14,000-Dollar Cashmere Coat Without a Logo... The Price of "Quiet Luxury" Chosen by the Truly Wealthy

Wealth Shifts Toward Ultra-Luxury Apparel Without Logos
"Not Revealing Identity Through Brand Logos"
Criticized as "Status Display Recognized Only by Insiders"

Clothing without logos is emerging as the new standard among the wealthiest upper class.

A still cut from the drama Succession, which depicts the lives of the American upper class. Photo to aid article understanding. HBO

On the 26th, the Japanese media outlet 'President Online' reported, citing an analysis by affluent class marketing expert Riichiro Nishida, that as luxury market consumer groups become increasingly divided, so-called ‘true wealthy individuals’ are turning to top-quality apparel without logos—a trend known as “quiet luxury.”

Nishida pointed to luxury brands’ customer management strategies as the driving force behind this shift. Customers who continuously purchase trendy items generate more revenue for companies than those who use a single item for an extended period. He explained, “Universal designs that can be worn for decades are actually detrimental to corporate profits. Bold designs and large logos quickly reveal that an item is out of fashion in as little as six months.”

For example, logo T-shirts from Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga sell for over 1 million won each. Dior and Gucci have also released expensive T-shirts prominently featuring their logos. While they may appear to be ordinary cotton T-shirts or oversized sweatshirts, it is the large brand insignia on the chest that determines the price. The primary buyers are young wealthy individuals, newly affluent consumers, and influencers.

Top-Tier Apparel Without Insignia Can Cost Tens of Millions of Won

Traditional wealthy and high-income individuals, in contrast, are moving in the opposite direction. Feeling fatigued by conspicuous consumption, they have embraced ‘quiet luxury’: validating value through fabric quality and impeccable tailoring, with brand insignia removed. While these outfits appear simple, their prices can range from several million to tens of millions of won. For instance, on Italy's Loro Piana official Korean online store, a men’s coat made from baby cashmere costs 14.43 million won and a shearling coat is priced at 22.87 million won.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Brands such as Brunello Cucinelli, The Row, and Zegna are also considered part of this movement. T-shirts and polo shirts worn by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, at official events are representative examples. They may look like typical off-the-rack garments, but they are in fact high-priced items made from the finest materials or custom-tailored pieces.

The term “quiet luxury” became popularized in 2023. During the final season of the American HBO drama “Succession,” members of a fictional conglomerate family consistently wore clothing without logos, drawing attention to the trend. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s courtroom attire was also seen as a part of this phenomenon. At that time, Google searches for “old money style” reached about 25,000 per month, more than seven times the figure from a year prior (3,400 per month).

A Status Symbol Recognizable Only by Insiders?

There has also been criticism of the trend. While conspicuous logo-branded luxury items allow anyone to recognize the brand and gauge the price, high-priced clothing without logos only reveals its value to those who can distinguish brand identity based on fabric, tailoring, and color—hence the criticism that it’s a kind of “status signaling for insiders.”

However, Nishida argues it’s misguided to interpret “quiet luxury” solely as status signaling. “For those who already have everything, external validation or ‘likes’ on social media are no longer important,” he said. “It stems from a desire not to delegate one’s identity and intellect to outward brand symbols like logos.”

Meanwhile, the fashion industry is taking these concepts a step further. 'Gentle luxury' not only involves buying expensive products but also considers environmental factors, labor conditions for producers, and sustainability—where value is placed on natural materials that last and on ethical production processes. 'Lazy luxury' describes the trend of wearing top-quality materials in a relaxed, informal way; for example, products with silhouettes like silk wide pants that resemble loungewear yet use the finest fabrics and tailoring.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.