The Old Money trend

 I thought that it was about time for me to insert my 2 pence on the whole ‘Old Money trend’ as it has been something that has been at the forefront of conversation online as of late. 

As someone who has forever been drawn to a more timeless, well-to-do vibe, and well put together kind of look, I have found this ‘trend’ rather fascinating as it highlights and seems to celebrate an often over looked, classic and sometimes noted as ‘old fashioned’ way of dress. This fascinates me as for years, I have and I assume you too have seen headlines in blogs and magazines showing looks and offering advice on how to ‘modernise’ your wardrobe and prompting you to move away from ‘the old’ to make room for the ‘new’ in-terms of looks, trends, colours and styling. 

Now don’t get me wrong, there are those of us who have been committed to a classic, timeless, ‘old money’, quiet luxury look for years and have been unwaivered by the talk of ‘new ins’ and current trends. Though, this does not mean that behind all the trendy noise that we have not found it hard to shop or maintain our truth within our own personal wardrobe philosophies. I also find it interesting when I see how much classic style has now blown up into a current trend as it has me often thinking, does this mean that my timeless look will now be out of fashion in months to come? 

My understanding of this trend

I feel like there have been many misunderstandings of this trend all over socials recently. The most common one is that by dressing like ‘old money’ that it intern means that you are old money which of course is not something that could just be added to basket. 

I think that the trend is just a new way to describe classic, elegant, classy, timeless fashion. Both old money and quiet luxury have been bundled into one entire trend but I think it is important to separate them out as to me, they are two very different things. 

The ‘Old Money’ trend is an interpretive trend of what one would feel someone or people who come from old money would dress like. In most interpretations that I have seen, it has been whole heartedly about how the person dresses and not much else outside of that. A crisp white poplin shirt with an Oxford collar and paired with sand coloured Bermuda shorts is often enough . However, if we are looking at ‘old money’ as entirely an aesthetic it is more than just how you pair classic cuts and fabrics. Its a combination of all round self presentation and eloquence as well as conversational charm and quiet confidence. 

Quiet luxury to me isn’t anything about the way you present yourself as a person. It’s more of a need to tap into classic or timeless looks. Quiet luxury to me is more about scaling back on the louder prints, patterns and logos that have dominated the luxury fashion scene over the past 5 years or so. Where it was once trendy to proclaim your brand of choice on yourself from head to toe, It now seems that that has now weathered away and has been replaced with the same brands still remaining at the forefront of the fashion industry, but in a much quieter way. Brands like The Row and Bottega Veneta have been the uniform for those who wish to express themselves this way. And those who have not yet felt fully comfortable scaling right back in this way have turned to the likes of Loewe who has a logo which is so creative and artistic that it feels more like an art statement rather than an announcement of ‘look what I am wearing’. 

Lastly, I just want to speak on what timelessness means to me because as someone who first hand has a better understanding of what ‘old money’ really looks like and what it means, there is a clear difference between the both. Timelessness or classic style if you rather, has more of an unmoving uniformed approach to styling which in truth, old money does not. To me, timelessness and classic looks are more about putting together items, cuts and looks that incapsulate outfits through the past few decades. This may be as simple as paring classic straight or boot cut jeans with a cable knit pullover and a blazer or, a long a-lined skirt paired with a crew neck cardigan and a silk neck scarf of some sort. 

My final thoughts are that I have enjoyed watching content creators online interoperate these trends and myself have felt inspired by lots of the looks that have been shared across socials. I have shared my wardrobe heroes which I think are great style starting points to help you feel more inspired. 

Ralph Lauren bag, Ralph Lauren dress, COS Jumper, Reiss Blazer, Tod’s shoes, Irene Neuwirth ring & Mizuki earrings

Pops of colour paired with neutral, classic tones always work well. This is how I would put together an ‘old money’ look making sure that I have fun with colours, tones, prints and classic fabrics and cuts such as an a lined dress and a structured leather bag.

The Row coat, Dragon Fusion bag, Toteme Shirt, Jennifer Fisher earrings, Loro Piana trousers, The Row skirt & Manolo Blahnik shoes

Items from high end brands paired together carefully to Crete well thought about looks. Look for pieces that look well crafted and made with beautiful fabrics in classic styles and finishes.

Mango long sleeve top, H&M sleeveless top, Arket Skirt, The Row bag, Office shoes, Mango scarf, COS earrings

Opt for classics colours such as reds, blacks, creams and navys. Timeless style to me does not just focus on one singular era as a means for inspiration. Here I have seeded inspo from 50’s silhouettes in the skirt style and boat neck top, 70’s style with the paisley print on the scarf and 30’s style with the gentle nod to art deco style with the earrings.

All images are from the retailers websites and/or Pinterest.