So, if you’ve been on Instagram, YouTube and (I hear) TikTok, you would have heard about ‘quiet luxury’ and how it’s something to aspire to.

The trend was apparently triggered by a scripted TV drama series, featuring super-wealthy people.

After combing through the internet for a definition that’s actually written in simple English (as opposed to long words that no normal human being understands), I’d say quiet luxury means dressing in expensive items that you don’t have to replace often, without announcing that you’re rich.

It can make sense and seem aspirational when you first hear it. Till you really think about it and realise how problematic it is. A scam, actually. 👇are 5 reasons why:

1) Certain named brands are the preferred choice

So, if you’ve looked up the term on Google or watched any videos on YouTube, you’ll recognise specific brand items popping up as the definition of quiet luxury.

The good thing is that the brand names or logos are not obvious or visible on the items. So, they’re not announcing the income bracket of the wearer by their presence – although I used to assume it’s just commonsense to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to oneself…

Apparently, recognising the brands that are quiet luxury is very much a thing of if you know, you know because the texture and quality of the items are synonymous with the specific brand. But have you ever noticed how it seems to be only certain brands whose users are associated with practising quiet luxury?

So, you could spend a lot of money to acquire a well-tailored dress that will last a long time from a particular designer, but it won’t count as quiet luxury because the designer isn’t in a particular country or hasn’t been noticed by certain magazines.

2) Certain colours are practically forbidden

OK, this is the one that made me go, “You’ve got to be kidding!”

Cos when it comes to clothes, practising quiet luxury is shown in muted or neutral colours – beige, black, white, gray. You get the picture…

Some say deep red is permitted to be in the colour palette for quiet luxury, but can you imagine the entire spectrum of colours that are excluded? So, no matter your skin tone that makes certain colours look good on you, if you’re wearing any of the anti-quiet luxury colours, you’re out of the IT crowd.

Kinda reminds me of the “What colour can you never be caught dead in?” questions that some interviewers think can ever be appropriate. Very stewpid…

3) Certain clothes/fashion items that are a staple in certain cultures aren’t included

Fabrics that typically make the list for those who dress with quiet luxury in mind are silk, cashmere, suede, organic cotton, wool, leather and linen. And they’ve got to be specific styles of clothes.

That means even durable lace and ankara are out. As are expensive, comfortable fabrics from which iro and buba, onyonyo, senator or other kinds of attires that are traditional to places like Nigeria are made.

Never mind the facts that they (a) can be eye-wateringly expensive, (b) aren’t worn everyday and (c) are sometimes passed down from one generation to the next, they’re not made with the right fabric = they can only be categorized as loud luxury. Or tacky. Cos they can’t possibly be quiet luxury.

I’m even trying to imagine being dressed in cashmere in Abuja weather in the middle of June. Or leather boots. Yep, ridiculous.

4) A specific fashion style/aesthetic is seen as ‘the one’

Related to #3 above, I feel this is sad as it seeks to project a single fashion style or aesthetic as quiet luxury. Like if you dress this way, it’s proof you’ve levelled up.

So, if, for example, a certain style of footwear or size of handbag is what you would prefer or is practical for you, you must not fall foul of the quiet luxury rule. Cos otherwise, your worth is suspect?

Who exactly is setting these rules for you, your personal tastes or your budget? And why are you letting people who are afraid of colour, tell you what to wear?

One of the things I have learned is that as time passes, your personal style and taste evolve. I can’t claim to be a fashionista, but experimenting with your looks and the accessories that you like is normal. You are supposed to look back on your pictures and either say, “OMG, what was I thinking?” OR “Dang! I/that looked good!”

5) The assumption that fashion trends can be dictated years in advance

There was a time when shoulder pads, short skirts and chunky heels were in. Not necessarily all at the same time, but they happened. On and off runways.

There was a time when co-washing (washing your hair with conditioner, instead of shampoo) was a huge thing with many African and African-American women. And hair grease was the devil. I think it started with beauty YouTubers. Then, co-washing fell out of favour and hair grease came back in cos some people were like, “I remember that my grandma/mum used grease on my hair when I was little. My scalp was just fine; my hair grew long, thick, full and fast. I did not need to use 10 products in a 12-step routine lasting 48hrs, in order to make my hair grow even an inch!”

This is what happens with some beauty items, looks, routines and styles. They trend for a while, stop and return with a vengeance like they’re a new discovery, but nobody knows when what will happen.

Yet, purveyors of the quiet luxury trend appear to think they know how long an item will be in vogue for. It’s laughable and senseless when you really think about it.

So, the gospel of quiet luxury is meant to drive you to crave and buy stuff you don’t need (and probably don’t even like) for fear of missing out? Or for people to perceive you a certain way? 😂😂😂 OK…

Anyhooo, I help young women who are in Law OR Media to develop
✅strong voices
✅solid careers AND
✅stable personal lives.
So if ☝️ is what you’re actually interested in achieving, contact me here to ask for my help.

Have you been one of those who’s fallen for the scam of quiet luxury? How and why do you think it happened? Let me know in the comments section below