Quiet Luxury Is Suddenly About Modesty, Now

The once-trendy aesthetic has found miraculous staying power, but it's beginning to change.

Just yesterday, we were having a coconut-pilled Brat summer. Now we’re slipping into a mindful and demure fall thanks to tips by TikToker Jools Lebron (@joolieannie). It feels like the internet culture pendulum has swung back towards modesty, harking back from earlier this year to the craze that reminded us to “be mindful of why we were invited to the section.” Femininity coach Quill (@littlebrowncharmschool) was genuine in her etiquette teachings, giving us dating tips and guiding proper conversations in bondage dresses. Jules satirically showed us how to come to work correctly: clean makeup and a little chichi — no chocho. 

True demure culture comes with emulating the ways of the 1%. The masses have developed fantasies from their perceptions of the upper crust, from playing tennis to weekends in the Hamptons or some other exclusive international locale to wearing beige. With this fantasy, people can escape reality or at least be delusional about it. Even though the economy seems to have rebounded from the pandemic, people are still directly struggling, as seen in grocery price gouging and the unemployment crisis. In the face of economic uncertainty, people are looking for ways to emulate wealth to boost their self-esteem. If you don’t have a million bucks, you might as well try to look the part! 

Searches for modest outfits on Pinterest have increased by over 30% from 2022 to 2023. Along with the obvious religious implications of modesty, quiet luxury and old money are styles that have taken Gen Z and Millennials by storm. Searching “quiet luxury” on Pinterest myself, I’m met with color palettes of neutrals and earth tones, Princess Diana, minimalist monochrome outfits, and clean black leather bags with gold accents. 

So — truly, what is quiet luxury? 

In short, quiet luxury refers to understated, high-quality clothing with an emphasis on minimalist shapes, tailoring, and invisible branding. Logomania is deemed a fashion sin within the old money movement. Monograms became the markers of “cheap” taste, as our A-Listers and fashion aficionados traded their Gucci Ophidia totes in for Margaux bags, courtesy of The Row. The purpose of quiet luxury is to act as if money isn’t new to you instead of sending clear branding signals to people that you had an endorphin rush when you got your Balencigucci set. Wealth is meant to be stealthy here, not on display. 

Founded in 2006, The Row is a relatively nascent brand that succinctly gives that old-money look. The Olsen twin-helmed brand is one of the hottest labels right now, ranking at #16 after the second quarter of 2024, according to the Lyst Index. What’s interesting about The Row’s success is that it shows that quality branding and storytelling appeal to consumers just as much as decades of legacy, if not more. The Row is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being in the know about “true” luxury, as authentic old-money East Coast WASPs shop brands most of us plebes haven’t heard of. At heart, old money shops Valextra, Bruno Cucinelli, and small local clothiers with centuries of legacy. They would modestly shop Burberry on the go but wouldn’t even think about shopping at Anthropologie — and vomit at the thought of shopping at Zara. This is a culture that revolves around exclusivity and sharpened taste.

Looking at cultural inspirations

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Succession was a very popular drama series about a fictional global media family dynasty (remember Kendall’s hats with no logo?). Costume designer Michelle Matland captured the characters’ refinement from slight, youthful whimsy into professional power dressing, from Shiv’s power suits to Tom Wambsgans’ late mastery of personal tailoring. The Roy family, however fictional — though based on the Murdochs — has become the symbol of true wealth to the general public in the way the Kardashians once did a decade ago. 

And who could forget Gwyneth Paltrow’s civil court case, where both she and her luxurious lifestyle were on trial? Sued for a ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort, Gwyneth wore Prada, Celine, and The Row, among other labels,  to court — just anything that didn’t have distinctive branding. Her outfits were strategically put together to make her look like Gwyn, a successful entrepreneur and mother, instead of Gwyneth Paltrow, a rich Hollywood snob building a health and wellness empire. Her styling may have helped her win the case in the public eye, along with the fact she only asked for $1 from the defendant (as if she needed any more money anyway.) 

A lifestyle for the “most modest”

Quiet luxury is more than clothes; it’s a surprisingly relatable lifestyle for some people. If you can look past the multi-thousand-dollar tennis lessons and multimillion-dollar vacation homes scattered around the globe, the über-wealthy are kind of like us. People take pride in their homes, with inherited furniture that isn’t like your first-apartment couches taken from your parents’ basement. It’s well-worn, aged wooden desks and display cabinets, and century-old trinkets and finery. It’s a high investment in beauty, avoiding frivolous cosmetic surgeries and instead opting for the best personal skin care products recommended by top-notch aestheticians. It’s having regular exercise and self-care routines, along with time to spend with family and friends. Sadly, for us regular people, some of these things are merely luxuries in a society that prioritizes work without the balance of life and leisure.

See how you can shop Vestiaire Collective? Very demure, very mindful. 

While some of us probably make a couple of big splurges a year on designer goods, we must be mindful of our shopping habits, both in personal expenses and the expense of the environment. While quiet luxury isn’t going away — and may arguably become a timeless style — we should focus on personal investments. Your fast-fashion purchases will disintegrate by the end of the year. Maybe you should just get that authentic, sustainable cashmere sweater from that small brand or thrift some Ralph Lauren pieces where and while you can. And if you want to fully commit to quiet luxury, you can embrace your inner Kendall Roy and develop a personal, dependable uniform that shows your self-assuredness and maturity.

Ken Downs is a writer, fashion stylist, DJ apprentice, and certified hater who in high school was nominated as Most Likely to Be on Reality TV. He is a fashion writer for HALOSCOPE. He’s on IG as @kowboy.kxnny and yapping on X and TikTok as @kxn_dxwns.