Buying high quality timeless pieces so you can wear them for years and be all sustainable n shit: Yes Buying high quality timeless pieces for the aesthetic and throwing them in a landfill when the trend dies: No Buying cheap imitations of high quality pieces so future generations can eat more microplastics: NO
At least if they ditch them these particular items would probably hold some value, so might result in a bump in the second hand market (good for people in the first camp).
@@karidyas00 That's a good thought and it's partially true, however if there's too much supply then businesses would rather throw away their excess product than flood the market and let prices drop. It's common practice in many industries, not just fashion. (Edit: I mean thrift stores too, if selling it isn't profitable then it will be thrown away)
@@karidyas00 Or giving them up to charity shops. I've been dressing "old money" since before I knew the term existed simply because I buy clothing from charity shops.
I'm a middle class woman in my 20s who just prefers neutral colours and the timeless looks ( easy to style, looks neat and professional). So seeing my personal style become this "trend" and associated with " looking rich " has been bizarre. One can do the rich cosplay all they want, in the end they're spending precious money on designer bags or wardrobe for a trend they might ditch very soon.
And the rich still won't be deceived. Everyone already knows each other in those types of circles so people dressing like them are basically just doing a cosplay to only deceive other people like themselves. I don't even know why they bother. Just dress as you like.
@@SaffariRose exactly, the only benefit old money did was introduce me to ditching Sneaker Culture a bit (as in instead of wanting hundreds of shoes just OG colors that won’t lose their appeal) to buying more items I can wear for over a decade. My closet currently consists of two pleated trousers, two joggers and three pieces of denim. Denim being a medium, dark and black wash. I only have neutral t shirts and linen shirts and invested money in a pair of loafers and boots. I can see myself wearing these items in now and in a decade while lounging about. Not overly expensive either but good quality. Uniqlo is a go to, however for jeans I have always been a sucker for AEO.
@@marvinsalmeron585 Great selection of pieces! I'm really trying my best to streamline my clothes too (because I find that I waste too much time trying to put outfits together in the morning). Just having some quality basics and bit of statement pieces here and there would be ideal. If I can save up and buy some more real gold (or gemstone) jewelry, that would be some extra investment in the long term (since the value usually appreciates and I can sell it off if I need the cash in future). I only have a pair of gold earrings right now in a sea of cheap ones, lol. If only I knew better earlier. Old money gets it right by not letting clothes become a personality trait and think in terms of longevity and investments. Having pieces you can wear for years means 1 less thing to waste money on and 1 less thing to worry about. Plus you're for sure going to look great all the time.
Good on you. Same attitude. Similar situation. I’m a guy who likes quality, no logo, natural material clothes. Unfortunately hard to find such clothes in E-Europe. We have the standard "shopping mall" brands. If you want to outside of those - most are too expensive (I’m cheap when it comes to clothes. I buy only 40-50% off. Usually TH for tops, Levis/Strellson bottom. Jackets/coats Save the duck, Ted Baker and I don’t remember what else. But everything very plain…). Wife sometimes likes something more flashy (specially in the past but not anymore). The most expensive she would go is Michael Kors, Furla (for bags). Same for other clothes. But mostly TH, Ted Baker, MK, Calvin Klein etc. I don’t understand the 200$ t-shirt logic. I don’t care how well made it is.
@@AK_Catholic_Traditional Honestly! If that shirt isn't made of gold, i can't justify that purchase; $200 is alot. I think I'm only willing to spend more on knits and outerwear because it's unlikely I'll buy more than one at a time. And I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into it. A cotton shirt will come off the same roll of fabric but brands would add vanity pricing on it for their own image. I thought in Europe you had more access to outlet malls? Basically where designers sell off their discount products to save face. Lol. That would be an ideal place to shop especially if you aren't following trends.
The ultimate old money shoes, belts, and handbags are craftsmen made leather goods that you bought on your trip to Italy. It's not about the brand. It's about quality.
I see nothing wrong with this "trend". It brings people in to Classic Men's wear. In addition to this young people finally start to invest in high quality garments an accessories that will last them a long time. And since you re dressing timeless you can wear them for years to come.
@@samfacultad9669 This is an important objection of yours. Im sure moste people will wear those pices in the Future. Since those classic Items are not flashy they can be combined with newer trends. Aside from that modern fashon trends tend to be more casual in nature, witch means folk can rely on a classic Wardrope for formal occasions. On last point i'd like to make is, when fashion consumers get older they are more likly to settle for a more formal attire.
@@alex_hunter7098 agree, I wear more classic and formal clothing in comparison to when I was younger. Btw, I'm only in my early 30's. So I'm not that old 😅
I agree with the idea that SOME people will get longevity and quality appreciation, investing into more ethical/ artisan brands and such. I'm in my mid 30's and my husband and I wear a "corporate goth" look for nice events, but a modern dark look for casual everyday (like Yohji Yamamoto), people have called it the "money goth look" 😁. However, many young people don't/ can't afford to invest in higher quality and resort to fast fashion and counterfeit product. A high-quality garment here and there isn't enough to offset the damage of overconsumption and fast fashion, and quite frankly, even those few items don't always get the upkeep they deserve. I've met so many people (irl and 0nline) who don't follow proper maintenance like dry clean only, or get leather repair, tailoring and sending luxury brand items to the flagship store for FREE maintenance!!😮💨🤦♀ People don't know HOW to take care of their quality things for longevity; they throw out and repurchase unnecessarily.🙄
For me the "Old Money" Aesthetic just doesn't do it for me. I am an apprentice watchmaker in switzerland and work with crazy rich people. They most often don't care about aesthetics, fashion etc... Yes they wear expensive, well-made clothing. But no one rich, actually looks like the "old money" Tiktok fashion.
might be because it's based on American "old money" looks. Which is actually new money compared to Europe 😁. I'm sometimes in establishments that have old money Americans and some of the looks are accurate, some definitely aren't. But I agree that a decent amount of rich people do really dress quite poorly and aren't going for the brands the internet thinks they are. Really, a lot of them are just wearing Brooks Brothers and calling it a day.
The classic old money style in Europe is: - bespoke suit with a peaked lapel - tweed Blazer -high waisted trousers with pleats -bespoke shirts -nice shoes -cable knit jumpers and old overcoats Thats all- in short: How a rich grandfather used to dress
Europe is quite internally different, this whole trend is basically how upper class dress in northern Italy, mainly older people but young ones too, strange to see it as some micro trend
I’m from Portugal and this way of dressing is how teenagers/ early twenties from middle to upper class dress, we call “ betinhos” , usually is polos, shirt and chinos is nothing new .
@@raupenimmersatt6906 Depends on where you are from. In my country, rich people wear very expensive hiking clothes just understated clothes in general. Nobody really wears tweed here, but well-made knitted sweaters and jumpers are a telltale sign. If you're not sure if they're going to a meeting, going boating or both, they probably have some money. Also, I'd say people with money are very detail oriented here, in that you probably have very expensive high quality family heirlooms that you can't buy just anywhere, or wear things known for their quality (especially if you have to be in the know about what is quality or not). I used to work in a store that sold glasses and watches, and the customers who chose timeless quality over flashy displays of wealth, were usually the richest ones. Just having some of the knowledge about what makes a good quality item compared to the price, says something about your spending habits. The customers who were willing to shell out for a higher quality automatic watch over a cheaply made but overpriced "designer brand" watch, were either enthusiasts who saved for their purchase or just people who had money to spend and knew what to spend it on. If you know your product, you can change leagues in quality by only adjusting the price somewhat, especially if you're already buying from the higher end market where some brands hike up the price for exclusivity. After working there it made me more aware of what a watch says about someone, and now I'd definitely be more impressed by someone wearing a Grand Seiko over a Rolex. I appreciate and notice more of the finer details now TBH.
"Old Money" fashion is a bit bizarre to me. Quite a lot of it is just wearing Polo, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. - which to me is just standard middle class office worker clothing. But going beyond that into Loro Piana, Goyard, etc., is just trying too hard, because the real billionaires are mainly just dressed like the middle class office workers anyway.
@@remionthemoon it is a LVMH brand mostly pointed towards newly rich asians now. Old rich people don‘t bother about such highly priced clothing at all or get their stuff tailored.
@@rudimussrodeln makes sense, it loses some of its authenticity being apart of the LVMH oligopoly umbrella. So old rich mostly dress in bespoke tailored clothes. If they do buy brands are there any in particular.
Antwon, you've been delivering some serious heavy hitters lately. I subscribed a year ago for your techwear content when I bought my pair of Acronym Blazers. Now in my second year of being into fashion, I get to learn from your takes on style philosophy and contemporary fashion culture!! You're one of the few I know doing deep dives into these kinds of questions, so keep it coming!!
Thanks so much! Glad you've enjoyed the recent videos - I do still want to incorporate more technical stuff so maybe I'll do a spring/summer roundup type video
Seriously, I need more content creators in this lane. I think fashion is an incredibly interesting topic, but I already know the labels and the info I need to know and the stockists I need to watch for the clothing I'm personally interested in for myself. I just want more of this type of analytical/essay type fashion content, something genuinely interesting that approaches trends and concepts from more than just a consumerist or simply personal critical lens
@@ThisIsAntwon Hey Antwon, You ever catch 'Gattaca'? It's easily one of my top flicks. What really gets me is how they went about the costume design. We're talking future times, but the clothes are straight out of the 30s, 50s, and 60s. Classy, timeless, you know? It's funny, but the recent 2023 Fear of God runway reminded me a lot of that. The style was effortless, classic, and it didn't lean into the overused cyberpunk look. High-tech but classic, forward-thinking without all the extra pockets. Cool, right?
The old money aesthetic is good (if you do it properly) in the way it rejects fast fashion and promotes an active lifestyle. It's more sustainable as long as you're actually buying quality items and dont just move on to the next microtrends.
yeah fr, i get all the hate of it as a tiktok trend because it's obviously not gonna stick around and those people are just gonna throw the clothes away in a month or two anyway, but personally i didn't even know it was trending and i just recently got into the style because i have a few friends that dress like that on a day to day basis because they come from old money and i fell in love with the style, so as much as i want to agree with everyone about the cringe tiktok trend i'm honestly not mad that it's been made so much easier for me to learn the dos and don'ts of the style by googling two words
I am still waiting for the day when fashion enthusiats would finally make the "nerdy IT wagie" aesthetic into its own core so I can unapolegetically wear my crumply uniqlo shirts and chinos outside and be seen as a fashion icon
Brother I’m really enjoying the more “social analysis” type content of late. Feels like this channel is really growing beyond techwear, while retaining its roots. Great job. Maybe a future topic could be about how techwear was actually the first truly “internet powered” subculture because it wasn’t tied to a location / profession / geographical area at all. Just a random thought I had, haven’t actually looked into it.
@@DarkDragon1223 Darkwear was an LA / Rick Owens thing though right? Tech wear was obviously pioneered by ACR but they aren’t part of a “Berlin scene” … nobody in Berlin could even afford that kind of piece until recently. They always targeted the SuFu “rich Asian” clientele. Am I wrong? Just throwing stuff out there.
That's the wrong way of determining quality 100% cotton can be crap or brilliant same as 100% cashmere can feel shit and 100% polyester can be insanely nice. Composition only goes so far in terms of indicating quality and or cost of manufacture. Feeling and looking at the fabric and construction will always be the one and only reliable way of determining whether something is worth the money to you or not.
Being from an old money family myself, my experience is that a lot of old money folks arent that rich anymore and are just working normal jobs. They're still middle/upper class but its miles away from how it was 100 years ago or so. Only thing left is traditions like dresscode, family paintings and parties with people from similar background.
Personally, I think "Old Money" and Workwear are two side of the same Preppy coin. Especially, when it comes to buying less and and getting the most bang for you buck. They both can be smashed together to make a cohesive look and it would just look like something from the 1950's, but somewhere down they line they just went down two paths.
Exactly, the line between preppy/trad and workwear is quite thin, especially looking at brands like Barbour, Filson, LL Bean or Schöffel. In Europe and most of the East Coast especially, “old money” is just very traditionally country.
What I find interesting about fashion Tiktok trends is to see how they evolve. The Old Money tag now has a lot more trendy looks in it than in the beginning. And the more people try to replicate and join the "trend", the more distorted it becomes from the original. I think its similar with techwear actually. The original niche got more and more popular, people added their own ideas and now the techwear tag online is pretty far removed from what the original niche used to look like. So its a lot harder to find actual techwear without stumbling across dropshippers. But I actually dont mind the diverging directions the style has taken. Darkwear and warcore are valid styles to have. I just wish they were labeled as they are, without using the term techwear for false advertisement. Similar to the old money thing tho, they are not what the original techwear aesthetic is and its blurring the lines.
Beau Brummell's "“the maximum of luxury in the service of minimal ostentation” summarized the old money aesthetic two centuries in advance, it's so interesting how that wish for craftmanship over flashiness is not always popular, but never really leaves the social consciousness !
That’s very well said. But the main reason for that lies in the fact we are social beings, brand value and recognition work in the need of belonging that most people have. There are studies where people perceive brands and cherish them almost like family. That’s the reason why people keep on coming back to that need of “I have to show this”. It’s all psychological.
Very interesting video, thank you! The irony is that the “timeless look” can actually be achieved quite easily with plain, logoless clothing from midmarket clothing chains. But the problem with that is that you won’t spend insane amounts of money on these. And of course I wonder if the people of Old Money really purchase items of the featured brands, or if they could care less.
@donk8105 that is exactly the reason the trend will die fast because fools love to flex the designer logo and the price tag, people that already dress like this could not care less
I find the old money trend particularly funny because there were two very distinct groups of kids in my high school where one was trying hard as hell to pull off the old money look while the other was trying to drip in Supreme. I think it's weird that this trend has basically distorted in the exact same way that it kind of started tastefully but then people started flexing the price tag of their shirts and belts. It's just another trend and I feel like I'm aging backwards witnessing this trend live again not even a decade after it was a thing in my local area. Even funnier is seeing my former classmates switch camps just for the trends online as if they weren't gatekeeping the exact same things not that long ago.
I feel like the old money trend is much more appealing to Americans than Europeans. For Americans it's like 'wow they look so classy and European' whereas as a Brit it makes me think 'wow they look like a Tory c**t'
@@connorwebb5836 I do not agree with your opinion, I'm italian and I like the old money aesthetic because it incorporates timeless and beautiful clothes like shirts, polos, chinos,... (but I usually prefer wearing suits with a tie).
@@francescopastena8129 AKA staple clothes in many Europeans closet. You should go to the USA, people are something else... Go to Walmart. No wonder some Americans like to cosplay "old money" or actually "old continent" aesthetic.
I switched all my tshirts to shirts this year. People treat me differently, they are a bit nicer to me. Also, more people ask me for money on the street
i think this trend is having less to do with being a "trend" but more related to the fact that a a big part of social media demographics is going into their 30's and 40's and want to dress their age and invest in a clean look that last for years, basically what i can describe as "fashion trends fatigue", combined with the absurd rise of self-improvement movements for men created this percivied trend
@@johnroberts1141 Kinda a term that's lost its meaning these days, if you asked a hundred folks 'would you like your rent to be lower' you know what the percentages would be 😅
Never had to overhaul my wardrobe when I switched to classic style with suits, sport coats, dress shoes etc back in 2013. I never had to throw any item away and they can always be repaired, and I still get compliments to this day. Now it's a little jarring to see this become a Tiktok trend only to become "overplayed" at some point later and make me look like someone who never moved on from a Tiktok trend. 😂
I’ve been wearing something like Old Money for like a decade now. The emphasis is on timelessness rather than status, because the conglomerations of classic style never become obsolete.
Great video. One topic I would've liked to have heard about was the midrange brands which communicate the value behind old money effectively, while also being somewhat affordable. For example there are many brands using quality materials and paying workers fair wages where the garment prices aren't in the quadruple digits. This allowd the customers to take the good from old money, while eliminating some of the bad, although if you don't like the aesthetic aspect, you still wouldn't like it. Awesome evolution of the channel, love to see it.
Your videos are super insightful and thought provoking. I’m way more aware of just wearing I enjoy, while still being more aware of why trends might be permeating through the culture. Keep up the good work
As a guy who doesn't care for Techwear, I really like your videos for quality memage and interesting analysis. Really liked how you linked the old money aesthetic to techwear to show the continuum in thought. I have the feeling that as our society becomes louder and more consumption-driven, our generation that has grown up being taught to dislike mindless consumption and climate destroying habits will shift more and more to more minimalist, logo-less and simple clothing and trends. After all, something that's quite present in the "old money aesthetic" is a living in the present, without smartphones and notifications.
I think there are some important differences between techwear and old money which might be worth mentioning. Most notably, I think, is the motivation for participating in the style. Techwear has a lot of variance and diversity, but it ultimately contains a unifying design ideology of futuristic theming and performance-forward clothing. As a result, participators in techwear are signaling either a coinciding aesthetic taste or a need for performance in their garments. Conversely, the unifying feature of 'old money' looks seems to only be that they are expensive iterations on a common traditional style. As a result, participators in the 'old money' trend seem only to be signaling an abundance of wealth. The 'old money' trend is then deservedly seen as shallow, as it is a classist statement masquerading as an aesthetic.
im a fan of this "trend" and do think it CAN stick around longer just because if you do it right, you have timeless pieces for a while. Navy/ Beige/ Black/ white/ brown stuff constitutes 90% of the wardrobe and allows for endless wearability and matching. I think this trend is peaking now though and just like with every other trend cycle, the internet will move on quickly to the next one, so I'm more being hopeful that this trend doesn't get dropped like a hot potato, but it definitely will. And the $500 hat stuff is just hilarious.
@@Davy-oq9pn I see it as a "default male fashion" too. But I think the fashion trend cycle fast enought that somehow it look new and refreshing for the younger generation. They grow up with different stuff. Their "old people cloths" are trends from just 10 years ago like skinny jeans and minimalistic stuff.
@@augusto7681 unfortunately default male fashion today is to dress like a 15 yrs old (even if you're in your 30s) that want to flex the designer logo on the $100 t-shirt
i like the old money aesthetic. i love the simplicity of it n the idea of prioritizing extremely high quality materials over branding. i bought a cos half zip sweater (not old money enough) but i really love it bcs of its high quality feel n the fit
I've been an "old money dresser" without even knowing that this fashion trend existed until a little bit ago😅 I honestly believe everyone should wear what they feel most representative of themselves and comfortable wearing, not following fashion trends
This is a very interesting analysis, Antwon! I can't really say much about women's clothing, as I don't have much experience in that field, however I have been into classic menswear most of my life, and find it interesting to see the pendulum swing back toward the timeless (it is important to note, many of those trending pictures lack the proper fitting and alterations to make an outfit Old Money and truly timeless). When I got to the age where I was buying clothes for myself, I often opted for vintage and second-hand goods, because I was tired of the polyester and nylon, the lack of labor laws in some of the places of production, and the overall lack of quality in the assembly of clothes. After I started with the haberdashery, I learned that there are quite a few brands that still address those concerns of mine (but I will say, that Bruno Cucinelli baseball cap *is* more trendy than timeless -- a cap retailing for $500 should have more precise sizing than just "Small/Medium/Large"). You're absolutely right about wearing understated luxury clothing being akin to listening to music on vinyl LP, but it goes even further than that. For me, it's about having a "self-uniform" that is low maintenance, in regard to never looking out-of-date or behind the times, and expresses who I am on the inside.
I understood that reference to Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation." Finally, the knowledge I gained in the pursuit of tumblr "I'm not like other girls" tail comes in clutch. My pursuit of kegelian dialectics have finally borne fruit.
I love the tech episodes, but these ones are always super interesting as well. Love when you talk about some other trends, you have some great insight! It shows you do your research when you show things like short lists including these brands.
I do agree with you. I just like the simple aesthetic of certain outfits that are considered "old money" but I don't like them for their wealthy appareance but rather just for the color balance and simplicity while being just a little sophisticated. thus, I don't know how the style I am aiming for is called... which makes it difficult to find inspiration.
Rather than "old money", I think you are maybe looking for "classic menswear". I like to dress in a classic way, and personally I do not associate high quality and classic garnments only to super wealthy people.
I love old money aesthetic is so simple yet so elegant and put together and it dosnt even need money is just timeless high quality and good for the envioronment no need for buying every time clothing that isnt trendy anymore in the next month
I’ve been doing the “old money” look for years lol. I bought these clothes because I want high classical timeless quality cut clothes that I can wear for years without having to worry about the seasonal collection changing with the more heavily branded clothes designers. Although I have fallen victim a few times to LV 😂😂
My expensive clothes are still look new..... 😅 After more than 10 years. I find myself taking frequent trips to malls to buy new cheap clothes every 6 months.
I concur. I'm from a seaside suburb considered a retirees paradise. Residents are mostly old money. Everyone here wears unbranded, plain but good quality, versatile clothing. Not necessarily quite luxury brands because for generational wealthy folk it's not high on the priority list to wear outrageously expensive clothes. These people are frugal. They'd rather shop at a regular department store and save their wealth on real estate and investing. Including private school education for the kids.That's the big expense. Some prestigious schools in my area have reached their quota to the point that couples in order to get a place, have to enrol a child that hasn't even been born yet.
Real old money values durability in EVERYTHING they do. It’s logical: They may have a lot of assets, but also the responsibility to pass it on to the next generation. The biggest irony is that Succession is about the struggles of being new money.
As an elder millennial all I'm seeing is Gen Z's sad attempt at the "fake it 'til you make" nonsense younger millennials were all into as "influencer culture" became a thing. Kids, I have spoilers, most of them didn't. Sure the argument COULD be made that you're somehow sticking it to the man or whatever by copping his fashion but then you have to ask yourself, "Who owns the companies and who benefits the most from every sale of a $500 baseball cap?" At the end of the day I suppose I just expected more from the generation that grew up in front of screens & the internet. I guess I expected with technology making design tools, manufacturing, and logistics more democratized than ever that these kids would be spitting in the face of the rich, the awfulness of the world, and the algorithm by making their own crazy, bright, and fun trends and churning them out at a rate unlike anything we ever did in the late 90's and early 2000's.
The internet didn’t changed anything, I think it worse now😂. This is how companies trick the middle class into thinking they are rich, for example Rolex is not a high end watch maker but every wants one, they can buy a Rolex but not a patek Philip.
I see it as a classic look that is beautiful. I hate the lazy clothing trends of today of hoodies, graphic tees, ripped jeans, and sneakers for everything. It's lazy, it looks lazy, and it is ugly. It's like you are trying to look homeless.
As actual old money: No one I know where any of those "old money aesthetic brands". Everyone I know wears Ralph Lauren, LL Bean, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, and MAYBE J Press if they're "into clothes". It's hilarious to see people spending money they don't have on expensive clothes just to "look the part" when the people who actually are "the part" just look like they're going to a parent-teacher conference, as the teacher.
I’m someone who more or less fulfils the stereotype of old and the funny thing is that even if you wear labels that are “old money style” and even if the “old money” wear’s it they will never be associated or be a part of the old money. It takes more then expensive clothes to be old money.
Great video! The “Old Money” aesthetic kind of overlaps “Classic Menswear” which I gravitate towards. Loro Piana and Brunello are dumb expensive but I like a middle road with brands like The Armoury because they deliver “elevated basics” in a sense but the quality is really good. I think your point about this trend being a reaction to fast fashion is fair. I’d prefer to buy something from a brand like The Armoury because it’s great quality, goes with almost everything I own, should last for many years, and is middle of the road in regards to fashion trends. I know I can wear it now and 10 years from now.
Maybe now that I'm in my 30s I'm out of touch, but this "aesthetic" is just called being preppy. I'm from Connecticut and this is just how people dress. You don't have to be a billionaire or constantly on vacation. Chinos, oxfords, conservative colors, and no big logos. It's not complicated or a "trend" lol.
There is no substitute for classic style . One person commented at the beginning of this video that old money style p***** him off . I hope he took the trouble to watch this video and listened to himself uttering those words . He is everything any person with self respect and style would go out of their way not to imitate .
seeing ralph lauren pop up in these lists is funny to me as ralph lauren specifically took the old money aesthetics of the 1950s-1980s and brought it to the masses by putting a polo pony logo on it and no actual old money person would be caught dead wearing ralph lauren, but its been marketed for decades as What Rich People Wear. purple label just took off the logo
Another point is the Old Money trend is a rejection of the Fast Fashion of the past ten years. People are sick of buying garments that break down after the 2nd wash. WE WANT QUALITY
I will admit I do enjoy the old money style, but thanks to the recent social media attention and obsession with the more expensive boutique brands it’s hard to appreciate the quality when everyone just wants to be seen as “wealthy” I had a great conversation with a shop assistant at Harrods in London last week, and we were chatting about this recent trend and how it’s just another social media fad where insecure people give into FOMO and want approval from other insecure strangers across the world Those brands are often favoured for craftsmanship and not for their huge labels. If that’s what you’re into then stick to purchasing LV, Gucci, Supreme, and the other “designer labels” you can find on the high street REMEMBER: if it’s widely available, it’s not real luxury
for people that are just getting into fashion overall, i think its actually a great idea to strive for this kind of style, it promotes a simpler, more straight forward and less obnoxiously loud style, someone that doesnt have the pretention of cosplaying the old money look, but instead might learn that something higher quality with less labels is gonna outlast the average "i bought it because i saw it on tiktok" you know, it promotes a more responsible purchase decision making, and that's something we really need nowadays lol
@@AxisCorpsRep I agree. That's if the people buying into the trend don't ditch it when Tiktok cranks out the next trend to follow. Unfortunately if people are buying the $500 hats, then it suggests this is more of just a trend of the moment. But yea, ideally people actually learn something from pursuing this look.
@@AxisCorpsRepI actually disagree. People who chase trends will never learn if the social pressure is there. No matter the style or money. What we should be preaching (and I do) is to tell them that ALL trends are bad and everyone should find what they like, enjoy it and not be told a month later that they're uncool, because what they wear is out of style.
@@AxisCorpsRep You are giving the socially weak people too much credit. Think, if they gave in to the socially trendy or acceptable once, what's stopping them to simply move on and do it again huh?
@@danylol772 oh im not saying they are being "saved" by hopping on this one specific trend, im saying im hoping this one specific trend allows at least a few to realize that trends are stupid and they should start looking for actually quality pieces, the rest, they can continue to spend their money on bad quality stuff that's not gonna last, they deserve it
Crazy that someone who wears almost exclusively a style that is super niche makes really good informative content about more general fashion styles and ideas. Genuinely one of the best fashion channels. Definitely top 5 on YT
Very helpful video, thanks! I think techwear absolutely counts as quiet luxury. I don't really like the "old money" aesthetic specifically, nor do I care about communicating wealth, but I'm 100% about having comfortable, durable, and functional clothing and am willing to pay for it.
I just stumbled upon your channel. I absolutely love this video, it is super dense in information and the best analysis of the trend I've seen so far. After some phrases like "class tourism" I had to stop the video to appreciate the full implications of the phrase. You got another subscriber!
Some people will never wear "old money" (aka classic clothing) because it's just not flashy enough, those shallow beings would feel like losing some effect by wearing discrete clothes since they are themselves shallower than their fluorescent socks and faker than their synthetic designer leather jacket.
I've been dressing like for years and it's just the natural style I developped overtime. I love it and the cringe tiktok cosplayers will stop after a few months so idc.
I style like old money cause it's look timeless, versatile, classy, simple, decent, easy, pleasant to look and the most important is it doesn't cost a lot of money to look stylish cause clothes for this old money style don't have many motive of images. Bought so many plain shirts and chino trousers with various color.
How convenient is it that the rich people that often get referred to in the 'fashion space' just simply enjoy classic wear or don't care about fashion. I'm not looking at a Billionaire with their tailored custom outfits for fashion tips, that's just me. If you are buying into the whole 'old money aesthetic' just to be that then you are doing it wrong because that's also trend chasing. If you genuinely enjoy classic wear for its more practical reasons then all the more power to you because everyone looks good in it. At the end of the day though wear what you like because fashion is just simply your own style.
Tbh i think going to a boarding school for 9 years because it was in my neighboring town made me feel like old money is really just regular clothing without any taste just because I had way too many guys and girls in my class that wore some random green or red chinos with the most forgettable shirts and shoes ever for way too long lol
The old money/quiet luxury aesthetic is so middle of road that it does appeal to everyone. It’s interesting to see how and what people will do with it with more time. To the point where it might morph into something completely different. It reminds me of design projects and how everyone will have a different take on the same idea. Getting more use out of the same items to pull different looks is good to see as it feeds into the sustainability side of things. Overall tho it’s def not for me as it reminds me too much Office wear and that’s def something I find I don’t want to be wearing in my personal life or at all.
as far as hemlines go: fabric was incredibly expensive, particularly in the 30s when the great depression took place. Given this, having the extra bit of fabric to cover your shins was a status symbol. Meanwhile, the hems of the 1920s weren't as short as everyone imagines them to be. Meanwhile, still, the hemlines of the 1940s (in the united states at least) rose again as it was patriotic: and therefore valorized to go without because of rationing. This also was the era in which womens dress was allowed to lean more and more masculine for the first time since the polarization in womens and mens fashions during the great masculine renunciation.
It's funny over the last 2 spring summers I've been seeing this trend pop up and it seems to be a thing surrounding or a knock on linen and chinos lol. I for the last decade have focused on buying high quality value pieces(at reasonable prices) and less concerned with the brands. I was never into logos and like a minimal sustainable wardrobe and the more I see these videos the more I see a lot of my aesthetic. I do get many compliments and like the overall aesthetic but for me it's only a good thing if it's authentic and not a trend to chase to give the perception of having wealth. Thanks I enjoyed the video I say that as I am wearing a oxford shirt underneath my merino/cashmere sweater over my chinos and suede penny loafers 🤣
They took preppy and gave it a new name. This look has been around for rich fratbros going to high end universities for decades. Usually around New England area, Florida. Seeing someone out in public trying to look “rich” will never not be cringe. Whatever class you belong to is what you should look the best in.
Great video Antwon, really like these analysis-type videos, they really get the noggin' joggin' about the way we view and consume fashion and trends. I think the old money aesthetic is particularly interesting because of both the stylistic and value connotations. You touched on it with the "counterculture" point, stylistically this trend can definitely be viewed as an answer to the "excessive" acceptance of casual clothing, especially after the widespread acceptance it gained during Covid. Especially in Europe, this aesthetic very visibly sets you apart as someone who cares about their appeareance, and communicates your desire to "raise the bar" for formality again. As for values, the concept of formality ties into the connection that preppy/classic clothes have with traditional values. I think that the appeal of this trend is actually less about LARPing as Jeff Bezos, and more about communication your connection with traditional values. You wear classic masculine silhouettes, you call back to a time (Mostly 1950's-1960's and sometimes the yuppie 80's (because they watched Mad Men and American Psycho)) before gender pronouns and boss bitches. The old money aesthetic is inherently conservative, and wearing it communicates your values in a way that is more socially acceptable, espcially on social media. As a final point, if the trend can be viewed as a "let's make things the way they were"-statement, this would very much be typical for a period of economic recession, as is the case these days.
This is the same kind of cringe I get from menswear or that style with the tight gucci shirt-ripped skin fit denim-balenciagas combo. Just people terrified of looking not rich
I've always have dress like that. I hate it big logos since I was a kid hate looking like a walking billboard doing free advertising for a corporation.
Old money feels like the non edgy brother of dark academia, that studyed fincance instead of philosophie and did his bachelor in 3 instead of 6 years, went to a big firm and has a managment job but has no idea what he does at his job.
I got into classic menswear since I was 16 till now (23). It's hilarious when people tell me "you're following the old money trend bro", even though they know me for years and still did not notice that I've been perfecting my same combination of colourful knitted sweaters and chinos for half a decade before this trend 🤣
A trend that focuses on high quality items that aren't trendy, have been worn for decades and will continue to be worn because they are simple, clean and just classy upsets the style influencers whose purpose in life is to show people the latest trends and how to apply them properly. I can't understand why they don't like it.
Год назад+3
I bought a cashmere hoodie from one of the brands namedropped in this vid during the sales last year 🙃 I did not really take the brand into account to be honest, it is a very plain hoodie, but made in a very nice material and at 1/4 of its original price, it was still costly but more in the premium rather than luxury price band.
My main thing with any of these micro trends is that if you just kinda wait through all of the big fomo movements that happen over its course you end up being able to reap a lot of benefits. For instance, the minimalist sneaker trend that was huge a few years ago spawned brands like KOIO and Oliver Cabell that position themselves as higher quality and cheaper version of Common Projects. They basically super charge market place competition in some cases and we end up with great products that aren’t absurdly expensive.
I think you have wrong understanding of old money style. According to your video old money style means to buy cloths from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana (you forgot to add Ermenegildo Zegna and Ralph Lauren which all have a similar target audience and market positioning), but IT IS NOT. Old money style (also we can call this style as preppy style and neoconservatism - they all have similar details and basics) means to wear timeless pieces with classic silhouette (form, shape etc), colours and materials (commonly natural cloths without any synthetic). The main idea of old money style to wear cloths NOT BRANDS. Thats why you can't find logos on old money style looks (small logo on polo Ralph Lauren is exception). Silhouettes, materials and how pieces combine to each other that it the bottom line. Also we can define the idea of this style as be yourself non a fashion slave: buy the high quality pieces for reasonable prices. For instance lets consider one of the basic element old money style as Persol 714 model also known as Steve McQueens (buy the way check this style. It is seems to he didn't buy cloths from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana, as you mentioned, however he became the icon of old money style) sunglasses. The form and material have non changed since it was created in 70th. Now it is one of the most popular model of Persol and iconic (as Wayfarer by Ray-Ban) sunglasses. If you have Persol or another classic shape (Carrera, Ray-Ban etc) it is will be always actual and contemporary. You don't have to run to the store and buy another pair of sunglasses and waste a lot of money when Balenciaga, Gucci or other fashion shit has released a new collection. It means not being a SLAVE to FASHION. Another example of timeless (old money style) pieces is white sneakers (the most famous model from Common Project). We can find this model from different manufacturer and wide range of prices. In other words words you can be stylish and looks like 'old money' with different budgets. You mentioned Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli as the basic brand for old money style (some poor or shallow (both as an option) people think that rich people are wasting their money. I have been dealing with very rich people for a long time as a business consultant. I realized that the reason why rich people are rich is because they know how to count money well). Personally, I prefer old money style, but I have never bought either Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. However, I have a lots of blazer and suit from Loro Piana cloth which made by my personal tailor and another manufacturer. Mostly sewing personal suit in tailor from Loro Piana cloth will be cheaper than buying ready to wear suit from Loro Piana. In this case of personal tailoring benefit will be better comfort because each body has special details and proportions. A ready-made suit from Loro Piano or Brunello Cucinelli (to be honest, they sew of average quality and at an extremely high price) will always be a bit of individual tailoring). In this video you showed polo shirt by Brunello Cucinelli for 700 dollars. Follow to you it seems to keep old money style demands large budget, right? No, it is WRONG! Recently I bought 2 classical polos beige and blue colours on the sale from 100% linen by local Italian manufacturer (Gabardine) for 60 dollars each. I’m ready to bet with you that the quality of them are equal or even better than polo Brunello Cucinelli for 700 dollars. How I can asserted it? Ok, let's consider the quality. What is it include in? The quality consist in materials and work (how to connect each pieces of cloth, quantity of stitch on cm/inch, buttonholes, material of button - natural horn, mother of pearl, wood or plastic). According to Pareto principle the 80% of success of polo are materials (for instance polo from cheap cotton with excellence masterpiece including handstiched buttonholes and natural mother of pearl button won't looks good). The bottom line is in the world there are the certain materials manufacturers (cotton, wool, linen, leather, etc). In means that ALL brands get the materials from the same manufacturers. For example the biggest manufacturers of cotton for shirts are Thomas Mason, Alumo, Albini etc (It's the same as Mac until recently work on Intel processors, the didn't make your own processors). Only Loro Piana and Zegna have your own mills, historically they started as cloth supplyer and became on ready to wear clothes brand. It means when you buy a shirt by Brunello Cucinelli there is a high probability that these shirt are made from mills which I mentioned above. The main question why I should pay 700 dollars for shirts by Brunello Cucinelli if I can buy the shirts from the same fabrics and the same quality (or even better quality) from Suitsupply or Spier and Mackay? One more time the idea of old money style consist in quality and materials not a logo or brand. For supported this point of view check the Styleforum and you can find thousands people who love old money style and prefer Suitsupply, Spier and Mackay, Meermin, Pini Parma (and many other 'old money style' brands which you don’t know as I suppose) or personal tailoring Instead of waste tons of money for stuff from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana. Summary: 1. Quality, not quantity. If you have a choice to buy a shirt for $100 or 2 shirt for $50, take one for $100 if it has a better quality, of course. 2. Buy silhouette, materials and quality instead brand. Don't buy a suit by Loro Piana for 3000-5000 dollars. Order a suit by Loro Piana cloth in a personal tailor or MTM program for 1000-1500 dollars (Suitsupply / Spier and Mackay). 3. Personalisation is the key. Old money style teach how to develop your personal style. In contrast to fashion brands nobody gives you completed looks and tell how you should wear in this season. In this way you will identify what is fit you best. In result you will get your personal style and individual clothes combination. 4. Timeless. When making a purchase decision, keep in mind 2 additional criteria: first, how long you will be able to wear it, in other words, durability. Secondly, does is relevant in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years (see the Persol sunglasses case above). There is only one way to get out of the rat race fashion. 5. Be smart. Train your critical thinking and express your personal opinion (remember the tale of the naked king). This is the basis of the Old money style. You will not be an individual if you become part of a crowd. Another word is to be a game rule setter, not a gamer.
I love this trend because it is so versatile and available at all price ranges (if you only care about the aesthetic and not the brands). It looks good on just about anybody and because there's a lot of neutrals involved you can mix and match and it will always be timeless. Then again, I gravitate towards simplicity in just about every aspect of my life so every other fashion trend looks ridiculous to me. 😂 I think everybody should have at least one "old money aesthetic" outfit in their closet. Maybe you use it just for interviews or meeting your SOs parents, but being well dressed really does make you feel like a million bucks even if the clothing itself was cheap af.
It's funny because rich people signal on things FAR more hard to attain (country club memberships, attending elite/private schools, living in certain areas, owning property, owning boats or expensive assets, businesses, net worth, etc.) than clothes. Even if they buy expensive clothes, they'll probably get the most boring expensive item to not stand out
I like the idea of it, being more gentlemanly dressed but I think there is way better ways to style it with brands like Ralph Lauren which uses color and layering as apposed to this generic Zara clothing
I would like a middle ground between those 2 brands price wise. Firstly because I’m cheap when it comes to clothes. I like good quality and no logos. As you might imagine, hard combination to find. I usually buy "higher end" items on 40-50% discounts. For example bought Ted Baker timeless coat or Diesel leather jacket on big discount. Both 50% off I think. Wouldn’t ever buy them full price. Rather give it to charity… For example - ZARA is shit quality and often too "fashy". Haven’t been there in 10 years. They used to make quality clothes but not anymore. And buying Ralf Lauren - you’re mostly paying for brand. And I don’t care about that, + even that small logo I don’t like because of the association of being fashion victim try hard or "rich-er". PS being in E-EU, it’s extra hard task to find such brands.
i find it remarkable that theres all this talk about quiet luxury and still nobody mentions bespoke artisinal tailoring, just brands pumped out by the LVMH marketing machine.
For once I feel so detached watching this video lol. I had no idea old money was even a trend, but at the same time I always immediately dismissed this "style".
The reason I might buy things that sort of resemble the old money aesthetic because I like quality clothes that have a good fit and have a timeless appeal. That said, I bought a fantastic blue Burberry trench coat in a thrift shop, I bought a beautiful vintage brown tweed blazer nearly 40 years ago, and I still wear it today. It’s about finding the right piece. And also treating your clothes well. I washed everything low that matters, steam instead of iron, and allow things to dry with fans like many Europeans versus using dryer on everything.
Ok, you were about right at least with the sentiment. Some items like flip-flops, neck ties, pocket squares and socks were listed for around 200€ (while the caps with the logo were at 400+€).
@@Freestylefischa expensive cap w/ a logo is a subtle way to brag without bragging. It's an item that can be w/ the trend without having to commit to the trend + even when the trend is "over" it's still a solid accessory. At least that's how I see it. ----------------------------- also realized my comment sounds condescending, and that's not my intent. Personally think everyone is a bird trying to find their flock, and was laughing cause I can relate. And old sport is a great Gatsby reference, nothing fancy
The thing with "high quality, trend immune clothes" is precisely that--longevity. You can keep wearing it for years, while never look out of place or unfashionable, thereby SAVING MONEY on new cheap clothes that would wear out or look out of date in a couple of years. Just take good care of your clothes though.
I've been a lifetime fan of this style and want to add a few personal points on why I love it. Due to the quality of the materials and construction, these garments look better on people. The time and mindfulness that goes into the creation of pieces nearly eliminates crooked hems, lopsided darts, mis-cut sizes that make cheaper brands hang weirdly on the body - different copies of the exact same piece and same size, can look so wildly different. Higher-end pieces are made to look good, and they usually always deliver. But my favourite feature? How default it is. You can have such a simple, unremarkable daily wardrobe and then slap some absolutley wild statement pieces over it and still look polished. They do the hard work of "coordinating" for you.
Sustainable money aesthetics is keeping fit to stay healthy and you will look good in anything that fits. Sustainable money fits all money classes, from the poor to the very rich.
I want my bank account to do the billionaire cosplay
@AVillianousCrone, Same here.
Go to a country with hyperinflation. You can easily be a trillionaire
If its a cosplay that means overinflated and looks big but really isnt. So just get a high interest loan
Aren't we all ?
@AVillianousCroneworking you don't work for it you get lucky or IMPOSSIBLE LUCKY (Lottery)
Or you have the means for it
Buying high quality timeless pieces so you can wear them for years and be all sustainable n shit: Yes
Buying high quality timeless pieces for the aesthetic and throwing them in a landfill when the trend dies: No
Buying cheap imitations of high quality pieces so future generations can eat more microplastics: NO
At least if they ditch them these particular items would probably hold some value, so might result in a bump in the second hand market (good for people in the first camp).
@@karidyas00 That's a good thought and it's partially true, however if there's too much supply then businesses would rather throw away their excess product than flood the market and let prices drop. It's common practice in many industries, not just fashion. (Edit: I mean thrift stores too, if selling it isn't profitable then it will be thrown away)
@@lophiiformed4628 True, though I was more thinking of consumers selling them on once it's no longer trendy.
@@karidyas00 Or giving them up to charity shops. I've been dressing "old money" since before I knew the term existed simply because I buy clothing from charity shops.
I agree 100000% !!!!!
I'm a middle class woman in my 20s who just prefers neutral colours and the timeless looks ( easy to style, looks neat and professional). So seeing my personal style become this "trend" and associated with " looking rich " has been bizarre.
One can do the rich cosplay all they want, in the end they're spending precious money on designer bags or wardrobe for a trend they might ditch very soon.
And the rich still won't be deceived. Everyone already knows each other in those types of circles so people dressing like them are basically just doing a cosplay to only deceive other people like themselves. I don't even know why they bother. Just dress as you like.
@@SaffariRose exactly, the only benefit old money did was introduce me to ditching Sneaker Culture a bit (as in instead of wanting hundreds of shoes just OG colors that won’t lose their appeal) to buying more items I can wear for over a decade. My closet currently consists of two pleated trousers, two joggers and three pieces of denim. Denim being a medium, dark and black wash. I only have neutral t shirts and linen shirts and invested money in a pair of loafers and boots. I can see myself wearing these items in now and in a decade while lounging about. Not overly expensive either but good quality. Uniqlo is a go to, however for jeans I have always been a sucker for AEO.
@@marvinsalmeron585 Great selection of pieces! I'm really trying my best to streamline my clothes too (because I find that I waste too much time trying to put outfits together in the morning).
Just having some quality basics and bit of statement pieces here and there would be ideal. If I can save up and buy some more real gold (or gemstone) jewelry, that would be some extra investment in the long term (since the value usually appreciates and I can sell it off if I need the cash in future). I only have a pair of gold earrings right now in a sea of cheap ones, lol. If only I knew better earlier.
Old money gets it right by not letting clothes become a personality trait and think in terms of longevity and investments. Having pieces you can wear for years means 1 less thing to waste money on and 1 less thing to worry about. Plus you're for sure going to look great all the time.
Good on you.
Same attitude.
Similar situation.
I’m a guy who likes quality, no logo, natural material clothes.
Unfortunately hard to find such clothes in E-Europe. We have the standard "shopping mall" brands.
If you want to outside of those - most are too expensive (I’m cheap when it comes to clothes. I buy only 40-50% off. Usually TH for tops, Levis/Strellson bottom. Jackets/coats Save the duck, Ted Baker and I don’t remember what else. But everything very plain…).
Wife sometimes likes something more flashy (specially in the past but not anymore). The most expensive she would go is Michael Kors, Furla (for bags). Same for other clothes. But mostly TH, Ted Baker, MK, Calvin Klein etc.
I don’t understand the 200$ t-shirt logic. I don’t care how well made it is.
@@AK_Catholic_Traditional Honestly! If that shirt isn't made of gold, i can't justify that purchase; $200 is alot. I think I'm only willing to spend more on knits and outerwear because it's unlikely I'll buy more than one at a time. And I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into it. A cotton shirt will come off the same roll of fabric but brands would add vanity pricing on it for their own image.
I thought in Europe you had more access to outlet malls? Basically where designers sell off their discount products to save face. Lol. That would be an ideal place to shop especially if you aren't following trends.
The ultimate old money shoes, belts, and handbags are craftsmen made leather goods that you bought on your trip to Italy. It's not about the brand. It's about quality.
And you can take advantage of the tax refund at the airport before returning to your country!
I got a leather wallet with my initials embossed at the leather school in Florence for like $50. Nobody cares unless they see a logo lol
White's Boots and Nick's Boot out of Spokane, Washington. Handmade leather work boots. Hand stitched.
I see nothing wrong with this "trend". It brings people in to Classic Men's wear. In addition to this young people finally start to invest in high quality garments an accessories that will last them a long time. And since you re dressing timeless you can wear them for years to come.
They CAN wear them for years to come, but will they actually lol?
@@samfacultad9669 This is an important objection of yours. Im sure moste people will wear those pices in the Future. Since those classic Items are not flashy they can be combined with newer trends. Aside from that modern fashon trends tend to be more casual in nature, witch means folk can rely on a classic Wardrope for formal occasions. On last point i'd like to make is, when fashion consumers get older they are more likly to settle for a more formal attire.
@@alex_hunter7098 agree, I wear more classic and formal clothing in comparison to when I was younger. Btw, I'm only in my early 30's. So I'm not that old 😅
I agree with the idea that SOME people will get longevity and quality appreciation, investing into more ethical/ artisan brands and such. I'm in my mid 30's and my husband and I wear a "corporate goth" look for nice events, but a modern dark look for casual everyday (like Yohji Yamamoto), people have called it the "money goth look" 😁. However, many young people don't/ can't afford to invest in higher quality and resort to fast fashion and counterfeit product. A high-quality garment here and there isn't enough to offset the damage of overconsumption and fast fashion, and quite frankly, even those few items don't always get the upkeep they deserve. I've met so many people (irl and 0nline) who don't follow proper maintenance like dry clean only, or get leather repair, tailoring and sending luxury brand items to the flagship store for FREE maintenance!!😮💨🤦♀ People don't know HOW to take care of their quality things for longevity; they throw out and repurchase unnecessarily.🙄
@@SGM-89 Same, I deem it to be age appropriate.
For me the "Old Money" Aesthetic just doesn't do it for me. I am an apprentice watchmaker in switzerland and work with crazy rich people. They most often don't care about aesthetics, fashion etc... Yes they wear expensive, well-made clothing. But no one rich, actually looks like the "old money" Tiktok fashion.
might be because it's based on American "old money" looks. Which is actually new money compared to Europe 😁. I'm sometimes in establishments that have old money Americans and some of the looks are accurate, some definitely aren't. But I agree that a decent amount of rich people do really dress quite poorly and aren't going for the brands the internet thinks they are. Really, a lot of them are just wearing Brooks Brothers and calling it a day.
The classic old money style in Europe is:
- bespoke suit with a peaked lapel
- tweed Blazer
-high waisted trousers with pleats
-bespoke shirts
-nice shoes
-cable knit jumpers and old overcoats
Thats all- in short: How a rich grandfather used to dress
Europe is quite internally different, this whole trend is basically how upper class dress in northern Italy, mainly older people but young ones too, strange to see it as some micro trend
I’m from Portugal and this way of dressing is how teenagers/ early twenties from middle to upper class dress, we call “ betinhos” , usually is polos, shirt and chinos is nothing new .
@@raupenimmersatt6906 Depends on where you are from.
In my country, rich people wear very expensive hiking clothes just understated clothes in general.
Nobody really wears tweed here, but well-made knitted sweaters and jumpers are a telltale sign.
If you're not sure if they're going to a meeting, going boating or both, they probably have some money.
Also, I'd say people with money are very detail oriented here, in that you probably have very expensive high quality family heirlooms that you can't buy just anywhere, or wear things known for their quality (especially if you have to be in the know about what is quality or not).
I used to work in a store that sold glasses and watches, and the customers who chose timeless quality over flashy displays of wealth, were usually the richest ones.
Just having some of the knowledge about what makes a good quality item compared to the price, says something about your spending habits.
The customers who were willing to shell out for a higher quality automatic watch over a cheaply made but overpriced "designer brand" watch, were either enthusiasts who saved for their purchase or just people who had money to spend and knew what to spend it on.
If you know your product, you can change leagues in quality by only adjusting the price somewhat, especially if you're already buying from the higher end market where some brands hike up the price for exclusivity.
After working there it made me more aware of what a watch says about someone, and now I'd definitely be more impressed by someone wearing a Grand Seiko over a Rolex.
I appreciate and notice more of the finer details now TBH.
"Old Money" fashion is a bit bizarre to me. Quite a lot of it is just wearing Polo, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. - which to me is just standard middle class office worker clothing. But going beyond that into Loro Piana, Goyard, etc., is just trying too hard, because the real billionaires are mainly just dressed like the middle class office workers anyway.
I feel its just the way normal adults have always been dressing.... but everything has to be a cool new 'category' nowadays.
loro piana and goyard aren't even old money brands, these are exactly the brands for the nouveaux riches.
@@rudimussrodeln if Loro piana isn’t considered old money then what is ?
@@remionthemoon it is a LVMH brand mostly pointed towards newly rich asians now.
Old rich people don‘t bother about such highly priced clothing at all or get their stuff tailored.
@@rudimussrodeln makes sense, it loses some of its authenticity being apart of the LVMH oligopoly umbrella. So old rich mostly dress in bespoke tailored clothes.
If they do buy brands are there any in particular.
Antwon, you've been delivering some serious heavy hitters lately. I subscribed a year ago for your techwear content when I bought my pair of Acronym Blazers. Now in my second year of being into fashion, I get to learn from your takes on style philosophy and contemporary fashion culture!! You're one of the few I know doing deep dives into these kinds of questions, so keep it coming!!
Thanks so much! Glad you've enjoyed the recent videos - I do still want to incorporate more technical stuff so maybe I'll do a spring/summer roundup type video
Seriously, I need more content creators in this lane. I think fashion is an incredibly interesting topic, but I already know the labels and the info I need to know and the stockists I need to watch for the clothing I'm personally interested in for myself.
I just want more of this type of analytical/essay type fashion content, something genuinely interesting that approaches trends and concepts from more than just a consumerist or simply personal critical lens
thanks
@@ThisIsAntwon Hey Antwon,
You ever catch 'Gattaca'? It's easily one of my top flicks. What really gets me is how they went about the costume design. We're talking future times, but the clothes are straight out of the 30s, 50s, and 60s. Classy, timeless, you know?
It's funny, but the recent 2023 Fear of God runway reminded me a lot of that. The style was effortless, classic, and it didn't lean into the overused cyberpunk look. High-tech but classic, forward-thinking without all the extra pockets. Cool, right?
The old money aesthetic is good (if you do it properly) in the way it rejects fast fashion and promotes an active lifestyle. It's more sustainable as long as you're actually buying quality items and dont just move on to the next microtrends.
💯
yeah fr, i get all the hate of it as a tiktok trend because it's obviously not gonna stick around and those people are just gonna throw the clothes away in a month or two anyway, but personally i didn't even know it was trending and i just recently got into the style because i have a few friends that dress like that on a day to day basis because they come from old money and i fell in love with the style, so as much as i want to agree with everyone about the cringe tiktok trend i'm honestly not mad that it's been made so much easier for me to learn the dos and don'ts of the style by googling two words
Its cringe because its just poor people cosplaying as rich people when real rich people don't even dress like this
@@wavestation999
How dare the poors not be covered in filth! They need to know their place!
I am still waiting for the day when fashion enthusiats would finally make the "nerdy IT wagie" aesthetic into its own core so I can unapolegetically wear my crumply uniqlo shirts and chinos outside and be seen as a fashion icon
I'll come one day, don't worry.
Brilliant
Normcore already came and went sorry bro
Isn't this just the everyday carry aesthetic?
XD bro that's my exact style
Brother I’m really enjoying the more “social analysis” type content of late. Feels like this channel is really growing beyond techwear, while retaining its roots. Great job. Maybe a future topic could be about how techwear was actually the first truly “internet powered” subculture because it wasn’t tied to a location / profession / geographical area at all. Just a random thought I had, haven’t actually looked into it.
@@DarkDragon1223 Darkwear was an LA / Rick Owens thing though right? Tech wear was obviously pioneered by ACR but they aren’t part of a “Berlin scene” … nobody in Berlin could even afford that kind of piece until recently. They always targeted the SuFu “rich Asian” clientele. Am I wrong? Just throwing stuff out there.
Imagine paying 430 bucks for a 100% cotton baseball cap. Holy heck, where did it all go wrong….
imaging paying 2000 bucks for a 100% polyester jacket. Holy heck, where did it all go wrong....
That's the wrong way of determining quality 100% cotton can be crap or brilliant same as 100% cashmere can feel shit and 100% polyester can be insanely nice. Composition only goes so far in terms of indicating quality and or cost of manufacture. Feeling and looking at the fabric and construction will always be the one and only reliable way of determining whether something is worth the money to you or not.
@@u-q-6236 but not when we are talking about a cap. Like bro, it’s never worth more than 50€ and even that’s a stretch…
Hamza approves since anything but cotton is giving you estrogen apparently
At that point you are paying for the status symbol and not just for the quality of the product
Being from an old money family myself, my experience is that a lot of old money folks arent that rich anymore and are just working normal jobs. They're still middle/upper class but its miles away from how it was 100 years ago or so. Only thing left is traditions like dresscode, family paintings and parties with people from similar background.
Dress code? So it’s real then, old money types have a “uniform”?
@@phoenix5054yeah i've heard boys can't wear pant until puberty for french nobelty was a rule it's not done anymore unless you're vey traditional
Personally, I think "Old Money" and Workwear are two side of the same Preppy coin. Especially, when it comes to buying less and and getting the most bang for you buck. They both can be smashed together to make a cohesive look and it would just look like something from the 1950's, but somewhere down they line they just went down two paths.
And both look great mended to extend their wear. I’m hoping for mended chic.
Exactly, the line between preppy/trad and workwear is quite thin, especially looking at brands like Barbour, Filson, LL Bean or Schöffel. In Europe and most of the East Coast especially, “old money” is just very traditionally country.
What I find interesting about fashion Tiktok trends is to see how they evolve.
The Old Money tag now has a lot more trendy looks in it than in the beginning. And the more people try to replicate and join the "trend", the more distorted it becomes from the original.
I think its similar with techwear actually. The original niche got more and more popular, people added their own ideas and now the techwear tag online is pretty far removed from what the original niche used to look like. So its a lot harder to find actual techwear without stumbling across dropshippers. But I actually dont mind the diverging directions the style has taken. Darkwear and warcore are valid styles to have. I just wish they were labeled as they are, without using the term techwear for false advertisement.
Similar to the old money thing tho, they are not what the original techwear aesthetic is and its blurring the lines.
As a WASP I call the tiktok version White boys in even whiter shirts. Like, that's it, a schoolboy shirt.
Beau Brummell's "“the maximum of luxury in the service of minimal ostentation” summarized the old money aesthetic two centuries in advance, it's so interesting how that wish for craftmanship over flashiness is not always popular, but never really leaves the social consciousness !
That’s very well said. But the main reason for that lies in the fact we are social beings, brand value and recognition work in the need of belonging that most people have. There are studies where people perceive brands and cherish them almost like family. That’s the reason why people keep on coming back to that need of “I have to show this”. It’s all psychological.
Very interesting video, thank you! The irony is that the “timeless look” can actually be achieved quite easily with plain, logoless clothing from midmarket clothing chains. But the problem with that is that you won’t spend insane amounts of money on these. And of course I wonder if the people of Old Money really purchase items of the featured brands, or if they could care less.
@donk8105 that is exactly the reason the trend will die fast because fools love to flex the designer logo and the price tag, people that already dress like this could not care less
I find the old money trend particularly funny because there were two very distinct groups of kids in my high school where one was trying hard as hell to pull off the old money look while the other was trying to drip in Supreme.
I think it's weird that this trend has basically distorted in the exact same way that it kind of started tastefully but then people started flexing the price tag of their shirts and belts.
It's just another trend and I feel like I'm aging backwards witnessing this trend live again not even a decade after it was a thing in my local area. Even funnier is seeing my former classmates switch camps just for the trends online as if they weren't gatekeeping the exact same things not that long ago.
thats how trends works, bragging rights for the fools
I feel like the old money trend is much more appealing to Americans than Europeans. For Americans it's like 'wow they look so classy and European' whereas as a Brit it makes me think 'wow they look like a Tory c**t'
Looool very true - I'm sure there's a US equivalent to that but 'old money' is definitely taking more from European fashion
@@ThisIsAntwon Another excellent video btw Antwon
@@connorwebb5836 I do not agree with your opinion, I'm italian and I like the old money aesthetic because it incorporates timeless and beautiful clothes like shirts, polos, chinos,... (but I usually prefer wearing suits with a tie).
You forgot about wasps
@@francescopastena8129 AKA staple clothes in many Europeans closet. You should go to the USA, people are something else... Go to Walmart. No wonder some Americans like to cosplay "old money" or actually "old continent" aesthetic.
I switched all my tshirts to shirts this year. People treat me differently, they are a bit nicer to me. Also, more people ask me for money on the street
i think this trend is having less to do with being a "trend" but more related to the fact that a a big part of social media demographics is going into their 30's and 40's and want to dress their age and invest in a clean look that last for years, basically what i can describe as "fashion trends fatigue", combined with the absurd rise of self-improvement movements for men created this percivied trend
Funny, I switched from streetwear to shirts, chinos, ties, blazers and sport jackets
Good choice. Streetwear is low rent.
@@johnroberts1141 Kinda a term that's lost its meaning these days, if you asked a hundred folks 'would you like your rent to be lower' you know what the percentages would be 😅
Never had to overhaul my wardrobe when I switched to classic style with suits, sport coats, dress shoes etc back in 2013. I never had to throw any item away and they can always be repaired, and I still get compliments to this day.
Now it's a little jarring to see this become a Tiktok trend only to become "overplayed" at some point later and make me look like someone who never moved on from a Tiktok trend. 😂
I’ve been wearing something like Old Money for like a decade now. The emphasis is on timelessness rather than status, because the conglomerations of classic style never become obsolete.
Great video. One topic I would've liked to have heard about was the midrange brands which communicate the value behind old money effectively, while also being somewhat affordable. For example there are many brands using quality materials and paying workers fair wages where the garment prices aren't in the quadruple digits.
This allowd the customers to take the good from old money, while eliminating some of the bad, although if you don't like the aesthetic aspect, you still wouldn't like it.
Awesome evolution of the channel, love to see it.
I like it because it tends to prioritize quality within the clothes which make them last longer as well as more classic form of style
Your videos are super insightful and thought provoking. I’m way more aware of just wearing I enjoy, while still being more aware of why trends might be permeating through the culture. Keep up the good work
Thanks so much! Really appreciate it
As a guy who doesn't care for Techwear, I really like your videos for quality memage and interesting analysis. Really liked how you linked the old money aesthetic to techwear to show the continuum in thought. I have the feeling that as our society becomes louder and more consumption-driven, our generation that has grown up being taught to dislike mindless consumption and climate destroying habits will shift more and more to more minimalist, logo-less and simple clothing and trends. After all, something that's quite present in the "old money aesthetic" is a living in the present, without smartphones and notifications.
I think there are some important differences between techwear and old money which might be worth mentioning. Most notably, I think, is the motivation for participating in the style. Techwear has a lot of variance and diversity, but it ultimately contains a unifying design ideology of futuristic theming and performance-forward clothing. As a result, participators in techwear are signaling either a coinciding aesthetic taste or a need for performance in their garments. Conversely, the unifying feature of 'old money' looks seems to only be that they are expensive iterations on a common traditional style. As a result, participators in the 'old money' trend seem only to be signaling an abundance of wealth. The 'old money' trend is then deservedly seen as shallow, as it is a classist statement masquerading as an aesthetic.
im a fan of this "trend" and do think it CAN stick around longer just because if you do it right, you have timeless pieces for a while. Navy/ Beige/ Black/ white/ brown stuff constitutes 90% of the wardrobe and allows for endless wearability and matching. I think this trend is peaking now though and just like with every other trend cycle, the internet will move on quickly to the next one, so I'm more being hopeful that this trend doesn't get dropped like a hot potato, but it definitely will. And the $500 hat stuff is just hilarious.
It’s a bad trend to chase, but a great timeless aesthetic to have because it will always be around.
This is just a slight repackaging of preppy fashion IMO. Preppy has peaked many times, but remains the default in male fashion.
@@Davy-oq9pn I see it as a "default male fashion" too. But I think the fashion trend cycle fast enought that somehow it look new and refreshing for the younger generation. They grow up with different stuff. Their "old people cloths" are trends from just 10 years ago like skinny jeans and minimalistic stuff.
@@augusto7681 unfortunately default male fashion today is to dress like a 15 yrs old (even if you're in your 30s) that want to flex the designer logo on the $100 t-shirt
True quiet luxury is being kind and generous to people. Fashion is a cycle
i like the old money aesthetic. i love the simplicity of it n the idea of prioritizing extremely high quality materials over branding. i bought a cos half zip sweater (not old money enough) but i really love it bcs of its high quality feel n the fit
I've been an "old money dresser" without even knowing that this fashion trend existed until a little bit ago😅
I honestly believe everyone should wear what they feel most representative of themselves and comfortable wearing, not following fashion trends
This is a very interesting analysis, Antwon! I can't really say much about women's clothing, as I don't have much experience in that field, however I have been into classic menswear most of my life, and find it interesting to see the pendulum swing back toward the timeless (it is important to note, many of those trending pictures lack the proper fitting and alterations to make an outfit Old Money and truly timeless). When I got to the age where I was buying clothes for myself, I often opted for vintage and second-hand goods, because I was tired of the polyester and nylon, the lack of labor laws in some of the places of production, and the overall lack of quality in the assembly of clothes. After I started with the haberdashery, I learned that there are quite a few brands that still address those concerns of mine (but I will say, that Bruno Cucinelli baseball cap *is* more trendy than timeless -- a cap retailing for $500 should have more precise sizing than just "Small/Medium/Large"). You're absolutely right about wearing understated luxury clothing being akin to listening to music on vinyl LP, but it goes even further than that. For me, it's about having a "self-uniform" that is low maintenance, in regard to never looking out-of-date or behind the times, and expresses who I am on the inside.
I understood that reference to Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation." Finally, the knowledge I gained in the pursuit of tumblr "I'm not like other girls" tail comes in clutch.
My pursuit of kegelian dialectics have finally borne fruit.
it's hegel my dude, kegel is the one for lifting your pelvic floor
@@littlesometin that's the joke. It's a seggs joke about how intercourse is a hegelian dialectic wherein the woman squeezes and the man expands.
I love the tech episodes, but these ones are always super interesting as well. Love when you talk about some other trends, you have some great insight! It shows you do your research when you show things like short lists including these brands.
love that ur content has expanded into general fashion vs primarily techwear ur killing it ant
thanks so much!
I do agree with you. I just like the simple aesthetic of certain outfits that are considered "old money" but I don't like them for their wealthy appareance but rather just for the color balance and simplicity while being just a little sophisticated. thus, I don't know how the style I am aiming for is called... which makes it difficult to find inspiration.
Rather than "old money", I think you are maybe looking for "classic menswear".
I like to dress in a classic way, and personally I do not associate high quality and classic garnments only to super wealthy people.
you're probably into classic and business casual fashion
I love old money aesthetic is so simple yet so elegant and put together and it dosnt even need money is just timeless high quality and good for the envioronment no need for buying every time clothing that isnt trendy anymore in the next month
I’ve been doing the “old money” look for years lol. I bought these clothes because I want high classical timeless quality cut clothes that I can wear for years without having to worry about the seasonal collection changing with the more heavily branded clothes designers. Although I have fallen victim a few times to LV 😂😂
My expensive clothes are still look new..... 😅 After more than 10 years.
I find myself taking frequent trips to malls to buy new cheap clothes every 6 months.
I concur. I'm from a seaside suburb considered a retirees paradise. Residents are mostly old money. Everyone here wears unbranded, plain but good quality, versatile clothing. Not necessarily quite luxury brands because for generational wealthy folk it's not high on the priority list to wear outrageously expensive clothes. These people are frugal. They'd rather shop at a regular department store and save their wealth on real estate and investing. Including private school education for the kids.That's the big expense. Some prestigious schools in my area have reached their quota to the point that couples in order to get a place, have to enrol a child that hasn't even been born yet.
Real old money values durability in EVERYTHING they do.
It’s logical: They may have a lot of assets, but also the responsibility to pass it on to the next generation.
The biggest irony is that Succession is about the struggles of being new money.
As a woman I still hate those Loro Piana loafers, before and during the trend. They're so ugly.
Hahaha I can appreciate that - not my favourite either
As an elder millennial all I'm seeing is Gen Z's sad attempt at the "fake it 'til you make" nonsense younger millennials were all into as "influencer culture" became a thing. Kids, I have spoilers, most of them didn't. Sure the argument COULD be made that you're somehow sticking it to the man or whatever by copping his fashion but then you have to ask yourself, "Who owns the companies and who benefits the most from every sale of a $500 baseball cap?" At the end of the day I suppose I just expected more from the generation that grew up in front of screens & the internet. I guess I expected with technology making design tools, manufacturing, and logistics more democratized than ever that these kids would be spitting in the face of the rich, the awfulness of the world, and the algorithm by making their own crazy, bright, and fun trends and churning them out at a rate unlike anything we ever did in the late 90's and early 2000's.
The internet didn’t changed anything, I think it worse now😂.
This is how companies trick the middle class into thinking they are rich, for example Rolex is not a high end watch maker but every wants one, they can buy a Rolex but not a patek Philip.
I see it as a classic look that is beautiful. I hate the lazy clothing trends of today of hoodies, graphic tees, ripped jeans, and sneakers for everything. It's lazy, it looks lazy, and it is ugly. It's like you are trying to look homeless.
As actual old money: No one I know where any of those "old money aesthetic brands". Everyone I know wears Ralph Lauren, LL Bean, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, and MAYBE J Press if they're "into clothes". It's hilarious to see people spending money they don't have on expensive clothes just to "look the part" when the people who actually are "the part" just look like they're going to a parent-teacher conference, as the teacher.
I’m someone who more or less fulfils the stereotype of old and the funny thing is that even if you wear labels that are “old money style” and even if the “old money” wear’s it they will never be associated or be a part of the old money.
It takes more then expensive clothes to be old money.
Great video! The “Old Money” aesthetic kind of overlaps “Classic Menswear” which I gravitate towards. Loro Piana and Brunello are dumb expensive but I like a middle road with brands like The Armoury because they deliver “elevated basics” in a sense but the quality is really good. I think your point about this trend being a reaction to fast fashion is fair. I’d prefer to buy something from a brand like The Armoury because it’s great quality, goes with almost everything I own, should last for many years, and is middle of the road in regards to fashion trends. I know I can wear it now and 10 years from now.
old money is okay but have you heard about uniqlo u airism cotton oversized mock neck half sleeved t-shirt by any chance?
best shirt
You mean hidden gem Uniqlo U from unknown, underrated brand Uniqlo!?
@@simonrockstream truu
@@ThisIsAntwon it's sad they're so poor they don't have local stores :,-(
Literally the most perfect shirt
I'm delighted to see more deep dives & analysis happening on the channel; thank you for this video.
Maybe now that I'm in my 30s I'm out of touch, but this "aesthetic" is just called being preppy. I'm from Connecticut and this is just how people dress. You don't have to be a billionaire or constantly on vacation. Chinos, oxfords, conservative colors, and no big logos. It's not complicated or a "trend" lol.
There is no substitute for classic style . One person commented at the beginning of this video that old money style p***** him off . I hope he took the trouble to watch this video and listened to himself uttering those words . He is everything any person with self respect and style would go out of their way not to imitate .
seeing ralph lauren pop up in these lists is funny to me as ralph lauren specifically took the old money aesthetics of the 1950s-1980s and brought it to the masses by putting a polo pony logo on it and no actual old money person would be caught dead wearing ralph lauren, but its been marketed for decades as What Rich People Wear. purple label just took off the logo
Another point is the Old Money trend is a rejection of the Fast Fashion of the past ten years. People are sick of buying garments that break down after the 2nd wash. WE WANT QUALITY
I will admit I do enjoy the old money style, but thanks to the recent social media attention and obsession with the more expensive boutique brands it’s hard to appreciate the quality when everyone just wants to be seen as “wealthy”
I had a great conversation with a shop assistant at Harrods in London last week, and we were chatting about this recent trend and how it’s just another social media fad where insecure people give into FOMO and want approval from other insecure strangers across the world
Those brands are often favoured for craftsmanship and not for their huge labels. If that’s what you’re into then stick to purchasing LV, Gucci, Supreme, and the other “designer labels” you can find on the high street
REMEMBER: if it’s widely available, it’s not real luxury
for people that are just getting into fashion overall, i think its actually a great idea to strive for this kind of style, it promotes a simpler, more straight forward and less obnoxiously loud style, someone that doesnt have the pretention of cosplaying the old money look, but instead might learn that something higher quality with less labels is gonna outlast the average "i bought it because i saw it on tiktok"
you know, it promotes a more responsible purchase decision making, and that's something we really need nowadays lol
@@AxisCorpsRep I agree. That's if the people buying into the trend don't ditch it when Tiktok cranks out the next trend to follow. Unfortunately if people are buying the $500 hats, then it suggests this is more of just a trend of the moment. But yea, ideally people actually learn something from pursuing this look.
@@AxisCorpsRepI actually disagree. People who chase trends will never learn if the social pressure is there. No matter the style or money.
What we should be preaching (and I do) is to tell them that ALL trends are bad and everyone should find what they like, enjoy it and not be told a month later that they're uncool, because what they wear is out of style.
@@AxisCorpsRep You are giving the socially weak people too much credit.
Think, if they gave in to the socially trendy or acceptable once, what's stopping them to simply move on and do it again huh?
@@danylol772 oh im not saying they are being "saved" by hopping on this one specific trend, im saying im hoping this one specific trend allows at least a few to realize that trends are stupid and they should start looking for actually quality pieces, the rest, they can continue to spend their money on bad quality stuff that's not gonna last, they deserve it
Crazy that someone who wears almost exclusively a style that is super niche makes really good informative content about more general fashion styles and ideas. Genuinely one of the best fashion channels. Definitely top 5 on YT
Thanks so much for the kind words! 😍
@@ThisIsAntwon well deserved. Keep up the good work 💪🏼
Very helpful video, thanks! I think techwear absolutely counts as quiet luxury. I don't really like the "old money" aesthetic specifically, nor do I care about communicating wealth, but I'm 100% about having comfortable, durable, and functional clothing and am willing to pay for it.
I just stumbled upon your channel. I absolutely love this video, it is super dense in information and the best analysis of the trend I've seen so far. After some phrases like "class tourism" I had to stop the video to appreciate the full implications of the phrase. You got another subscriber!
Some people will never wear "old money" (aka classic clothing) because it's just not flashy enough, those shallow beings would feel like losing some effect by wearing discrete clothes since they are themselves shallower than their fluorescent socks and faker than their synthetic designer leather jacket.
As a middle class person I don't want to cosplay as a billionaire, I just want the power you can keep all the fancy clothes 😂
this is not a style or a trend this is pure and timeless class
i love the editing in this video.
im not that much into fashion but this surely got my neuroreceptors fired up!
I've been dressing like for years and it's just the natural style I developped overtime. I love it and the cringe tiktok cosplayers will stop after a few months so idc.
I style like old money cause it's look timeless, versatile, classy, simple, decent, easy, pleasant to look and the most important is it doesn't cost a lot of money to look stylish cause clothes for this old money style don't have many motive of images. Bought so many plain shirts and chino trousers with various color.
Old money aesthetics has been my style for the last 30 years....and I come from everything but "old money"🤣
Love this social analysis by proxy of fashion. Well done
How convenient is it that the rich people that often get referred to in the 'fashion space' just simply enjoy classic wear or don't care about fashion. I'm not looking at a Billionaire with their tailored custom outfits for fashion tips, that's just me. If you are buying into the whole 'old money aesthetic' just to be that then you are doing it wrong because that's also trend chasing. If you genuinely enjoy classic wear for its more practical reasons then all the more power to you because everyone looks good in it. At the end of the day though wear what you like because fashion is just simply your own style.
Tbh i think going to a boarding school for 9 years because it was in my neighboring town made me feel like old money is really just regular clothing without any taste just because I had way too many guys and girls in my class that wore some random green or red chinos with the most forgettable shirts and shoes ever for way too long lol
The old money/quiet luxury aesthetic is so middle of road that it does appeal to everyone. It’s interesting to see how and what people will do with it with more time. To the point where it might morph into something completely different. It reminds me of design projects and how everyone will have a different take on the same idea.
Getting more use out of the same items to pull different looks is good to see as it feeds into the sustainability side of things. Overall tho it’s def not for me as it reminds me too much Office wear and that’s def something I find I don’t want to be wearing in my personal life or at all.
beyond a certain level of income people get clothes tailored, which renders this trend delusional from the top down
I have always loved Brunello Cucinelli but the prices are bonkers.
📠
I don't. Their clothes are boring and almost entirely neutrals. Loro Piano is better.
as far as hemlines go: fabric was incredibly expensive, particularly in the 30s when the great depression took place. Given this, having the extra bit of fabric to cover your shins was a status symbol. Meanwhile, the hems of the 1920s weren't as short as everyone imagines them to be. Meanwhile, still, the hemlines of the 1940s (in the united states at least) rose again as it was patriotic: and therefore valorized to go without because of rationing. This also was the era in which womens dress was allowed to lean more and more masculine for the first time since the polarization in womens and mens fashions during the great masculine renunciation.
1:53 Showing a pic of Clarence Thomas and his buddies sitting around while the video topic being about old money gave me a chuckle ngl. Subtle.
It's funny over the last 2 spring summers I've been seeing this trend pop up and it seems to be a thing surrounding or a knock on linen and chinos lol. I for the last decade have focused on buying high quality value pieces(at reasonable prices) and less concerned with the brands. I was never into logos and like a minimal sustainable wardrobe and the more I see these videos the more I see a lot of my aesthetic. I do get many compliments and like the overall aesthetic but for me it's only a good thing if it's authentic and not a trend to chase to give the perception of having wealth. Thanks I enjoyed the video I say that as I am wearing a oxford shirt underneath my merino/cashmere sweater over my chinos and suede penny loafers 🤣
I’ve loved the old money look for years now. Quiet luxury or stealth wealth are new terms for me. Very cool.
They took preppy and gave it a new name. This look has been around for rich fratbros going to high end universities for decades. Usually around New England area, Florida. Seeing someone out in public trying to look “rich” will never not be cringe. Whatever class you belong to is what you should look the best in.
Great video Antwon, really like these analysis-type videos, they really get the noggin' joggin' about the way we view and consume fashion and trends.
I think the old money aesthetic is particularly interesting because of both the stylistic and value connotations.
You touched on it with the "counterculture" point, stylistically this trend can definitely be viewed as an answer to the "excessive" acceptance of casual clothing, especially after the widespread acceptance it gained during Covid. Especially in Europe, this aesthetic very visibly sets you apart as someone who cares about their appeareance, and communicates your desire to "raise the bar" for formality again.
As for values, the concept of formality ties into the connection that preppy/classic clothes have with traditional values. I think that the appeal of this trend is actually less about LARPing as Jeff Bezos, and more about communication your connection with traditional values. You wear classic masculine silhouettes, you call back to a time (Mostly 1950's-1960's and sometimes the yuppie 80's (because they watched Mad Men and American Psycho)) before gender pronouns and boss bitches. The old money aesthetic is inherently conservative, and wearing it communicates your values in a way that is more socially acceptable, espcially on social media.
As a final point, if the trend can be viewed as a "let's make things the way they were"-statement, this would very much be typical for a period of economic recession, as is the case these days.
This is the same kind of cringe I get from menswear or that style with the tight gucci shirt-ripped skin fit denim-balenciagas combo. Just people terrified of looking not rich
I've always have dress like that. I hate it big logos since I was a kid hate looking like a walking billboard doing free advertising for a corporation.
Old money feels like the non edgy brother of dark academia, that studyed fincance instead of philosophie and did his bachelor in 3 instead of 6 years, went to a big firm and has a managment job but has no idea what he does at his job.
I drink champagne for a living crowd😂
I'm always so happy to see you've uploaded. Especially loving the content lately! I've learnt a hell of a lot from these kind of videos! Thank you!
I got into classic menswear since I was 16 till now (23). It's hilarious when people tell me "you're following the old money trend bro", even though they know me for years and still did not notice that I've been perfecting my same combination of colourful knitted sweaters and chinos for half a decade before this trend 🤣
Dude I love that you are into Covet! Please make an episode about your favorite math rock bands and their fashion 🙌🏾
Old money is just dressing in a classic style. How people look today is disgusting.
A trend that focuses on high quality items that aren't trendy, have been worn for decades and will continue to be worn because they are simple, clean and just classy upsets the style influencers whose purpose in life is to show people the latest trends and how to apply them properly.
I can't understand why they don't like it.
I bought a cashmere hoodie from one of the brands namedropped in this vid during the sales last year 🙃
I did not really take the brand into account to be honest, it is a very plain hoodie, but made in a very nice material and at 1/4 of its original price, it was still costly but more in the premium rather than luxury price band.
My main thing with any of these micro trends is that if you just kinda wait through all of the big fomo movements that happen over its course you end up being able to reap a lot of benefits. For instance, the minimalist sneaker trend that was huge a few years ago spawned brands like KOIO and Oliver Cabell that position themselves as higher quality and cheaper version of Common Projects. They basically super charge market place competition in some cases and we end up with great products that aren’t absurdly expensive.
I think you have wrong understanding of old money style. According to your video old money style means to buy cloths from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana (you forgot to add Ermenegildo Zegna and Ralph Lauren which all have a similar target audience and market positioning), but IT IS NOT.
Old money style (also we can call this style as preppy style and neoconservatism - they all have similar details and basics) means to wear timeless pieces with classic silhouette (form, shape etc), colours and materials (commonly natural cloths without any synthetic).
The main idea of old money style to wear cloths NOT BRANDS. Thats why you can't find logos on old money style looks (small logo on polo Ralph Lauren is exception). Silhouettes, materials and how pieces combine to each other that it the bottom line. Also we can define the idea of this style as be yourself non a fashion slave: buy the high quality pieces for reasonable prices.
For instance lets consider one of the basic element old money style as Persol 714 model also known as Steve McQueens (buy the way check this style. It is seems to he didn't buy cloths from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana, as you mentioned, however he became the icon of old money style) sunglasses. The form and material have non changed since it was created in 70th. Now it is one of the most popular model of Persol and iconic (as Wayfarer by Ray-Ban) sunglasses. If you have Persol or another classic shape (Carrera, Ray-Ban etc) it is will be always actual and contemporary. You don't have to run to the store and buy another pair of sunglasses and waste a lot of money when Balenciaga, Gucci or other fashion shit has released a new collection. It means not being a SLAVE to FASHION.
Another example of timeless (old money style) pieces is white sneakers (the most famous model from Common Project). We can find this model from different manufacturer and wide range of prices. In other words words you can be stylish and looks like 'old money' with different budgets.
You mentioned Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli as the basic brand for old money style (some poor or shallow (both as an option) people think that rich people are wasting their money. I have been dealing with very rich people for a long time as a business consultant. I realized that the reason why rich people are rich is because they know how to count money well). Personally, I prefer old money style, but I have never bought either Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. However, I have a lots of blazer and suit from Loro Piana cloth which made by my personal tailor and another manufacturer. Mostly sewing personal suit in tailor from Loro Piana cloth will be cheaper than buying ready to wear suit from Loro Piana.
In this case of personal tailoring benefit will be better comfort because each body has special details and proportions. A ready-made suit from Loro Piano or Brunello Cucinelli (to be honest, they sew of average quality and at an extremely high price) will always be a bit of individual tailoring).
In this video you showed polo shirt by Brunello Cucinelli for 700 dollars. Follow to you it seems to keep old money style demands large budget, right? No, it is WRONG! Recently I bought 2 classical polos beige and blue colours on the sale from 100% linen by local Italian manufacturer (Gabardine) for 60 dollars each. I’m ready to bet with you that the quality of them are equal or even better than polo Brunello Cucinelli for 700 dollars. How I can asserted it?
Ok, let's consider the quality. What is it include in? The quality consist in materials and work (how to connect each pieces of cloth, quantity of stitch on cm/inch, buttonholes, material of button - natural horn, mother of pearl, wood or plastic). According to Pareto principle the 80% of success of polo are materials (for instance polo from cheap cotton with excellence masterpiece including handstiched buttonholes and natural mother of pearl button won't looks good).
The bottom line is in the world there are the certain materials manufacturers (cotton, wool, linen, leather, etc). In means that ALL brands get the materials from the same manufacturers. For example the biggest manufacturers of cotton for shirts are Thomas Mason, Alumo, Albini etc (It's the same as Mac until recently work on Intel processors, the didn't make your own processors). Only Loro Piana and Zegna have your own mills, historically they started as cloth supplyer and became on ready to wear clothes brand. It means when you buy a shirt by Brunello Cucinelli there is a high probability that these shirt are made from mills which I mentioned above. The main question why I should pay 700 dollars for shirts by Brunello Cucinelli if I can buy the shirts from the same fabrics and the same quality (or even better quality) from Suitsupply or Spier and Mackay? One more time the idea of old money style consist in quality and materials not a logo or brand.
For supported this point of view check the Styleforum and you can find thousands people who love old money style and prefer Suitsupply, Spier and Mackay, Meermin, Pini Parma (and many other 'old money style' brands which you don’t know as I suppose) or personal tailoring Instead of waste tons of money for stuff from Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana.
Summary:
1. Quality, not quantity. If you have a choice to buy a shirt for $100 or 2 shirt for $50, take one for $100 if it has a better quality, of course.
2. Buy silhouette, materials and quality instead brand. Don't buy a suit by Loro Piana for 3000-5000 dollars. Order a suit by Loro Piana cloth in a personal tailor or MTM program for 1000-1500 dollars (Suitsupply / Spier and Mackay).
3. Personalisation is the key. Old money style teach how to develop your personal style. In contrast to fashion brands nobody gives you completed looks and tell how you should wear in this season. In this way you will identify what is fit you best. In result you will get your personal style and individual clothes combination.
4. Timeless. When making a purchase decision, keep in mind 2 additional criteria: first, how long you will be able to wear it, in other words, durability. Secondly, does is relevant in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years (see the Persol sunglasses case above). There is only one way to get out of the rat race fashion.
5. Be smart. Train your critical thinking and express your personal opinion (remember the tale of the naked king). This is the basis of the Old money style. You will not be an individual if you become part of a crowd. Another word is to be a game rule setter, not a gamer.
I agree completely
Really enjoying your in-depth and nuanced analysis of fashion trends and topics! I’m definitely subscribing for more of these videos
I love this trend because it is so versatile and available at all price ranges (if you only care about the aesthetic and not the brands). It looks good on just about anybody and because there's a lot of neutrals involved you can mix and match and it will always be timeless. Then again, I gravitate towards simplicity in just about every aspect of my life so every other fashion trend looks ridiculous to me. 😂
I think everybody should have at least one "old money aesthetic" outfit in their closet. Maybe you use it just for interviews or meeting your SOs parents, but being well dressed really does make you feel like a million bucks even if the clothing itself was cheap af.
It's funny because rich people signal on things FAR more hard to attain (country club memberships, attending elite/private schools, living in certain areas, owning property, owning boats or expensive assets, businesses, net worth, etc.) than clothes. Even if they buy expensive clothes, they'll probably get the most boring expensive item to not stand out
I like the idea of it, being more gentlemanly dressed but I think there is way better ways to style it with brands like Ralph Lauren which uses color and layering as apposed to this generic Zara clothing
I would like a middle ground between those 2 brands price wise. Firstly because I’m cheap when it comes to clothes. I like good quality and no logos. As you might imagine, hard combination to find. I usually buy "higher end" items on 40-50% discounts. For example bought Ted Baker timeless coat or Diesel leather jacket on big discount. Both 50% off I think. Wouldn’t ever buy them full price. Rather give it to charity…
For example - ZARA is shit quality and often too "fashy". Haven’t been there in 10 years. They used to make quality clothes but not anymore. And buying Ralf Lauren - you’re mostly paying for brand. And I don’t care about that, + even that small logo I don’t like because of the association of being fashion victim try hard or "rich-er".
PS being in E-EU, it’s extra hard task to find such brands.
i find it remarkable that theres all this talk about quiet luxury and still nobody mentions bespoke artisinal tailoring, just brands pumped out by the LVMH marketing machine.
For once I feel so detached watching this video lol. I had no idea old money was even a trend, but at the same time I always immediately dismissed this "style".
He called it a "micro trend" and apparently it's something that lives on tiktok and on fashion brand online stores, not in the real world.
The reason I might buy things that sort of resemble the old money aesthetic because I like quality clothes that have a good fit and have a timeless appeal. That said, I bought a fantastic blue Burberry trench coat in a thrift shop, I bought a beautiful vintage brown tweed blazer nearly 40 years ago, and I still wear it today. It’s about finding the right piece. And also treating your clothes well. I washed everything low that matters, steam instead of iron, and allow things to dry with fans like many Europeans versus using dryer on everything.
Bet that hat is the cheapest item on their site 😂 but I love your deep take on fashion, old sport
I bet against it but I'll have a quick look. (I guess that socks will be cheaper)
Ok, you were about right at least with the sentiment. Some items like flip-flops, neck ties, pocket squares and socks were listed for around 200€ (while the caps with the logo were at 400+€).
@@Freestylefischa expensive cap w/ a logo is a subtle way to brag without bragging. It's an item that can be w/ the trend without having to commit to the trend + even when the trend is "over" it's still a solid accessory. At least that's how I see it.
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also realized my comment sounds condescending, and that's not my intent. Personally think everyone is a bird trying to find their flock, and was laughing cause I can relate. And old sport is a great Gatsby reference, nothing fancy
The thing with "high quality, trend immune clothes" is precisely that--longevity. You can keep wearing it for years, while never look out of place or unfashionable, thereby SAVING MONEY on new cheap clothes that would wear out or look out of date in a couple of years. Just take good care of your clothes though.
I've been a lifetime fan of this style and want to add a few personal points on why I love it.
Due to the quality of the materials and construction, these garments look better on people. The time and mindfulness that goes into the creation of pieces nearly eliminates crooked hems, lopsided darts, mis-cut sizes that make cheaper brands hang weirdly on the body - different copies of the exact same piece and same size, can look so wildly different. Higher-end pieces are made to look good, and they usually always deliver.
But my favourite feature? How default it is. You can have such a simple, unremarkable daily wardrobe and then slap some absolutley wild statement pieces over it and still look polished. They do the hard work of "coordinating" for you.
Sustainable money aesthetics is keeping fit to stay healthy and you will look good in anything that fits. Sustainable money fits all money classes, from the poor to the very rich.
Isn't this.....just the way normal, well adjusted adults who are not affected by wacky trends, have always been dressing? Why is this a category?
because its a aesthetic, a vibe
@@shoki5271 Yeah but....its as if kids have suddenly discovered how adults dress, and have given it a name, lol.
@@tentimetex its the same as adults discovering how to dress "formal"
Always loved your nuanced views and attention to detail Antwon! Great video!