Throughout the history of fashion, it has always been a tale as old as time that the clothes we wear tell a story to the external world. The color palettes that hang in our closets, the style of clothing that define our personality – and the branding that tells the world, in a not-so subtle way, just how much money we can afford to spend on this image.
When you think of branding, you think of exclusivity. You buy from certain places based on the message you want to convey to the world about who you are. Most of us are guided (and not in a bad way, of course) to pick our wardrobes based on the cultural environment of the times. Take a look at old photos of past decades; if you look, you will see a common theme in the styles, the colors, and of course – the branding.
Why does branding matter? Branding matters because it is one of the easiest ways to show people how trendy you are, how much money you can afford to spend, and the social circle you most likely belong to. There was a theme when branding was mastered by this loud, obnoxious color palette. We wore clothes that lacked any subtlety at all, and simply threw it in your face about the type of clothes you wore on your back.
In a world of external influence and personal branding, we use products to turn us into products that sell a story or idea to the world – for social gain and status. But what happens when you already exist in the highest social hierarchy? What happens when you are born into a world that already knows who you are, and your place in it? Then the idea of selling yourself becomes obsolete, and subtlety becomes the message that branding is equal to triviality, so.. The concept of quiet luxury was born.
Quiet luxury is essentially what it sounds like – its expensive, high quality clothes that do not have large branding styles, and is often led in subtlety. It sends a message that only a few receive, because only the upper class can understand. To the rest of the world, you are wearing a plain black shirt with a hidden small logo – a logo most people have never seen. But for someone in the same privilege and class, they recognize that brand, and know the cost of having it – which conveys to that person that you have real money – money that does not need to be flashy. In a world full of image sellers and wannabe’s, quiet luxury has always existed for a small group of people who are above the trivialities of the general population’s opinion.
According to a research article published by Charles R. Taylor, Benjamin Borenstein, and Aniruddha Pangarkar, titled ‘What, no logos? Why some minimalists prefer quiet luxury’, There were a lot of studies conducted around the theme of quiet luxury, due to its growing popularity and relevance in conversation. The study found that regardless of high or low wealth, those who were in need of social status were more likely to buy loud luxury brands. Those who were high in wealth, but low need of status would buy quiet luxury brands, and lastly, those who were low in wealth and low in need of status would opt out of luxury goods all together. What this study confirms is that like usual, branding has been used to tell a story. When you spend money on a brand, you are also spending money on the image that you want it to tell. Brands with a high cost are usually so because they are selling you the idea that this will also buy you exclusivity. What the study also reaffirms, is that those who do not need to ‘buy’ status do not spend the money on the loud branding, but they do spend the money to ensure that they receive high quality timeless products – spending the same amount, but for different outcomes.
How has social media affected quiet luxury?
Like everything else, social media has opened doors into worlds that were typically shut off from the average person. Sneak peaks into massive homes, days in the lives of celebrities that we usually only see on interviews, as well as the desire to emanate the world of the wealthy. With all the new access into their lives, routines, and styles, it has truly become easier than ever to copy the people that you admire on the internet.
Back in 2023, the topic of quiet luxury was one of the biggest fashion trends online. It was pulling away from the big branding of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, etc., and instead wanting to showcase this idea that it is far more classy, and tells a much richer tale to dress like you have money without needing to prove it. This of course prompted the internet to blow up with posts about ‘old money aesthetic’, or ‘the best quiet luxury brands’, or ‘how to dress as ‘that’ girl’. We started to see an explosion of trends that blew open the once shut doors of the ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic, and essentially allowed anyone to have access into a world that was once so exclusive.
Resources:
Young Adult Faith 
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