Quiet Luxury Bores Me to Tears

"Quiet Luxury" is Fashion's latest buzz-word. This laid-back ode to neutrals, simple shapes and luxury fabrics harks to a time when simplicity ruled. These were the days of Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani and Helmut Lang in their prime and at their best. 

No surprise. Pared down looks often follow a period of over-the-top styles, be it the broad shoulders, sharp edges and brilliant jewel tones of the '80s or the silly-frilly "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" frocks of recent summers.  

Luxury should be rare and/or look expensive—precious metals and jewels, exotic furs (once upon a time), hard-to-get (or hard to work with) fabrics, hand-sewn details. You should be able to see and feel what you've paid for.

Quiet Luxury is all that, but it whispers. Colors are soft and often neutral—camel, gray, beige, ecru. If there's color it's muted. Fabrics are soft too—jersey, cashmere, fine wool, silk—and the shapes less structured. One brand, Bruno Cuchinelli, has been doing this for a while. It's quiet luxury and not in any sense sense affordable. This cashmere sweater is $3,000.  

One harbinger of the Quiet Luxury trend was the tv series "Succession" in Sarah Snook's character of Shiv Roy, who succeeds (or did she?). It may be an offshoot of last year's Coastal Grandma, retooled for any age or coast.

Sarah as Shiv in "Succession"

The problem with Quiet Luxury is it can be replicated down market. Today's fabric blends easily imitate cashmere and silk. Practically no one works with 100% wool anymore, even the so-called luxury brands.  

And therein lies the problem. Quiet Luxury is everywhere—on the high street in Britain or the mall here in the U.S. It's no longer the mark of a trust fund, executive position or sugar daddy. Anyone can afford it. What's more all that gray, ecru, taupe and camel is boring, boring, boring.

I predict Quiet Luxury won't be around for long. But if you insist (and I understand that for some it's a welcome return to sanity) I can suggest the way

TO SHOP FOR IT: 

> Everything should function. Avoid anything with purely decorative effects—fake pockets, extra trims, zippers for the heck of it. 

> Think of color in candlelight. Neutrals show off this look best but you can add color. Like the cinnamon sweater above, colors are softer, toned down, as if you were in a room lit with candles.

> Avoid prints. Woven tweeds or plaids or stripes as part of a weave are fine. Avoid anything but the most subtle of prints (a woven paisley perhaps).

> Feel the fabric. Even though today's blends can be amazing, it doesn't mean they all are. Is it soft to the touch? Does it hang well? How do you take care of it? Are you willing to baby it with hand washing or dry cleaning? If you don't follow care instructions you may live to regret.

TO WEAR IT:

> Less is more. Chanel was famous for saying to take off the last thing you put on, but then she liked to wear a lot of accessories. Quiet luxury should be telling you fuggedaboutit. Don't even think about layering necklaces and bracelets. Take off your earrings if you dare. One golden or silvery bangle. It doesn't even have to be real.

> Tone down your makeup. It should whisper as well. If you like a red lip, keep it, but go easy on eye makeup. Throw away your hairspray.

> Oh and carry a big stick. You know what they say about speaking softly.