If you’re looking to emanate the high-end aesthetic taking over social media, look no further than the Roy family from HBO’s Succession to see how you can.
Sometimes the loudest statement you can make in fashion is sticking to the basics. If there’s any show proving that now, it’s HBO’s Succession.
Released in 2018, the series follows the fictional, affluent Roy family as its siblings – Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan “Shiv” (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) – vie with each other over who succeeds father Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as head of his media behemoth Waystar Royco.
What the Emmy-winning drama translates is not only a story of power dynamics but an aesthetic comfortable with the elite and their often minimalist lifestyles. It’s known as quiet luxury.
What is quiet luxury?
The name captures the very essence of what it exudes – a preference for expensive subtly with toned-down yet tailored designer pieces over noisy opulence full of obvious branding and loud logos. It’s also embraced with an air of confidence and elegance in knowing that you really don’t need it all to do the most.
On the outside, it appears to be an exclusive way of living but, as noted by Elle, it’s also about investing in the right articles of clothing.
How has Succession embraced quiet luxury?
So far, throughout Succession’s four seasons, its characters have defined what all of that means, just through their pared-down, preppy fashions.
Shiv, for example, commands the screen in tailored suits, knit frocks, turtlenecks and the occasional cocktail dress, all in her color codes of gray, black, brown and beige (with a pinstripe print, houndstooth pattern or pastel shade sometimes thrown into the mix).
Despite the simplicity of her wardrobe, her heritage looks prove she is a rich power player without having to come above a whisper.
What brands sell quiet luxury?
While speaking with Vox in 2019, Succession costume designer Michelle Matland revealed she sourced a lot Shiv’s season one pieces from contemporary clothing brand Theory, which gives fans some insight on what style constitutes as quiet luxury — and the price tag it comes with.
The trend’s opposition was apparent in the season 4 premiere, which saw new character Bridget (Francesca Root-Dodson) toting a plaid $2,890 Burberry handbag and a statement-making floral-patterned dress by Sandro, both of which went against the unspoken muted rules of the trend. (They also earned her cutting comments from the Roy family.)
Which celebrities are showcasing quiet luxury?
The aesthetic goes beyond the Roys, too. Viewers and fashion mavens have quickly picked up on the concept – and celebrities have as well.
Kendall Jenner, Zoë Kravitz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and Sofia Richie, among others, have embodied the trend in their everyday looks. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have also mastered the style phenomena just with their self-made label The Row, which features a monochromatic palette and all the structured silhouettes that any fan of quiet luxury can ask for.