Quiet Luxury

2023 • Trends

It’s the latest retail trend and is one that represents a new take on luxury for consumers. “At a time when most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the ‘quiet luxury’ trend takes over,” CNBC reported in June.

Also known as stealth wealth, quiet luxury is identified by high-end, expensive materials in muted tones. It’s also seen in “the complete lack of logos and anything too conspicuous,” says Thomaï Serdari, professor of marketing and director of the fashion and luxury program at NYU’s Stern School of Business. 

Tip: “‘Quiet luxury’ is a look that will stand the test of time, as it’s essentially a synonym for elevated basics.”

A Differentiator

These luxury brands and items rely on “the quality of the materials, and they have techniques that are very particular to them,” she explains. In clothing, for example, it might be the cut, stitching, or other small details that will be recognized only by those who are already familiar with a particular item. “That becomes a differentiator for those in the know,” adds Serdari.

It’s definitely luxury fit for the today’s times, when, according to LendingClub, “61% of Americans now say they are living paycheck to paycheck.” That’s up from 42% a year ago.

Though the “quiet” trend is being bolstered by shows like HBO’s “Succession,” it’s also reminiscent of what happened in fashion and styling during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Why again today? “While the economy grapples with banking turmoil, Big Tech layoffs, and interest rate hikes, flashy styles—like conspicuous brand names or a neon bodysuit—are just not it,” explains Morning Brew.

Cashmere Caps

If you think a show like “Succession” isn’t powerful as a trendsetter, think again. Take the show’s cashmere baseball caps, for example. Those caps surpassed 35 billion views on TikTok and are considered by luxury watchers as one of the reasons quiet luxury is so hot.

Whatever its origins, Spring/Summer 2023’s’s clothing lines saw premium materials, like Pima cotton and merino wool, jump 32% year over year, according to Edited, a global retail analytics firm.

Confused? Vogue understands it can be and so tells its readers, “We admit that it’s not an easy aesthetic to pin down, and it’s more of a mood than anything else, but if we know one thing, it’s that ‘quiet luxury’ is a look that will stand the test of time, as it’s essentially a synonym for elevated basics.”

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