A brand that says subtle luxury. Not in your face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. - I am the same age and I am also drawn to quirky things. Left to my own devices, my aesthetic veers to some combination of punk rock, art teacher, and MoMa museum store - the objects, not the scarves and jewelry.

Here’s my formula - invest in well tailored and well fitting basics. Follow some people whose style you admire on TikTok and Instagram for outfit inspiration but also to keep up on changes in the cut of pants and jackets. Updating your basic slacks and jacket to the current style every 2-3 years is what makes you look polished and not frumpy. Once you get the basics down, you can wear a fun top, fun shoes, or a loud piece of jewelry. Just one per outfit.

Anthropologie makes some fun printed sweaters and blouses. I tend to get one loud, kooky thing per season and then consign it after a year. The challenge with gorgeous, but loud clothes like a fun Marimekko dress for summer is that they are memorable.

I also recommend trying a rental subscription like Rent the Runway to test out your size in different brands and find your style.

Also I think it helps if you explain what price point you consider luxury or who your social circle is. Are you really looking for Max Mara and Akris or are you actually looking for Theory and Vince? Also unless you are in NYC or Chicago, I think small boutiques tent to cater to what I used to call “The St John crowd”. If you aren’t hosting fundraising lunches at the country club, you don’t need Max Mara to look sharp at school pick-up. New clothes in the latest colors and styles go a long way. One of the sharpest looking colleagues I know wears almost all Theory and MM LaFleur. I am sure DCUM designer harpies will scoff at MM LaFleur, but for office business casual, it’s so much nicer than Ann Taylor and J Crew - it’s basically way J Crew used to be when we were 23, OP.

Agree Theory and MMLaFleur are good. Vince is too matronly imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada are timeless classics

Though most aren’t subtle.

Prada is v subtle. I have a lot of their clothes and there’s no exterior label or logo.

[Anonymous]

I do like Max Mara, Akris, etc but they seem a bit aging. For the 40s I'd give Khaite, Victoria Beckham, or Proenza Schouler a try.

The Row is quite nice but not the most feminine tailoring IMO. Great bags.

[Anonymous]

Quince cashmere
Naadam cashmere

Get some good jeans frame and mother in straight leg, a slight boot and May be a skinny

Blouses / Vince or theory

Stick to high quality and solids and ideally neutrals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quince cashmere
Naadam cashmere

Get some good jeans frame and mother in straight leg, a slight boot and May be a skinny

Blouses / Vince or theory

Stick to high quality and solids and ideally neutrals

Gotta say, I wore one of my two cashmere sweaters today and remembered why I only have the two, they are not high quality. They're fine, and affordable, but fair to mid-range quality at best.

[Anonymous]

BV

[Anonymous]

^^I meant one of my two Quince cashmere sweaters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. - I am the same age and I am also drawn to quirky things. Left to my own devices, my aesthetic veers to some combination of punk rock, art teacher, and MoMa museum store - the objects, not the scarves and jewelry.

Here’s my formula - invest in well tailored and well fitting basics. Follow some people whose style you admire on TikTok and Instagram for outfit inspiration but also to keep up on changes in the cut of pants and jackets. Updating your basic slacks and jacket to the current style every 2-3 years is what makes you look polished and not frumpy. Once you get the basics down, you can wear a fun top, fun shoes, or a loud piece of jewelry. Just one per outfit.

Anthropologie makes some fun printed sweaters and blouses. I tend to get one loud, kooky thing per season and then consign it after a year. The challenge with gorgeous, but loud clothes like a fun Marimekko dress for summer is that they are memorable.

I also recommend trying a rental subscription like Rent the Runway to test out your size in different brands and find your style.

Anthropologie isn’t luxury. It’s like Urban-Outfitters-adjacent.

[Anonymous]

Anine Bing

Mother for denim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. - I am the same age and I am also drawn to quirky things. Left to my own devices, my aesthetic veers to some combination of punk rock, art teacher, and MoMa museum store - the objects, not the scarves and jewelry.

Here’s my formula - invest in well tailored and well fitting basics. Follow some people whose style you admire on TikTok and Instagram for outfit inspiration but also to keep up on changes in the cut of pants and jackets. Updating your basic slacks and jacket to the current style every 2-3 years is what makes you look polished and not frumpy. Once you get the basics down, you can wear a fun top, fun shoes, or a loud piece of jewelry. Just one per outfit.

Anthropologie makes some fun printed sweaters and blouses. I tend to get one loud, kooky thing per season and then consign it after a year. The challenge with gorgeous, but loud clothes like a fun Marimekko dress for summer is that they are memorable.

I also recommend trying a rental subscription like Rent the Runway to test out your size in different brands and find your style.

Anthropologie isn’t luxury. It’s like Urban-Outfitters-adjacent.

I didn’t say it was. OP says her taste isn’t always aligned with what she perceives as luxury/ high end. I suggested she get nicer basics and look to places like Anthro for color / prints / one season type pieces to indulge her actual taste so that she doesn’t feel too constrained by an idealized version of “quiet luxury”.

[Anonymous]

Lemaire

[Anonymous]

It’s taken me some time to figure out what works but as a mid-40 something it’s good to have a go to outline since life is so busy. If you figure out your sizing in various brands, you can find things online like realreal, poshmark at lower prices.


For clothing: theory coats, pants and some dresses. Vince’s black jersey dresses are easy to wear and wash and blouses, FRAME for denim and tops, Peter Cohen pants, Chloe cream blouses works well with jeans or less casual pants, like the Row sculptural type dresses but not worth full price IMO, Brora for cashmere. I feel a little old for brands like Isabel Marant but like some of their belts. Lela Rose for more formal wear or the secondary line Pearl for more casual.

Bags: Bottega Veneta, Tods, lower price point A.L.C and Polene

Shoes: I mainly wear flats or low heels so I like Nicholas Kirkwood, Chloe, Mansur Gavriel, le monde beryl, tods driving moccasins

[Anonymous]

COS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to a nice boutique such as Ann mashburn in Georgetown or the hive in old town. They won’t steer you wrong

This is good advice.

[Anonymous]

Sandro
COS
Frank & Eilleen