Forget designer logos: A-list signal privilege in understated clothes
The stealth wealth crew: Forget designer logos… The A-list, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Shiv Roy in TV’s Succession, now signal their privilege in chic, understated and sensual clothes – in every shade of neutral
Can it really be a coincidence? Just as the fourth series of Succession — with Shiv Roy in her trademark understated power look — returns to our screens, Gwyneth Paltrow appears in a Utah courtroom in full stealth wealth mode.
No victim uniform of prim blouses and shoulder-padded black jackets a la Amber Heard for her.
There she was in an 8-ply cream cashmere turtle neck, a plain floor-length coat, voluminous taupe trousers and Celine boots.
Unapologetically and distinctively casual, albeit with a hefty price tag.
As she swished into the courtroom to defend herself against the man who says the actress crashed into him while skiing, Gwyneth embodied the apogee of ‘girl-next-door’ cosiness, if ‘next door’ is in the Californian enclave of Montecito.
It’s a look that Shiv Roy, played by Sarah Snook, has made her own.
Gwyneth embodied the apogee of ‘girl-next-door’ cosiness, if ‘next door’ is in the Californian enclave of Montecito
Just as the fourth series of Succession — with Shiv Roy in her trademark understated power look — returns to our screens (pictured), Gwyneth Paltrow appears in a Utah courtroom in full stealth wealth mode
Shiv is tycoon Logan Roy’s only daughter and has one of the most compelling wardrobes on screen.
It must have been tempting to dress her up in noisy silk prints, crocodile leather and fur.
But that would have been oh so wrong. Shiv is not a trophy wife, or a social media influencer or the unemployed daughter of a billionaire, drifting from Aspen to St Barts, and the Maldives to Mustique.
She’s a power player, in keen competition with her male siblings, and her style mirrors her cool, entitled, manipulative and canny character. Outfit after outfit oozes money and position.
Her clothes may be understated, but the sensuality should not be underestimated. Shiv is pure Swish — the sound and silhouette of privilege.
Her clothes literally take up space in the room. Although they don’t shriek noisily, she and they are highly visible.
From her wide-legged pants and all-enveloping trench coats, to the slithery slink of her satin and silk shirts and evening gowns, she stalks the labyrinthine corridors of familial rivalry encased in a soft but effective armour of luxurious fabrics and colours.
Toffee, ivory, navy, grey, camel, slate and rust — these are the quiet palette from which she draws, the perfect foil to her red hair and creamy skin.
Cream of the crop: Jennifer Aniston is seen outside ‘Good Morning America’ this week
Model Gigi Hadid opting for a neutral wool coat over a stylish blazer while out in New York
Yes, Shiv has the stealth wealth look well and truly nailed. And stealth wealth style has made a dramatic return to the catwalks, where recent collections were dominated by monochrome and pieces that, if they weren’t so impeccable, might have looked boring to those who aren’t in the know.
Gone were the flounces and patterns and bodycon of previous seasons and back was a luxe variation on normcore, that classic, timeless way of dressing embraced by women who are fashionable but not fashion victims.
Anthony VacCarello’s Saint Laurent show was filled with the elegant pinstripe tailoring so beloved by Shiv, while Max Mara, which rarely produces a collection without a camel trench, was applauded for its display of head-to-toe outfits in that colour.
Prada, always a reliable source of stealth wealth separates, turned a simple navy crew neck into a serious object of desire when Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons paired it with a white satin pencil skirt.
Uma Thurman looks elegant in a black blazer jacket and grey overcoat
To top it all, Phoebe Philo — the high priestess of maxed-out minimal style who built Celine into the must-have temple of dress-down chic — has announced her comeback on Instagram.
Although she is still months away from producing any clothes for us to see, the account has already gained 180,000 followers eager to discover what the woman who made us all want to dress in a pair of Stan Smith sneakers, simple black trousers and an oversized shirt is going to give us next.
OK, you might think, if you’re Shiv the fictional daughter of a media tycoon whose platinum Amex can buy a £3,000 Loro Piana vicuna wool coat; or Alex Levy the star newsreader on The Morning Show (as played by Jennifer Aniston); or indeed if you’re a real-life movie star like Angelina Jolie or Katie Holmes.
But is it possible to get the look at a fraction of the price? Can you look expensive on a budget?
The truth is it’s not easy and it takes discipline. The women who manage it best are very controlled in their buys — splashing out on the pieces that will really make a difference and restraining from snapping up random items that catch their eye.
Neutral colours, monochrome outfits and eye-catching accessories are the mainstays. They plan their outfits, even making spreadsheets of the pieces they want. Seriously.
But there are cheap fixes. Vogue contributing editor Kate Phelan who has always dressed in a uniform of black, grey and denim revealed that, straight after the Prada show, she headed to Uniqlo to buy a handful of men’s navy crew necks that would get her the look she had just seen.
Knowing Kate, however, she’ll no doubt be teaming them with a pair of Prada slingbacks.
Katie Holmes is seen after shopping at Falconeri in SoHo in New York City
Navy is a basic of luxe style. A slim navy pea coat or blazer can get you a long way. And they can be found inexpensively at High Street favourites such as Uniqlo (again) or Jigsaw.
Good tailoring on a budget can be hard to find, but it’s where M&S always wins on style and fit. For that bit more, investigate The Fold, Winser London and also Joseph for classic pieces that look more expensive than they are.
The key is to keep the palette simple and avoid prints. Florals are like deadly nightshade to this particular look.
White, as Gwyneth shows, is also a must-have. Its very impracticality makes it look desirably expensive. When Vogue editors find their perfect white T-shirt, they buy them in bulk, many liking Cos and Sunspel.
However, white ticks the box only if in immaculate condition and ideally worn in mid-winter rather than high summer.
Actress Angelina Jolie looks effortlessly chic as she arrives at JFK Airport in New York City
This summer, stealth wealth’s most popular neutral — beige — is everywhere. Fashion favourite The Frankie Shop is a treasure trove of separates in this colour — roomy cargo pants, loose jackets and cool jumpsuits. After all, where would the Roy family be without their cashmere hoodies, padded jackets and designer trainers?
The key here is to go big. Nothing too tight ever looks expensive. Oversized shirts are everywhere this summer and even if you are buying something more slimline, take a size up and belt it, especially with the wide-legged high-waisted flares that are the trouser shape of the season.
And the best stealth wealth tip of all? You can get away with a lot of taupe trouser suits as long as they are paired with oversized, dark glasses. Even if the look doesn’t include travel by private jet.
…and why every woman needs a Power Necklace
By Shane Watson
Chain gang: Harriet Harman, the chair of the Partygate Committee, and Gwyneth Paltrow at her trial in Utah
Who is to say when the chair of the Partygate Committee, Harriet Harman, decided on the all-black outfit she wore to grill Boris Johnson. But any woman aged over 45 will know it started with The Necklace.
This thumper of a solid link chain, thick enough to anchor a cruise liner, will have been the key element and the only non-negotiable. This is a Power Necklace and it is what every woman going into battle reaches for — whether it’s in the boardroom, on the front bench in court, or meeting the new wife of the ex over tapas.
By appearing wearing a necklace that is big, bold, unbreakable and very much on the fashion money for Spring 2023, Harman is following in the footsteps of Power Necklace pros including Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, 73 (rarely seen without a collarbone-caressing necklace you could see from space); fashion icon Iris Apfel (now 101 and likewise legendary for her big jewellery); and the late, legendary former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.
Coco Chanel was never without her pearls, of course, but today’s Power Necklace is something tougher and chunkier, and women in positions of power are drawn to it for several reasons.
For a start, a brute of a necklace is a bit like protective armour: go for my jugular if you like, it says, but I am prepared. The opposite of delicate and discreet, it suggests the wearer is tougher than she looks and not to be underestimated. A bit like a mayoral chain, a Power Necklace sets you apart from the crowd and gives you an air of authority or at least a certain confidence.
And, last but not least, it’s a neck distracter. You might think that a middle-aged woman wishing to deflect attention from her neck (often her least favourite feature) would be wise to steer clear of necklaces, but, on the contrary, the Power Necklace is like a rampart that protects and deflects.
A choker never really works on an older neck, but a high-lying necklace solves the problem of a bare throat and chest by leading the eye elsewhere.
The Power Necklace really comes into its own when the dress code is plain and serious.
Everyone following Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial in Utah will have noted that she arrived in court on day one in a cream cashmere polo neck looking plain but, on reflection, a bit après ski.
By day two, she’d sized up the situation and donned a cream belted cardigan with a solid double chain necklace nestled inside the open neck. It was a Power Necklace by any standard, perfectly suited to the situation.
A wisp of a chain with a diamond solitaire would not only have been very pre-2020 — jewellery has just got bigger since the pandemic — but entirely ineffective as a protective barrier against the slings and arrows of the counsel for the prosecution.
A polo neck was a reasonable call, but, on reflection too much a reminder of that day on the slopes, just too ski casual. A silk scarf tied at the throat might have worked, but would have lacked the necessary glint of hardware that says the wearer means business.
Theresa May was a big fan of the Power Necklace when she was Prime Minister and Margaret Thatcher preferred the throat covering pussybow blouse. (Likewise, it’s not called a helmet hairdo for nothing and Harman has taken a leaf out of Anna Wintour’s book on the hair front while Gwyneth’s is getting more severe by the day).
The Power Necklace is not to be confused with a statement necklace which might be strings of beads or paste or a fabric flower attached to a choker (a look for spring). As the name suggests, statement necklaces are fashion statements, but Power Necklaces have a more serious purpose.
Like Anna Wintour’s power bob and sunglasses, they’re part of the older woman’s arsenal.
You may never have worn a necklace but, one day, you’ll find yourself on the eve of a crucial meeting, trawling websites, looking for collarbone-grazing necklaces with impact. It’s a rite of passage.
Source: Read Full Article