There is a particular hush to quiet luxury; an inherited kind of silence that doesn’t beg to be seen, yet is unmistakably felt.
This editorial unpacks the elusive aesthetic and social codes of “quiet luxury” not just as a fashion trend, but as a symptom of inherited taste, generational privilege, and cultural performance.
From crisp oxford shirts to classic Jaguars, we explore how discretion became the loudest form of wealth. Why do the old rich still dress like it’s 1963 on the Cape? Why do they avoid logos while Gen Z reinterprets their wardrobe on TikTok? And what does it mean when style tries to mimic substance?
Threaded with musings on prep school uniforms, WASP restraint, and the quiet architecture of private clubs, the piece investigates the performative tension between taste and access. It asks: is “quiet luxury” really about class or just a curated illusion of timelessness?
At once observational and critical, the editorial examines how this aesthetic has been commodified, romanticised, and rebranded in an era where the gap between perceived and actual wealth is wider than ever.
Of Cashmere and Cologne - published in
@esquirekazakhstan
Editor-in-chief: Sergey Shtol
@serejevich
Photographer: Valéry Corbin
@valerycorbin
Grooming: Angela Illiano
@angela_illy
Styling: Isabelle Fournier
Set Design: Manfred Becker
