One of the biggest trends to come out of 2023, is actually, controversially, not really a trend at all. You may have heard the term “quiet luxury” a lot recently, especially if you regularly find yourselves scrolling Instagram or TikTok. It’s defined as a wholly understated approach to dressing, an “anonymous feel” which is surprisingly defining the luxury catwalks right now—an arena that usually loves to showcase extremes. The whole idea behind quiet luxury is that, if anything, it’s an ‘anti-trend’, meant to be a celebration of timeless, low-key dressing (albeit done in an elevated manner). Think a white shirt, tank and wide-leg trousers look, a simple white linen dress in summer, or a logo-less camel wool coat in winter.
Spearheaded by mega luxury brands like The Row, Loro Piana, Bottega Veneta (who famously sent Kate Moss down the catwalk in that flannel shirt and jeans look recently) and notably the buzzy new Ferragamo creative director, Maximilian Davis, who is using the quiet luxury approach to bring the Italian heritage brand bang up up to date. As a result, at first consideration it would be easy to rule out quiet luxury as a fashion movement only available to those with high-net-worth budgets. But, I’m here today to dispel that myth.
Yes, this “stealth wealth” approach is all about investing in quality pieces that look expensive, and that look like they will last (or could already have been) in your wardrobe for many years. This is partly the reason why I believe it’s proving to be so popular—because aren’t we all looking to buy less and wear our wardrobe pieces more in the current environmental (and economic) climate? You can, however, still get this polished look—and good quality too—on the more affordable end of the scale. You just have to know where to look.
As an expert fashion editor, that’s where my skills come in, and if you keep scrolling you can find my edit of the very best affordable quiet luxury buys that I’d recommend investing in. I’ve been careful not to include anything in “cheap” fabrics to ensure you still get long-lasting quality out of your buys, so naturally you won’t find anything at Primark price points. But, everything here is under £500, and ready to make you look like you spent £5000. You’re welcome.
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