whispering wealth

Houston style expert whispers how to elegantly embrace the quiet luxury aesthetic

In true IYKYK fashion, quiet luxury is one of the year's hottest trends — though it might be supplanted this year by Barbiecore — but also one of the hardest to describe.

For those unfamiliar, the look is 100-percent free of logos and the exact opposite of dopamine dressing or peacocking, which were popular trends at the end of the pandemic. The loud colors, skin-baring outfits, and ostentatious logos everywhere in 2021 and 2022 are slowly becoming a look of the past.

According to Houston celebrity stylist Iris Shaftel, quiet luxury "embraces quality and fine craftsmanship. Rather than "proving" your status through logos, obvious designer patterns, or ostentatious displays of wealth, those who lead a ‘stealth-wealth’ lifestyle opt for subtly high-end pieces."

The HBO hit Succession is an excellent example of quiet luxury. The show's costume designer, Michelle Matland, always dressed the character Shiv Roy in impeccably tailored outfits that fit well and exuded quality and sophistication. While many may not have noticed, Kendall Roy consistently wore brands like Gucci and Tom Ford sans the screaming logos.

Shaftel, who has 22 years in the fashion business and 12 as a personal stylist, points out that for the ultra-rich, quiet luxury is also a way to separate themselves from the gaudiness of the nouveau riche.

"It's an ‘if you know, you know’ mentality amongst those belonging to this class. The untrained eye does not recognize a plain, navy cap as a $525 Loro Piana cashmere baseball cap — but those belonging to that tax bracket do," she tells CultureMap. "It's the same reason why the Jenners didn't dress up for Coachella, while influencers spent months planning their outfits and sourcing pieces. The Jenners don't need the publicity – they know they're on top and don't need to prove it."

Sofia Richie and Gwyneth Paltrow are the it girls of quiet luxury, opting for a subtle, high-class, and elegant look in their everyday aesthetic. Sofia Richie hit peak status with her wedding in April, and searches for her wedding details on TikTok have hit 500 million views. Everything from her nail color (a soft pink), to her party dress and honeymoon outfits have all made headlines.

Although quiet luxury may be categorized as a trend, it can, with carefully chosen pieces, be embraced to withstand fashion cycles. Savvy shoppers are ditching overconsumption and the "haul" mentality and investing in high-quality components that will withstand the test of time.

For those looking to embrace the quiet luxury trend, Shaftel suggests investing in pieces from the following brands to get the ultimate "stealth wealth" look.

Brunello Cucinelli

The Fluid Corduroy Tailored Blazer Jacket was worn by Gerri in Succession.Photo by Bruno Cucinelli

Ralph Lauren

Brands like Ralph Lauren are perfect for a quiet luxury aesthetic. Afterall, you can’t go wrong with their cashmere turtlenecks.Photo by Ralph Lauren

Bottega Veneta

The Sardine Intrecciato Crossbody Bag, is worn by the likes of Kendall Jenner and dubbed an “It Bag” by Vogue.Photo by Bottega Veneta

The Row

The Row's Jaka Oversized Wool-Blend Felt Coat was worn by Gwyneth Paltrow at her recent trial.Photo by The Row

Photo courtesy of Sofia Richie/Instagram

Sofia Richie has become the "it girl" of the quiet luxury aesthetic.

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SUDDEN SHUTTERS

Saks Off 5th to close 3 Houston stores with blowout final sale

Saks OFF 5th/ Facebook

Saks Off 5th is closing its only San Antonio store.

Houston shoppers looking for the thrill of the deal might want to mark their calendar. Discount designer retailer Saks Off 5th is closing most of its U.S. stores, including three in the Houston area, as its parent company tries to wiggle its way out of bankruptcy. Liquidation sales will begin Saturday, January 31 at select locations.

The mass closures come after Saks Global — the parent company of luxury department stores Saks 5th Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections on January 14. The conglomerate has been buckling under the strain of $2.5 million in debt it acquired with the 2024 purchase of rival retailer Neiman Marcus.

"As we advance on Saks Global's transformation, we are taking decisive steps to realign our business to better serve our luxury customers and drive full-price selling across our core luxury businesses," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer of Saks Global, in a release. "With these actions, we will be well positioned to seize the greatest opportunities for long-term growth and value creation. We sincerely thank our Saks Off 5th and Last Call colleagues for the important role they have played in serving our loyal customers."

Saks will close 57 Off 5th stores and shutter the five remaining locations of Neiman Marcus’ off-brand shop Last Call. Only 12 OFF 5th units will survive the move. After the onslaught, Texas’ sole store will be at Grapevine Mills mall in Grapevine.

Many of the U.S. stores will kick off closing sales beginning January 31. An additional 23 stores will close outright on February 2. Here’s the full list of Texas shutters:

Saks Off 5TH locations holding closing sales:

Cypress, 29300 Hempstead Rd.
Sugar Land, 2745 N Town Center Blvd.
Katy, 5000 Katy Mills Cir.
San Antonio, 5819 Worth Pkwy.

Saks Off 5TH locations closing February 2:

Grand Prairie, 2950 W. I-20 #125
Dallas, 8040 Park Ln.

Last Call Locations holding closing sales:

Grapevine, 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy. #233
San Marcos, 3939 S. I-35 #1105

The overall primary market for luxury goods has been declining in recent years due to changing customer preferences, a perceived decline in quality in top brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and a growing resale market led by sites like The RealReal and Vestaire Collective.

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