, with many predicting the comeback of blingy, loud fashion.
Valentino in April hired Gucci’s former creative head Alessandro Michele, known for his use of sparkle and bold prints, in anticipation of a trend shift to edgier designs. Rachid Mohamed Rachid, chairman of Valentino, told Bloomberg TV, “We know that in the last few years, there has been quiet luxury prevailing. My guess, like many others in fashion: this is going to be over.”
“There’s a change underway in fashion,” wrote the New York Times chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman in late February. “The safe, swaddling allure of quiet luxury, the sort of luxury that was as much of a local specialty as risotto alla Milanese, seems less and less consequential — a sort of relaxed, neutral approach to self-expression that no longer jibes with the increasing urgency of the world. That seems less like a panacea than a surrender.”
Discussion Questions
Do you see quiet luxury remaining a strong trend for a while, or do you see a shift soon to bolder designs?
What factors will be most important in supporting or detracting from the trend?
Poll
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Christopher P. Ramey
President, Affluent Insights & The Home Trust International
Ricardo Belmar
Retail Transformation Thought Leader, Advisor, & Strategist
Jenn McMillen
Chief Accelerant at Incendio & Forbes Contributing Writer
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Some fashion houses might want quiet luxury to be over, mainly because the trend does not give them as much scope to experiment and wow. It’s also the case that the timeless looks of quiet luxury allow for people to buy less because simple, elegant pieces are versatile so can be paired with other garments to create different looks.
However, as far as the consumer is concerned, quiet luxury is still en vogue. The trend is hot on social media, and it is in tune with Gen Z’s demand for routine and simplicity. It also chimes with a more subdued consumer mood that is serious rather than frivolous. Plus, it is amplified by popular shows like Amazon Prime’s Maxton Hall.
Of course, like every other fashion trend it will fade at some point and give rise to more maximalist styles.
And my eyes will roll with them: this really isn’t a trend – in the real meaning of the word – it’s the latest marketing buzzword. Unless your business caters to shallow over-privleged people, it’s of no real concern.
As with many trends, it’s never either or, but rather a continuum of consumer behaviors. The argument for quiet luxury sticking around seems sensible given the still somewhat delicate state of the consumer. A pick-up of shoppers in higher income brackets at Walmart suggests that quiet luxury may persist. Ultimately, this comes down to consumer confidence. Consumers are more exuberant when the economy is growing, unemployment is low, the stock market is up and overall economic growth is favorable. However, despite positive economic signals, there’s still plenty of uncertainty on the geo-political front, not to mention the upcoming election in the US.
Quiet luxury will never go away forever because it overlaps with classic wear, which is preferred by many. However, quiet luxury might lose its hold for a while, as a fashion trend.
A wave of logo mania (my term) swept the 80s and continues to this day, even though it has simmered down. Through prominent advertising, logos increased the perceived value and social cache of luxury and designer brands.
A Coach bag, which I believe is a “C,” implies style, quality, and fashion. Gucci, Polo, Hilfiger, Boss, Calvin Klein, and many more brand names have the same effect.
In this way, quiet luxury establishes quality, value, and desire without explicitly relying on immediate recognition.
Despite the trend toward bold colors and patterns, quiet and classic are here to stay.
Much in the same way that Mid-century Modern architecture and furniture design endures despite all the other fads that have come and gone, and how much the press and certain design studios fight against it. Flashiness comes from accessorizing, and it’s fine to play there, but for good use of money always invest in time-tested quality.
Quiet luxury is nothing new. Wearing matching lingerie under clothing is one example; skincare splurges are another. Consumers may not be headed out to dinner tonight, but they might splurge on dessert. Expect this to continue!
The longer one has had wealth, the less likely they are to display it. Hence, quiet luxury is here to stay.
Quiet luxury speaks to old money and subtlety….vs, loud, odd looks. Also, quiet luxury will be wearable lager and resaleable more easily. It’s a good thing
Everyone is over quiet luxury, huh? Tell that to Ralph Lauren.
Quiet luxury is not a trend and that’s the point. Sumptuous fabrics, classic designs and a disdain for in your face logos has been around forever; my take is that it’s not going anywhere, anytime soon.
I have worn clothing that can be categorized as quiet luxury in rotation for years. Fast fashion isn’t my thing, high end designer isn’t either, and I know that I am not alone.
Stealth wealth = discreet. Maximalism = showy. Both have their devotees, and that’s what makes capitalism great.
A trend is in the eye of the beholder. As is taste. The “look at me” crowd will always be drawn to the bling of the moment. Those who are rooted in quiet luxury will sit back for awhile, continuing to wear their investment clothing with comfort and confidence.
I have shopped at many luxury men’s wear brands that sell $500-$700 pairs of socks. That’s just too ‘quiet’.
Quiet luxury is less a trend than a way of thinking about fashion, apparel , and style. It’ snot going anywhere although how many people choose to define their look by it may increase and decrease over time, fashion houses ned to either embrace it and play with it, or be bold enough to ignore it and create their own trend – which carries its own risks. Fashion trends do come and go and are often cyclical, so is there really a cause for concern if quiet luxury sticks around? I think not.
Quiet luxury is merely an extension of the minimalism trend that has overtaken luxury houses, but I believe it will last, though in a modified form. Luxury logos will return, but in smaller forms than previous (think the size of the Polo logo now vs 20 years ago).
Quiet luxury will remain strong for a while, but we might see a shift to bolder designs soon. Quiet luxury appeals to people seeking quality, sustainability, and timeless style, which are values that resonate widely today. Factors supporting the trend include the growing focus on sustainability, ethical sourcing, and the desire for long-lasting products.
However, fashion is always changing, and the excitement of bold, flashy designs will likely resurface. The hiring of Alessandro Michele by Valentino signals that some brands are preparing for this shift. Economic factors, cultural changes, and the influence of social media will play crucial role. Ultimately, consumer preferences and the global economic climate will determine how long quiet luxury stays in vogue.
The idea of old money works for people that have, yeah old money. The challenge with quiet luxury is the world is competing for Attention. Quiet luxury begs for no attention. What human being wants that? Said no one ever. Fashion always been about expression and as fashion moves about the globe at the speed of social media postings, so does the need for human nature to make it clear it’s on trend. And the trend is “what are you rockin, where did you get the fit?” Ssshhh is simply not part of the nomenclature. We are storytellers by nature, and one of the stories we will always tell will be through personal style.