What is Quiet Luxury

How to Build the Aesthetic on a Sensible Budget?

Quiet luxury is a very current topic for many of us because we are looking for a path to quality rather than logo printing. For me, it is a topic that mainly concerns the selection of high-quality materials from which specific clothes are made, and, subsequently, the quality of workmanship. I do not think at all that it is about a monochrome wardrobe, for which someone will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. If someone claims this, I peacefully disagree with them, and I say it out loud here. Such a wardrobe is also a bit boring, don't you think? 😁

Especially in the summer, which is a lot about colors. But it is, of course, important to combine everything correctly. Nothing must be exaggerated. So when it comes to a combination of colors and patterns, only those that really go together. I think that quiet luxury is also closely connected to DIY (Do It Yourself) themes, because such things are tailor-made and historically (and it is still the case today) that only those people who have their own unique pieces made from selected, high-quality materials by tailors or seamstresses are often people from that "quiet circle of selected society". So it's not at all about rearranging your wardrobe into a monochromatic style, such as white, beige, or navy blue, but about consciously composing your wardrobe from quality, timeless, durable clothes. You can make many of them yourself, and it doesn't matter that you are a beginner. I am a beginner too. I like beautiful things, and when there is an opportunity to make them myself, I go for it because they usually require a relatively high financial investment. 😉 It is nice to put together a wardrobe from high-quality, natural materials from luxury brands when you are not concerned about the budget. But most of us are concerned about the budget, which is why you need to think smartly and not just blindly spend with the feeling that you got it from a luxury store. That is not what quiet luxury is about either. I see this whole topic more as a return to your own identity, to expressing yourself, without hiding behind expensive logos, "because I have it and I have to show it to the whole world, who actually don't care".

What do I think is quiet luxury?

So in my opinion, quiet luxury is actually about the quality of the materials, the quality of their craftsmanship, thanks to which the creator's handwriting is recognizable, and above all, and in the end, it is about the fact that the individual pieces and their mutual combination will help you express yourself better, rather than hiding your personality behind the letters of the brand.

Everyone knows you walked into the room, and you don't have to play anything. It's just about making a conscious choice for quality. IYKYK – If You Know, You Know 😎

Quiet luxury uniformity

Another idea I noticed in connection with this topic is that, because of its topicality, quiet luxury suggests that every influencer who talks about fashion on social networks and elsewhere is actually talking about models and combinations that are already quite "uniformized". White, beige, classic jacket, elegant watch, beige-black combination, etc. ... you see it on every corner, on every social account. It seems to me a bit like the trend of plastic surgery and filling lips with fillers to make them bigger. It was also a hook, and now all the women who followed it are gradually returning to their true essence and beauty because uniqueness enriches us. Not uniformity.
It's important to stand up to these stereotypes because, in my opinion, fashion is about you looking great, and no one needs to know what brand it is or how much it costs, because you don't need to prove anything to yourself. You just like something, you buy it, make it, or have it made.

Quiet explosion of colors

Let's focus on the topic and not just talk about smart advice.
Primarily, I am a lover of monochrome clothing because it is easy to combine. (In short, classic Quiet Luxury) But it can be a bit boring sometimes. Especially in the summer, when there is so much color everywhere. I also like cheerful colors. They evoke warmth, joy, and playfulness. That is why it is great, especially in the summer, to add a little refreshment in the form of color shades to the famous "quiet colors".
How much more pleasant it is when, in your favorite store where you go to buy fabrics, you come across a leftover fabric from the Missoni clothing house by chance.
Well, that's a hit! And why? The Missoni brand stands out for its absolutely excellent craftsmanship. It is not some of The Row, Loro Piana, or Bottega Veneta.

I choose quality and tradition

Missoni is an artistic bomb in the form of a family craft! Complete optical art with geometric patterns. It is not afraid of wild explosions. When I first touched the fabric, it was an incredibly beautiful feeling. The material was so precisely processed. I couldn't get enough of them. Each one is so different and yet all superbly crafted. It's a huge difference. The fabric feels different just by touching it than in a classic consumer retail store with well-established brands. Missoni is still more of a family business than a large fashion corporation. And despite that, the brand has a huge cultural heritage.

This fashion house bases all its products on the traditional craftsmanship of materials. It is a family, honest craft. The fabrics with their zigzag patterns are produced on historic raschel looms and are therefore extremely difficult to counterfeit. (It is really a lot of work) The clothes of this brand are not as formal as those of The Row or any other. Still, they are a relaxed, highly sophisticated Italian luxury brand built on quality textures, top-quality materials, and playful optical art. Fashion, whether we like it or not, is art. And the sun, the heat, clearly includes the playful Missoni.
The classic mass consumer will not recognize this brand (which is absolutely fine). But people who know their way around fashion will notice it. As mentioned, this brand carries cultural capital.
I'm a very traditional person, so when I saw these fabrics in the store, I knew that creating with them would be fun and that I would add a quality piece to my wardrobe for many years to come.

It is a piece of art on fabric with the spirit of family tradition. I don't know about you (and I'm interested in your opinion, what you think about it), but for me, luxury is primarily about how I feel in a given garment. I know that it is perfectly sewn on the outside, but am I comfortable in it? Are the seams scratching me or tickling me? This is the feeling of quiet luxury for me, too. That's why the quality materials and precise workmanship. It is very important how a given thing fits its owner and how the owner feels when they wear it.

The magic of the budget

So I will happily welcome these future pieces into my wardrobe as a large shopping bag, a short summer dress, and a bikini. Of course, I will need to sew them myself. 😅 (Wish me Good Luck pls.!)
I can wear individual items separately with the rest of my monochrome, quiet wardrobe, but if I wear them together, I have a complete and cheerful summer model from one brand. Imagine how that dress will look with leather sandals? In summer, there are always lots of colors everywhere, so why focus only on the basics when you can look sophisticated in high-quality, colorful fabrics with a twist.

Cost comparison of store x self-production:

Missoni short summer dress 980 Euro / 1,138 USD
Missoni bikini 430 Euro / 500 USD
Missoni large shopping bag 690 Euro / 801 USD
Total 2,100 Euro /2,439 USD

My expenses for fabric:
Missoni short summer dress 43 Euro / 50 USD
Missoni bikini 44 Euro / 51 USD
Missoni large shopping bag 27 Euro / 31 USD
Total 114 Euro / 132 USD
+ my time (a few days of my work)

Let's build our wardrobe smartly

I try to put together my wardrobe smartly. I don't have to have everything expensive. It is important to me to have high-quality, comfortable clothes. And if they are also financially interesting investments, it is even more interesting. 🤩
Yes, it often means I have to learn something new. I learned to cook and bake cookies in school, so I am new to sewing, and I learn by trial and error and self-study. But if it means I can have better-quality clothes made from high-quality materials, I'm going for it.

For example, by buying these at-first-glance wildly colored fabrics, I can perfectly revive my summer wardrobe for many years. Those colors and their shades are not random. If I put them together, I have a complete capsule, the main investment of which was my time.

Do you also want to put together your own capsule wardrobe? Here you will find how to do it. You don't have to have everything branded right away. A capsule wardrobe is not about expensiveness, but about combinability. That's why most of my models are monochromatic.

Do you have another fabric with you that you want to use to sew a capsule collection? I will be very happy if you share it. 🙂 It's beautiful to watch other people's creations. It's very inspiring! I'll show you how these projects turned out in my DIY studio. 😉

These are all patterns for beginners. I'm not a guru, so if you're wondering whether or not to do it, just give it a try. You'll fail a few times (it happens to all of us). We've all been there at the beginning and were afraid to cut into the fabric, but don't worry, we're in this together. If you need advice, watch the videos in the DIY Atelier or write, we're here for you.

You may have questions

Equipment:

What are the first steps for beginners to start sewing their own luxury pieces?
You need a good sewing machine. There are also workshops where you can go to sew something on their machine. So if you don’t have your own, feel free to see if there is a workshop nearby where you can sew your own piece. Quality tailor’s scissors, a tape measure, clips, or pins.

Choosing materials:

How do I choose quality fabrics when I have no experience with textiles?
Choose natural materials in uniform shades for the beginning. Start by learning to work with linen and cotton, and then later move on to silk. This is more labor-intensive. Avoid synthetic materials.

Acquiring skills:

Are there specific cuts or techniques suitable for beginners that are recommended for first projects?
There are many. I share everything step by step in my DIY Atelier, so take a look there and get inspired.

Budget:

How much should I expect to spend on materials for a basic capsule wardrobe? That's a question with a very wide range of amounts. If you're going to put together a wardrobe of linen or cotton, you can buy a meter at a time for a few euros or dollars. But if you're going to put together a wardrobe of silk, you can easily count on 3 times that much. That's why I put together my wardrobe gradually. Plus, it doesn't make sense to buy fabric too much in advance, so buy a meter for a cotton T-shirt, sew it, and only then buy 2,5 meters for a silk skirt. That's why it doesn't work all at once. You can sew gradually too, you can never do everything right away.

Support:

Where can I find help or a community if I run into problems or need advice? Feel free to write in the comments here.