"SUCCESSION" AND THE TREND OF QUIET LUXURY | PART 1

Sarah Snook, as Shiv Roy | photo credit: Vanity Fair

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you're bound to have watched...or at least heard of...the HBO/Max (now just Max) show Succession. Supposedly inspired by business mogul Rupert Murdoch, it follows an elderly media tycoon with several grown children in consideration to be his successor. They are mega-wealthy, highly dysfunctional, and wildly entertaining.

The popular series has recently spawned a fashion trend called "quiet luxury," also known as "stealth wealth" or "old money aesthetic." But what exactly does that mean? 

According to People Magazine, quiet luxury is defined as "a preference for expensively subtle with toned-down yet tailored designer pieces over noisy opulence full of obvious branding and loud logos." In other words, it is the antithesis of trendy, throw-away fashion.

Shiv Roy, one of the characters on Succession (played wonderfully by actress Sarah Snook) perfects the art of quiet luxury with her "money talks, wealth whispers" style. "Her look exudes a sense of refinement and sophistication through subtle details and a minimalist aesthetic, rather than relying on overt branding," says Elizabeth Layne, chief marketing officer of Rebag. Shiv absolutely wreaks of quiet, understated luxury.

Who else epitomizes quiet luxury? Think Sienna Miller in Anatomy of a Scandal...Robin Wright in House of Cards...Naomi Watts in The Watcher...Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's...and Gwyneth Paltrow and her now infamous courtroom wardrobe. Their clothes are elegant, not fussy, mostly black and neutrals, classic, timeless, and tailored to perfection. 

However, since the look relies so little on bells and whistles, to nail down quiet luxury means investing in elevated basics. And in Shiv's world, they aren't cheap! The question then is...can the look be reinterpreted for the rest of us to be "quiet" but maybe not quite so luxurious?

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT FRIDAY...

Sienna Miller | photo credit: via Pinterest

Naomi Watts | photo credit: via Pinterest

Robin Wright | photo credit: via Pinterest