By PAGE Editor

It’s been rightfully said that fashion trends may come and go, but style is eternal. There comes a point in every woman’s life when she grows weary of keeping up with the latest trends. At this stage, she just wants to put together a wardrobe that imparts confidence regardless of what’s in vogue.

One fashion subculture that is making a huge comeback is that of quiet luxury or old money. Better known as understated elegance, this dressing style is not exactly a trend (despite being the modern minimalist’s favorite). It is a way of life – to always look polished with pieces that are timeless and easy to assemble.

It’s inspired by fashion icons like Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, and Audrey Hepburn. Are you also hopping onto this bandwagon of quiet luxury resurgence? If yes, this article has three foundational tips to make your fashion journey easier.

Go for Tailored Pieces and Plush Fabrics

Not only is the quiet luxury style timeless, but it includes investing in pieces that are crisp, clean-cut, and classic. This way, you can rest assured that the garment will last you for years down the line.

What do we mean by this? Each piece in your wardrobe must be intentionally there, its sizing customized to fit you perfectly. The thing with off-the-rack clothing items is that they’re designed to adhere to a certain body type.

Those who do not conform to the mold of standard build may need minor alterations to ensure a good fit. This does not always need to involve the body size or shape. For instance – you can transform a formal shirt by replacing its basic buttons with shank or luxurious gold ones.

Other alterations may include adding sleeves, extending the hemline, cinching in at the waist, etc. Tailored garments are different from bespoke clothing in the sense that they are not designed from scratch. Rather, the tailor works their magic on readymade pieces with some simple yet noticeable changes.

Moreover, understated elegance is an antithesis of fast fashion. This means you must invest in high-quality fabrics since they will last you for multiple seasons. It will make your purchases more meaningful and worthwhile.

For summers, choose linen dresses or skirts in silk-satin or cotton. As for dress pants, go for knit or cotton blends. The same rule applies to topwear like t-shirts, shirts, or blouses. 

As for the winter, the top fabric choices include cashmere and merino wool. You can keep a pair of denim or corduroy pants for more informal occasions.

Invest in Classic, Heirloom-Worthy Jewelry

No outfit is complete without matching or contrasting accessories, particularly jewelry pieces. As with the garments, quiet luxury demands that jewelry items be impeccably crafted so they can be passed down to future generations.

This means you need not own too many; a few chic versatile pieces will do. Let’s start with all metallic gold, silver, and platinum neck chains, bracelets, and earrings. A simple band-like design that is not too loud will tie any look together.

In case you want to add color, start building your repertoire with timeless gemstones – ruby, emerald, sapphire, or diamond. Let’s take emerald, for example – its rich, deep green color is surprisingly versatile enough for all neutral shades like tan, gray, black, or beige.

You can wear it in a signet ring, as a necklace pendant, or even in a bracelet. In case you’re not too fond of these, the stone can be embedded into a custom brooch. 

What’s more, is that there are different shapes to choose from. For instance, - Leibish's emerald collection includes shapes like teardrops, ovals, and octagons. Without the need for a dangling stack of jewelry, you will look instantly set apart and put together. 

Just ensure you choose a high-quality cut and pure gemstone. Leibish states that the purer an emerald, the deeper and richer its inherent hue. The same goes for blood-red rubies, oceanic sapphires, or colorful diamonds. Heirloom-worthy jewelry using such stones is the prime example of “money screams, wealth whispers.”

Play it Safe with Neutrals and Tonals

The most frustrating part of following trends is choosing the outfit of the day (OOTD). This happens because the process often involves too many colors, prints, and patterns. The whole point of quiet luxury is to make heads turn without trying too hard.

In other words, you need not spend hours before the mirror mixing and matching your sartorial pick for the day. It all starts with having only simple neutral pieces to work with. Let’s understand a bit about color theory to have more context.

Neutral shades are those that do not belong to the color wheel. They act as the muted backdrop for accent colors to shine through. You must have noticed this concept working wonders in interior design. Likewise, the aim is to keep the overall outfit neutral with perhaps a pop of color.

An example is a tan cashmere pullover paired with beige pants, eye-popping turquoise peep toes, and a hand-held bag. It’s extremely difficult to go wrong with such a combination because no color is forced to compete with the others.

Also, never go overboard with the fabric, design, and print. Let’s take an example – instead of a peplum top with a Peter Pan collar, bell sleeves, and ruffles on the bodice, choose a basic crew-neck t-shirt or button-down shirt.

One foolproof way to always look refined is to opt for a monochromatic or tonal look (preferably in neutral shades). This could be an all-white or cream, gray, beige, or black outfit (including the accessories).

You may not have every piece in the exact hue, and that’s where it’s important to play within the same color family. Also, use different textures to build an interesting look. From our previous example, the pullover’s cashmere will beautifully contrast the cotton texture of dress pants along with the leather bag.

It’s Time for Refined Consumption!

Did you know that one in three people consider their clothes to be old after just two wears? That explains the staggering heaps of fast fashion ending up in landfills each year. This is mainly because fast fashion is designed to go out of style easily, and so are its low-quality pieces.

As you step into the realm of quiet luxury, you naturally choose refined consumption. This fashion subculture is all about having a capsule wardrobe with only long-lasting pieces made of natural fibers. It will not only save you money and fashion disasters in the long run but also help protect the environment.

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