Why The Super Rich Love Understated Dressing

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May 2

(Image credit: HBO)

Quiet "stealth-luxe" fashion is dominating runways and TV screens – but why now? Clare Thorp explores the low-key, under-the-radar world of stealth wealth. If you're trying to blend in among the super-rich, carrying a handbag worth $3,000 might seem like a plausible way to do it. But, as the first episode of the current season of Succession showed, when you're mingling with the ultra-wealthy, it's not quite as easy as that.

In a scene that quickly went viral, Cousin Greg brought a date, Bridget, to the birthday party of Logan Roy, billionaire founder and CEO of media conglomerate Waystar-Royco. By inviting a stranger into Logan's private home, he had badly misread the situation. But if Greg made a faux-pas – his date made a bigger one.

By carrying a "ludicrously capacious" bag – as Greg's tormenter and co-conspirator, Tom Wambsgan designated it – Bridget immediately marked herself out as an interloper in this exclusive world. "What's even in there?" asked Tom mockingly. "Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail? It's gargantuan. You could take it camping. You could slide it across the floor after a bank job."

The ultra-rich, of course, rarely need to carry anything themselves. But it's not just the size that's the issue. The distinctive checked print is immediately recognisable– even without an accompanying logo. This is a bag that wears its price tag on its sleeve. It's flashy, attention-grabbing and everything the Roys and their ilk are not – because, once your bank balance is in the billions, you don't need to try to impress anyone.

Over four seasons, Succession has given us a glimpse – albeit a fictional one – into the lifestyles of the richest people in the US, and shown how billionaires differentiate themselves from a bog-standard multi-millionaire. The show famously has wealth consultants to advise on every minor detail, and costume designers who carefully construct a wardrobe that truly reflects the 0.01%.

Shiv Roy might be able to afford any couture gown she desires, but you'll most likely find her in a plain black polo neck, brown trouser suit or beige shirt (though one made from the finest silk).There might be the odd pinstripe or check – or an occasional flash of colour for a social event – but for the most part this is suppressed, not stand-out, style.

Her brother Kendall, meanwhile, loves Loro Piana, an Italian label that specialises in low-key pieces made from the finest fabrics, where a coat can cost $25,000 (though you can pick up one of Kendall's beloved cashmere baseball caps for a bargain $495). As Colleen Morris-Glennon, costume designer for TV series Industry – another show that allows us to hang out with the fictional super-wealthy – explained to Vogue, the richer someone is, the harder they can be to pick out in the crowd. "The last person you'd think was a billionaire is the billionaire......

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By: Clare Thorp

Source: Why the super-rich love understated dressing - BBC Culture