Tailored clothes in neutral colors. No prints.
Neat hair that look healthy, shiny and clean - not crazy highlights or weird dye jobs. Muted makeup. Discreet jewelry. well made leather accessories in muted neutral colors - shoes, purses and belts. No big loud logo. |
Yes, tailored, “discreet” and “well made” everything. |
This. Woman on the left in the (imo very stylish) ecru dress is the epitome of well-kept money. |
Richest person I know is heiress to one of the biggest NYC real estate fortunes. She is and always has been all-natural, overweight/chunky, short, frizzy haired and flannel shirts kind of DNGAF gal. Lives in Minneapolis.
Also know plenty of the other type (finance wives) who live on Park Avenue and their job is looking good and running the house. They shop & work out constantly. |
And basically everything they wear is like new- it all goes to the cleaners and I am sure they buy multiples of their favorites, so no one item is in heavy rotation( except more durable sweater/jackets) No white tees that become a bit dingy or start to lose their shape, no button downs that only look crisp the first time worn. |
Jeans are not their “go to” wardrobe staple. |
Step 1: have enough money to have all clothing tailored to your body. Be able to invest a lot in new pieces for your wardrobe each season. Have a place to store your enormous wardrobe. Have house hold help to organize and dust said wardrobe.
Step 2: have enough time and money to spend a a lot of time on things like facials, gym training and hair/nail care. The hair/nails/face stuff should probably be multiple times a week. The gym is all the time. Step 3: do all the cosmetic dentistry available. Step 4: learn how to wear makeup that suits you and how to do your hair in the style of the moment, but not TOO trendy because you are not trash. Step 5: be rich and care about those things (maybe this should be #1) |
I visited Qatar recently and was struck by the same thing. This applies also in a different culture as well. The Qatari men in their dishdashas look so clean. Their white dress is pristine, not a single crease and as if new. They’re shoes shiny and high quality and new. So well groomed, healthy complexion and white straight teeth.
No visible jewelry or logos but such perceptible neatness and cleanliness. |
When I think about the people I know who have highly groomed and put together appearances in general, they tend to be formal people who live in formal ways across the board. They get dressed intentionally for the day rather than leave their homes in athleisure. They have more formal, intentionally decorated, uncluttered homes. They eat their meals at dinner tables instead of on couches in front of the tv. They work in home offices rather than at the dining table, etc. People who lead casual lives are informal across the board, and it shows up in their appearance as well. |
And to add, while it isn't tied to income or wealth - you can live formally or casually at any class level - I do think wealthier people are likely required to exist in formal settings more often and they just adapt to it and become more formal across the board as a result. The McKinsey people going into corporate environments to consult or the people attending society events are both in existing in a segment of society that is far more formal than is the average. When you're more casual or formal than the people and event around you, you stick out like a sore thumb, and the drive to conform is very strong. |
My neighbors are like this. They're minimalists and both grew up in very wealthy families, but everything they do have is very sleek, expensive, and very new looking. Her dresses and coats are beyond beautiful. I find it fascinating because my family wears things until they're practically threadbare to avoid waste. (And I really, really hate shopping. Though if I were truly well off I suppose someone could just do that for me!) |
Pretty sure they don’t eat fast food in the car like me and then dabbing their clothes with hand sanitizer. They eat very little and they’re definitely not cooking with oil splatters and bubbling tomato sauce- an apron can only do so much. |
The line about driving or being drive to events made me think of this: rich people never arrive places frazzled and sweaty. They show up calm, unrushed, and dry. |
If you carry a YSL handbag rich people wouldn’t consider you rich. They would actually look at you like a pathetic poser. I guess it’s who you are trying to impress. |
Charlotte Casiraghi (Grace Kelly’s granddaughter) comes to mind when I think of this. https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/charlotte-casiraghi-best-fashion-moments-red-carpet-style-royal |