THE CULTURAL LANGUAGE OF QUIET LUXURY

Stealth wealth isn’t just in your wardrobe — it’s hiding in your playlists, bookshelf and watchlist too

You know that feeling when you spot someone in head-to-toe tonal knitwear, sipping a flat white in a sun-drenched corner of a gallery café — and you just know their coat is The Row and their shoes are Toteme, even if there's not a logo in sight? That’s quiet luxury. It's not just about the clothes (although we could happily talk about those all day), but about an entire cultural code — subtle, thoughtful, unbranded but unmistakably expensive.

Quiet luxury is, at its core, about the art of suggestion: it lets the quality do the talking. And it turns out, this aesthetic spills far beyond wardrobes and interiors — into the books we read, the films we return to, and the music that scores our Sunday mornings. There’s something about glossy cinematography, a well-placed Augustinus Bader bottle in a bathroom scene or chic outfit styling on the silver screen that sparks a dopamine hit like no other. So, I thought I’d share all of my favourite cultural references that perfectly capture the soft power and supreme confidence of quiet luxury — with no logo in sight. Well…maybe a little one.

Films That Whisper Wealth

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
The film equivalent of a Brunello Cucinelli showroom. Rene Russo wears belted cashmere and backless gowns while Pierce Brosnan steals priceless art in linen suits. It’s rich in every sense.

A Bigger Splash (2015)
Tilda Swinton in Pantelleria, recovering in a brutalist villa with nothing but kaftans and sultry silence. The pool, the light, the Saint Laurent — it's all a love letter to Mediterranean restraint.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Gwyneth, Jude, and Matt in late-1950s Italy, dressing like vintage Prada ads and drinking martinis in sun-faded palazzos. Luxury laced with unease. Delicious.

Phantom Thread (2017)
A couture designer obsessed with control. Candlelit breakfasts, whispered power plays, and couture that never raises its voice. It’s quietly intense, like a Savile Row suit with secrets.

Her (2013)
Set in a soft-focus future where everything is tactile and minimal. The colour palette is COS meets Margiela, and the emotional restraint is oddly chic.

A Perfect Murder (1998)
Gwyneth Paltrow glides through this glossy thriller in a wardrobe of silk shirts, camel coats and brushed-back hair — all set against an Upper East Side apartment you just know smells of Diptyque. It’s a suspenseful homage to minimalist affluence, where even betrayal looks well-dressed.

TV Shows That Dress Like They’re Old Money

Succession (2018–2023)
A masterclass in stealth wealth dressing. The Roys wear €4k cashmere like it’s M&S and carry their power in a whisper. Shiv’s collarless tailoring should have its own credit.

Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent)
A celebration of Parisian polish — from trench coats and low buns to meaningful side-eyes over red wine. These agents look editorial without ever trying.

The Crown (Seasons 1–4)
Understated royal elegance: cream coats, pearl earrings, and a 1950s sense of duty wrapped in camel wool. It’s luxury with a stiff upper lip.

The Night Manager (2016)
Tom Hiddleston broods through espionage in lush European locations, while Hugh Laurie’s villain lives in a Mallorcan fortress. All very Mr Porter meets MI6.

Big Little Lies (Season 1)
The Monterey mums drink green juice in silk robes and drive Teslas to yoga. It’s soft-focus affluence, with a dark undercurrent and impeccable interiors.

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Books That Live in Quiet Luxury Homes

Swans of Fifth Avenue – Melanie Benjamin
Truman Capote’s elegant, gossipy friendships with NYC’s most glamorous socialites. Think pearls at breakfast, Chanel suits at lunch, and betrayal over dinner.

Chanel: An Intimate Life – Lisa Chaney
An absorbing look into Coco’s complex world. Behind every seam and camellia is a story of power, reinvention and enduring elegance.

The Pursuit of Love – Nancy Mitford
A gloriously irreverent tale of aristocratic chaos and charm. Faded glamour and bohemian longing wrapped in tweed and silver spoons.

Outline – Rachel Cusk
Minimalist, elliptical, and quietly piercing. The literary equivalent of a camel coat — unflashy but transformative.

The Golden Notebook – Doris Lessing
Dense, brilliant, and defiantly intellectual. If you want your quiet luxury with a feminist punch, this is it.

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Songs That Sound Like Soft Cashmere

Cigarettes After Sex – “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby”
A dreamy haze of reverb and breathy vocals. Like walking through a Toteme showroom at golden hour.

Yo-Yo Ma – Bach’s Cello Suites
Serene, precise, and entirely devoid of ego. It’s the soundtrack to a well-curated life.

Everything But The Girl – “Missing” (Todd Terry Remix)
A 90s classic that still feels like it belongs in a quietly glamorous dinner party. Melancholic, polished, unforgettable.

Sade – “Smooth Operator”
Any Sade actually. Possibly the ultimate quiet luxury anthem. Smooth, assured, and swaying in silk wide-leg trousers.

Kings of Convenience – “Misread”
Soft, clean Norwegian pop with no sharp edges. Basically a Loewe ad in audio form.