One of the most popular trends of the past year which has certainly made its mark on both fashion and consumer trends carries a weirdly appealing name. ‘Quiet luxury’ or, some may call it, ‘stealth wealth’ is the tendency to wear logoless clothing with ridiculous price tags or to live lavishly without flaunting your wealth in front of others. However, most people who try to reimagine their lifestyle through the lens of the ‘quiet luxury’ trend are seriously misinterpreting its whole purpose.
To understand the full lengths of this trend, we have to analyze the way it has emerged. The premiere of the last season of HBO’s hit TV show Succesion is certainly responsible for the widespread nature of this phenomenon. This show can be easily described as revolutionary because it gives the audience the opportunity to catch a glimpse of how the elites of the world live and how they navigate through life. The characters - who are loosely based on the Murdoch family - embody the true nature of ‘stealth wealth’ not only by dressing a certain way, but also by being disconnected from the reality normal individuals face.
On top of that, some economists have argued that given the repercussions of the COVID pandemic, people have started to invest in quality items that lack the existence of a logo. Nonetheless, this occurrence is likely to happen during recessions, but it only applies to members of higher income groups.
One undeniable consequence of the popularity of this trend is that everybody recognizes now the so-called exclusive premium brand that has been the long-time favorites of the ultra-rich. For example, one pair of leather loafers from Loro Piana - a premiere Italian fashion house - has been declared an essential item for individuals who try to recreate the trend. However, this peculiar pair of shoes, which regularly cost more than 1,000 dollars, can be easily bought from foreign websites in an identical, but counterfeited form. This is a prime example that illustrates the claim that most individuals who try to join this trend don’t comprehend the true meaning of it.
‘Stealth wealth’ doesn’t represent people who try to buy expensive items to show off to others or to fit in a social class they clearly don’t belong to. It represents individuals who have an enormous amount of generational wealth, who value the art of subtle opulence and who simply do not care to flaunt their money around.
Money and status have always had a great effect on society regardless of the state of the economy. It is vital to understand that most people who try to engage in this trend and who don’t come from generational wealth will never fit in the world on the 1%. People who live the quiet luxury lifestyle will never care to exhibit their wealth on social media, hence the saying: ‘Money talks, wealth whispers’.
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