Succession is bringing Quiet Luxury back in fashion, but hasn't real luxury always been quiet?

With Succession’s final season making headlines every week, Shiv Roy’s wardrobe is impressing audiences. Shiv’s minimalist, monochromatic and ultimately “classy” wardrobe is being described as the perfect epitome of the “quiet luxury” aesthetic. 

While Shiv has been donning similar outfits since the first season of Succession, social media thinks the quiet luxury trend started this year, partly also due to actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous high-profile trial regarding a ski accident. 

But first things first, 

What is quiet luxury?

In several subcultures, being rich can be equated to being flashy. However, in Succession, most of the uber-rich Roys are dressed in outfits best described as simple and easy on the eyes. Every now and then, Kendall Roy might have his flashy moments where he tries to incorporate a hip-hop-inspired wardrobe but in the latest season, he too is trying to keep it simple like Shiv. 

The secret to Shiv’s elegance is her reliance on understated colours and basic designs. For most of the series, actress Sarah Snook is visible in a pant or skirt suit. Kendall similarly relies on monochromatic suits or hoodies along with a logo-less baseball cap. 

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For Indians, quiet luxury can best be understood as fashion choices that are “un-Ranveer Singh”!

But but but.

Wasn't real luxury anyway always quiet?

Take, for example, the royal families in India with enough "old money" and ancestral property, who would often tend to get exclusive clothes tailored for them rather than focusing on particular brands. Or even if they resorted to brands, they would focus on specific pieces crafted only for them.

Tripurdaman Singh, an author and historian who belongs to an erstwhile royal family, believes that true luxury is understated. 

"In the modern age, the true meaning of luxury is an understated language that true connoisseurs can share - a shared recognition of excellence and appreciation of skill and aesthetic appeal rather than the broadcasting of status," says Singh.

The same can be said for new-age "royals" like the Ambanis or Succession's Roy family.

Think bespoke, handcrafted, the-only piece. Clothes that don't scream brands. A pashmina stole handcrafted by weavers in Kashmir that pays for the weaver's family for two months - but without a logo attached. It is sustainable, and it has a certain code of exclusivity that only a few understand. Essentially, if you know, you know. An LV scarf with a million little LV stamped on it won't guarantee you the same discretion.

Quiet Luxury rookie mistakes

As is evident in Shiv’s wardrobe in Succession, proponents of quiet luxury tend to wear clothes that don’t feature any huge designer logos or manufactured fittings. So, if you feel that a Gucci shirt with a hundred Gucci logos smeared on it or sneakers where the New Balance “N” or the Nike “swoosh” is clearly visible, you are definitely not going for a quiet luxury look. 

Rather, what makes the quiet luxury look more elevated and naturally ‘rich-looking’ is that it focuses on exquisite tailormade pieces. The latest Season 4 episode made it seem like Roman Roy even gets his indoor vest shirts handcrafted by a tailor!

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But how doable is the quiet luxury wardrobe?

Even though many are talking about it, not everyone has the luxury to afford a quiet luxury wardrobe. Simplicity also seems to come at a cost. For instance, American fashion designers suggest that to dress like Shiv, brands like Vince, Joseph, The Row, Max Mara, A.L.C., Gabriela Hearst, Jil Sander, and ME+EM can be relied on. All of them offer “investment products” with a long shelf life but it cannot be denied that they are all “high-end” brands. 

Online retail stores and relatively cheaper, fast fashion brands like H&M or Zara offer vibrant or baggy options that might not match the sleek and sharp Succession aesthetic (even Kendall’s casual looks have a tone of formality in them). 

When it comes to shopping for formals, a well-tailored combination from a reputed tailoring house is the way to go but again that comes at *kaching* quite a cost.

The move to modern minimalism

Even wealthy celebs with their own brands are gearing towards minimalism; the most popular example being the Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) who launched their brand The Row in 2006. The brand's selling point is its blend of nineties aesthetic with modern minmimalism and crisp tailoring. 

New York-based fashion stylist Liz Teich told the Daily Mail that for people who are shopping on a budget, blazers from Mango will be a more pocket-friendly option when it comes to aping Shiv or Kendall. As for women’s trousers, she suggests Reformation (a brand that doesn’t have much of an Indian presence unlike Mango). 

“Grumpy Brands” vs “Smiley Brands”

With Succession leading the batch of modern anti-rich satires, it is worth noting how Ruben Ostlund’s Oscar-nominated film Triangle of Sadness differentiates between “grumpy brands” like Balenciaga and “smiley brands” like H&M. 

The comedy’s opening scene finds a fashion photographer rounding up a bunch of models and telling them to pose grumpily if they are campaigning for a high-end luxury brand and to act cheery and childish when it comes to cheaper brands like H&M. 

In the case of quiet luxury, even grumpy brands can look tacky.

The secret lies in ultimately toning down the colours and not making the logos too obvious. Throw in a grumpy expression like one of the Roy siblings to complete your quiet luxury look!

The moment that quiet luxury is having on TikTok, TV and in courtrooms, was perhaps a few years in the making. We have been through two years of 'joyful dressing', or wearing just whatever on earth you wanted to after the pandemic. The mood has now moved to minimalism. And if you believe the trend forecasts, quiet luxury is going to be here for some time.

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