Achieving the luxury look: Searches for ‘quiet luxury’ explode by 614% in the past year

From Sofia Richie’s wedding to Succession, quiet luxury is having its moment; fashion experts at Boohoo explore how to have that simplistic but luxurious look and follow the current trend without breaking the bank. According to Google Trends data, the rise of ‘quiet luxury’ has exploded in the past year by 614%, suggesting people are invested in this trend and turning to quality basics rather than flaunting logos.

Quiet luxury is defined as clothing of the highest quality while also being clothing that has timelessness, is sophisticated and understated. This signifies no bright and neon colors, isn’t focused on trends, and represents wealth to those who see it. It is possible to achieve this look without breaking the bank, opting for lighter makeup, no-label clothes and a summery essence.

Opt for light makeup

Sofia Richie’s ‘quiet luxury’ wedding attracted attention to her outfits, with her simple and elegant style, clean lines, and non-flashy labels. Many are trying to recreate her subtle makeup and glowy, fresh skin. In addition to her clothes, her natural makeup looks have been trending with videos on TikTok, including tutorials and recreations inspired by the look. The hashtags such as #sofiarichiemakeup have gained 10.5 million views, #sofiarichieweddingmakeup has gained 7.1 million views, and the #sofiarichiemakeuproutine has gained 3.6 million views.

Sofia made her own ‘get ready with me’ (GRWM) video featuring the makeup products she used for her wedding look. With some of these products costing under $40, people can achieve this makeup look on a lower budget.

Some makeup tips to achieve a ‘quiet luxury’ look are to use cream products over powders as it creates a more realistic glow on the skin and choose sheer washes of color over heavily pigmented products to give a subtle sheen. Choose a simple eyeshadow with groomed eyebrows and good eye makeup mascara. Choosing peach and bronze tones on the cheeks for a more toned-down flush of color over rose and pink gives a more natural sun-kissed look.

Glow from Within

Luxury skincare has also been growing in searches this past year, with a search increase of 53%. Skincare can be seen as a high-maintenance routine, so you can be low-maintenance with your makeup if you have an effective skincare routine that creates that glowing skin aesthetic.

A good highlighter can create a clean glow that reflects and enhances a healthy skin aesthetic if you struggle with skincare. To achieve this look inspired by Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, you can treat yourself to a facial or invest in products that suit your skin. With everyone’s skin being different, it is about learning what products will work best for you and sticking to a routine.

Opt for Neutrals or Monochrome

The hashtag #neutraloutfit has 461.9 million views, and #monochromeoutfit surpassed over 209.8 million views on TikTok. Neutrals have proved to be an essential wardrobe basic and work well with mixing and matching and are perfect for embodying quiet luxury, such as Sofia Richie wearing white, creams, and browns in the build-up to her wedding.

Like the logo concept, it is not about shouting about luxury and being bold but rather more toned-down elevated basics. This color pallet feeds into a capsule wardrobe, purchasing neutral clothes that can be long-term investments worn in multiple ways for years.

Ditch the logos

During one of Successions’ episodes, Tom Wambsgans describes a £2,500 Burberry bag as ‘ludicrously capacious’ and ‘monstrous’ due to its vintage check print making it recognizable. So, when thinking of outfits that look ‘quiet luxury,’ think of multimillionaire Gwyneth Paltrow and her head-to-toe ‘old money’ looks, including the $4,876 The Row coat, luxurious cashmere sweaters and Celine boots during her week in court in March, rather than big and loud logos.

However, quiet luxury doesn’t have to mean expensive but more elevated clean basics. Focus on simple, versatile pieces to wear in various environments and outfits. It shouldn’t have bling quality but clean aesthetics; rather than clothing with a giant outright print of the brand name or symbol, wear and style logo-less tailored pieces. As well as this, choosing texture over logos can work, such as staple pieces made from materials like cotton, leather, cashmere, merino wool, and silk, to bring an expensive feel to the clothing.