Written By
Gary Harrison
Gary Harrison can be regularly found dining at The Wolseley, and drinking at Dukes Bar where he has been known to exceed the two martini limit.
More
Q
Quiet luxury is a phrase that is particularly of the moment.
Yet whilst Lora Piana loafers might suddenly be fashionable, the concept itself isn’t a fresh one. Reminiscent of the tales of Fred Astaire beating his suits against a wall to better break them in, or the gentleman who would have his valet wear his suits for a year to take the starch out of them before wearing them himself, I can recall Bruce Boyer once writing too about how the biggest insult a traditional Savile Row customer might receive would have been a compliment on their new suit.
Whilst having a wardrobe that resembles the costume department of Succession might seem desirable, all those neutral, non-pilled knits won’t remain aligned with that aesthetic after a few years of wear. Rather than an old money look, you’ll need plenty of new money going into the bank each year in order for you, your (second) wife and your children to maintain that lifestyle choice.
Luxury might be expensive but, if you have enough money, rather than simply craving more—if you have any sense—what you really want is time instead. Clothes worth the expense become imbued with it and better reflect the passage of years, hopefully conjuring up happy memories with each wear. Drowned out by all the talk of greige cashmere baseball caps, the real quiet luxury right now are clothes that wear-in rather than wear-out.