What’s Next For Quiet Luxury and Denim
The Consumer Confidence Index fell four points in February to 106.7, interrupting three months of gains and signaling persistent uncertainty about the U.S. economy. Confidence deteriorated for consumers under the age of 35 and those 55 and over, Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, reported. While consumers are less concern about food and gas prices, they are worried about the labor market and U.S. political environment.
Consumers are not interested in dressing the part, however. Despite uncertainty looming over the health of their bank accounts, shoppers are co-opting the high-end yet understated style of old money.
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Enter “quiet luxury,” a blanket term to describe all things simple and timeless, be it gold jewelry, ballet flats or wearing hair in a bun, and the latest narrative used by brands and retailers to sell fuss-free classic fashion. Lucky Brand leans into the look this spring with simple maxi skirts and relaxed trousers. Gap’s new campaign showcases its wide assortment of linen basics. Frame mixes soft tailoring with classic Californian denim in its new collection.
During Paris Fashion Week, The Row, a brand synonymous with the quiet luxury aesthetic and prices, was back in the headlines for banning cellphones from its runway show. Vogue asked if the “no social media policy was the ultimate act of quiet luxury?”
A confluence of factors has fueled the trend. Last April, following the start of the final season of HBO’s “Succession,” the sartorial comedy-drama that introduced the Roy family’s stealth wealth aesthetic to the 99 percent, Google searches for “quiet luxury” skyrocketed 373 percent month-over-month. It had a halo effect on searches for “stealth wealth” and “old money style” with both seeing triple-digit increases. In addition to making “ludicrously capacious” designer handbags a faux pas, the show’s costume department magnified the craftsmanship of Brunello Cucinelli, the tailoring of Alexander McQueen and the cashmere basics of Loro Piana—including $1,375 cashmere-cotton denim trousers.
Simultaneously, Oscar-winning actress and Goop mogul Gwyneth Paltrow won praises (and court cases) for the monochromatic polished outfits she strategically wore to her ski collision trial.
And then Gen Z got into the action when Sofia Richie Grainge’s minimalist aesthetic went viral following her April wedding to Elliot Grainge on the French Riviera. The 25-year-old daughter of singer Lionel Richie took her 3.2 million TikTok followers along for the ride by sharing in real-time her sophisticated pre-wedding outfits by Khaite and Proenza Schouler and her three bespoke Chanel wedding gowns.
The popularity of Richie Grainge’s ladies-who-lunch aesthetic has triggered a shift in how other influential personalities dress like Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Alix Earle as well as consumers. “We’re seeing younger consumers latch on to the idea of securing their classics—a Chanel ballet flat, a Cartier bracelet, a Prada nylon piece, a Burberry trench, a handbag from The Row—when they have funding to make those investments,” said Leslie Ghize, executive vice president of Donager-Tobe, a New York-based retail and fashion consultancy with expertise in trend forecasting and merchandising.
Social Currency
On the other hand, quiet luxury is about buying into invisible details. Amy Leverton, the founder of Denim Dudes, said the trend relies on consumers to be knowledgeable and appreciate fabric choices and obscure branding, but that isn’t always the case.
“Google the $690 Loro Piana jeans [and] you’ll find there is nothing about that jean that looks any different to something a tenth of the price. Sure, it’s made and washed in Italy, but so are jeans from AG, Frame and Denham They say their jeans are crafted with the same attention to fit as their tailoring but it’s hard to tell from a flat garment shot,” she said. “What you’re mostly paying for, in my opinion, is the association and the social signaling.”
Consumers are finding ways to work around quiet luxury’s price points. On TikTok, there are 26,500 videos tagged #quietluxury, with many offering tips on how to get the pricy look without breaking the bank.
“There’s been a lot of talk about how the trend excludes those who don’t have the funds to play in the luxury arena and even associating the movement to roots in colonialism and white supremacy,” Leverton said. “The very concept is about excluding 99 percent of everyday people, so turning to fast fashion goes against the ethos. But what are everyday shoppers meant to do?”
Indeed, fashion loves a good contradiction. At times, the terms “quiet luxury” and “recessioncore” are used interchangeably as both stress versatile investment pieces.
“While recessioncore emphasizes intentional dressing and quiet luxury exudes aspirational elegance, these two trends initially diverge in their sentiments,” said Maria Coleiro, youth senior strategist for Fashion Snoops, a New York-based consumer insight and trend forecasting company. “However, as we delve deeper, we find a compelling convergence within their shared aesthetic foundation. Rooted in ‘practical minimalism,’ both trends embrace muted tones and emphasize the use of high-quality fabrics. Furthermore, they lean towards inconspicuous branding and gracefully avoid any hint of overly extravagant styles.”
Leverton sees a parallel between quiet luxury’s rise and the birth of normcore during The Great Recession. “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,” she said. “With Gen Z at the helm though, the shift is driven by the discovery of obscure brand names, meme culture and more than a touch of irony.”
Quiet Qualifications
After two years of keeping pace with rapid-fire fashion cores with clever names, quiet luxury offers consumers, brands and retailers the opportunity to jump off the bandwagons and reset.
“Young consumers are experiencing a moment of microtrend fatigue and need solace in rooted timeless trends. Part of the reason they connect so deeply with quiet luxury is simply to escape the overwhelmingness of fast fashion and consumerism, and to explore investment pieces that have lasting power,” Coleiro said.
Few garments have lasting power like a pair of jeans, giving tried-and-true denim brands like Levi’s and Gap a voice in the trend. “Denim, with its versatility, it’s the ideal fabric to support this new trend, that can exploit all its potential,” said Daniele Lovato, general manager of the Italian garment manufacturer Elleti Group. “Few other materials are as apt as denim to express the subtleness that is required to get quiet luxury right.”
For denim, quiet luxury means a return to proven fits, clean finishes and core colors like indigo, black and ecru. “For denim to feel luxurious, the key is to remain true to classic silhouettes that exude timelessness. An essential aspect of quiet luxury is the concept of slow fashion, which means denim brands that provide handmade stitching, natural washes, and adhere to sustainable practices will embody the essence of quiet luxury,” Coleiro said.
Lovato added that it could (and should) be difficult to tell a basic from a quiet luxury garment from a distance. “Quiet luxury is more about self-awareness than showing off, and most of the things that make the luxurious are to be felt, not to be seen,” he said. “A properly washed and well-fitted garment will give the ideal feeling to the wearer, and that is what quiet luxury is all about.”
Ghize pointed out that consumers are drawn pieces that serve utilitarian purposes, have subtle status and are “a IYKYK wink.” On Doneger-Tobe’s list of quiet luxury must-haves are the 5-pocket straight-leg jean, slim maxi skirt, shirt jacket, jean jacket and chambray shirt and the foundational silhouettes, with the big three washes—dark, medium, light—and no distress, rips or tears.
“We are noticing a pressed front seam emerge, that will sit beautifully in this story, adding newness and maintaining the elevated wardrobing aesthetic,” she said.
Gen Z is navigating quiet luxury in their way. Lorna Hall, director of fashion intelligence at WGSN, said the cohort opts for denim-on-denim styling or matching sets, which “smartens up an overall look but allows for versatility in outfitting.”
“We can also expect to see some new key items that will drive this approach,” she said. “The contoured Trucker jacket can be used—it’s neat, streamlined shape and long body that hits at the hip gives a svelte style. If you look at the catwalks, denim skirts, dresses and tops were all increasing with the denim column skirt a key item that youth shoppers can adopt and make their own.”
Despite being rooted in exclusiveness, the quiet luxury movement has kickstarted a return to simpler, built-to-last fashion, which is the bedrock of the denim industry.
“At the heart of this story is a healthier and less wasteful attitude towards our purchasing habits and that’s what’s best to focus on,” she said. “The jean is the ultimate in quiet design: its timeless, core and universal.”
