The 5 fashion rules that indicate 'old money'

Can YOU spot an upper-class wardrobe? The 5 fashion rules that indicate ‘old money’

• Stylist Rochelle White breaks down some of the indicators of wealthy wardrobes
• Read more: Which Royal Style Tribe do you belong to? 

The King sparked a buzz online this month while visiting a mosque in East London as he took off his shoes to reveal a hole in his sock.

Royal fans on Twitter were shocked to see that the 74-year-old monarch had threadbare clothes, as they assumed a member of the royal family would only wear top-of-the range clothes in pristine condition.

However, according to some style experts all may not be as it seems. They argue upper-class people tend to have a specific way of dressing, in a style that some may not necessarily associate with wealth.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL she has noticed two different styles of dress among wealthier people, which tends to be divided by ‘old’ and ‘new’ money.

She said: ‘Usually with generational wealth/old money [people] tend to wear designer items that either have zero to small brand labels showing. 

Can you spot an upper-class person by the way they dress? The Princess of Wales (pictured on a visit to Ulster University in 2021) has been known to choose the so-called ‘I have money combo’ of a turtleneck jumper and blazer on several occasions

‘They could be wearing an £18,000 outfit, but to the normal everyday person it looks like a well put together outfit that has quality.’

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at some of the typical signs of an ‘upper-class wardrobe’ – and some may surprise you…

Threadbare socks

King Charles’s threadbare sock, on show during his visit to Brick Lane mosque, may actually be a signal of wealth, fashion experts have suggested

When the King took his shoes off on a visit to Brick Lane Mosque last week, some people were surprised to see one of his socks had a hole in it.

Royal fans took to Twitter to laugh at the King’s perceived fashion ‘blunder’ which proved he is just like the rest of us.

One person wrote: King Charles is truly one of us! Most of us have at least one pair of socks with a hole.’

However, the holey sock might not have been an accident and more a subtle suggestion of wealth, according to some. 

Jeremy Hackett, co-founder of men’s clothes store Hackett, told The Telegraph: ‘The King is well known for patching up his clothes and as far as his socks are concerned he probably thought ‘darn it,’ they will last a little bit longer.’

He added: ‘Whilst they may look scruffy, what they are wearing was the best when they were made.’

Rochelle agreed the upper-classes have a different way of dong things and will often invest in ‘timeless’ pieces that are not the latest trend, meaning that, sometimes, they may look a little worn.

‘Upper class people, I feel, have a standard of fashion and dressing that is (sometimes) in a league of it’s own,’ she said.

The stylist added that one of the main indicators of high-class dressing is ‘investing in not having the latest trend pieces but pieces that are timeless.’

The ‘I have money combo’ 

On a visit to Oxford House Nursing home on Shrove Tuesday the Princess of Wales showed off a play on the combo again, with a turtleneck and a structured camel coat 

According to Town & Country magazine, one of the classiest outfit combinations one can wear is a very simple pairing of a turtleneck jumper layered with a navy blue blazer.

A classic combination if ever there was one – and some fashion-loving royals even put their own spin on it, toying with different colours and tailored jackets.

The Princess of Wales is one such example, who dazzled on a visit to Ulster University in 2021 wearing a black turtleneck with a bright fuchsia suit. 

Wearing her brunette locks in a sleek ponytail, Kate, 41, let her outfit do the talking as her structured lapels complemented the black roll neck sweater.

Just this week, she debuted another classy look derived from the same rule on a visit to a care home in Slough.

As she arrived at the Oxford House Nursing Home, the Princess was dressed in a navy turtleneck with navy tailored trousers. Instead of a blazer, she paired the sweater with a classic, structured camel coat from Max&Co costing £470 – a favourite of hers.

The Princess ticked off two of Town & Country’s upper class style rules with her Shrove Tuesday outfit, as the magazine also recommends owning a camel coat to subtly flaunt your wealth.  

Designer wear without logos 

The Duchess of Sussex, pictured leaving her baby shower in 2019 while pregnant with Archie, cut a chic-yet-understated look in athleisure – without displaying any logos 

Did Meghan take a leaf out of Diana’s book? The Duchess’s late mother-in-law was pictured on a visit to Berlin in 1865 wearing a tracksuit without a logo in sight

An age-old rule for anyone wanting to prove they have class – don’t brag about how expensive your clothes are.

While this applies to how you conduct yourself, it also relates to the products you choose from your favourite designer, with logos and branding often labelled ‘tacky’.

Etiquette expert Anna Bey revealed her top indicators that someone comes from ‘Old Money’, with the question mark over logos being one of her litmus tests.

Speaking in a video on her YouTube channel, Anna said people who come from old money tend to ‘avoid trends’ and stick to a ‘classic style’.

Princess Diana certainly adopted this mantra in her lifetime, often stepping out in chic activewear that didn’t necessarily show off any logos – but it was clear she was wearing the best quality stuff.

In 1985 on a trip to Berlin, the then-Princess of Wales appeared in a black tracksuit with white stripes which was structured and stylish, but there was not a logo in sight. 

And her daughter-in-law Meghan Markle has also adopted the policy since becoming a member of the royal family, ensuring her casualwear is chic and elegant, while steering clear of any labels.

As she was pictured leaving her baby shower while pregnant with her first child, Archie, the Duchess of Sussex cut an understated figure and kept her head down.

She sported a dark ensemble of athleisure, paired with a camel coat and a baseball cap, and looked ever the classy royal in the low-key combination.

However, while it was clear from the cut and quality of the pieces that they were likely from slightly more upmarket brands, Meghan kept her look modest, without showing off any obvious logos or labels.

Statement pieces with little function

Princess Beatrice’s look for the Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding in 2011 set tongues wagging, with many royal fans left somewhat bewildered by her unusual Philip Treacy fascinator

The Princess of Wales rocked a statement pair of opera gloves while attending the BAFTAs on Sunday evening

While, for the most part, upper-class people tend to dress in classic-cut outfits from well-made items that last a lifetime, there is also room for some more unusual pieces.

With plenty of cash at their disposal, the wealthier in our society have the resources to buy whatever pieces they like from the latest trends at fashion week.

Take the Princess of Wales, for example, who last weekend turned heads with her BAFTAs outfit as she graced the red carpet wearing a pair of black opera gloves.

Kate, 41, looked radiant in a recycled white, Grecian Alexander McQueen gown (another indicator of upper-class dress as she re-wore the frock) contrasted with the black gloves, which stylists said have been a feature in fashion shows for the last year or so.

According to Rochelle, it is not uncommon for upper-class people to dress in outfits featuring pieces that have been inspired by the catwalks.

She said: ‘You can get people that maybe want to stand out and rock items fresh off the catwalks that are statement pieces, eye catching and bold.’ 

The stylist added that, while some wealthier people may make names for themselves as ‘eccentric’ dressers with statement outfits, others may just rely on one standout item such as an accessory.

Another statement piece which will go down in royal fashion history was the fascinator Princess Beatrice wore to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding in 2011. 

The Philip Treacy design is thought to have cost around £2,000, and was later sold for approximately £108,000 ($130,000) at a charity auction.

Repair and re-wear

King Charles is known for championing sustainability, and he has proved over his years in the spotlight that he applies the belief to his wardrobe. He was first spotted in a grey Anderson & Sheppard morning suit in the early 1980s, and wore the same outfit nearly 40 years later and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding

King Charles has long-championed conservation and sustainability, particularly in fashion, and has even launched an initiative encouraging young designers to create sustainable lines, The Modern Artisan.

So it is no surprise that the King favours recycling old outfits wherever he can – in particular, a morning suit he first bought in 1984. While he was spotted wearing the Anderson & Sheppard outfit to polo events throughout the decade, eagle-eyed royal fans noticed he also donned the grey number to give away his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle when she married Prince Harry nearly 40 years later in 2018.

Speaking to British Vogue editor Edward Enninful about his beloved suit, the King said: ‘As long as I can go on getting into it, I only wear it a few times a year, in the summer, so obviously you want to keep those sorts of things going.’

The royal, who famously hates waste, also revealed he would much prefer to repurpose a good-quality item than see it replaced with a newer garment in his wardrobe.

‘I’m one of those people who hate throwing anything away. Hence, I’d rather have them maintained, even patched if necessary, than to abandon them,’ he said.

Rochelle explained: Because [upper class people] know they have the money and means to buy what they want, they invest in more classic pieces that can become their day to day. They most likely will rewear items.’

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