A Modern Guide to Timeless Masculine Style
“Old Money” design is all about heritage and less about cost. In the case of Old Money, there is a feeling of something quiet luxury – a sense that your great grandfather owned the bank, but you do not want to say anything about it.
Unlike today’s fashion designs, which try to shout to everyone their name through huge brand symbols and bright colors, the idea of Old Money style quietly speaks through its luxurious materials and impeccable cuts.
History of Old Money Aesthetics
The Aristocratic Heritage (1800s)
It all started with the British landed aristocracy, where men abandoned flashy silks and wigs for the Savile Row style. Status did not consist of gold lace anymore but was represented by well-cut woollen clothes and hunting tweed.
The Ivy League (1920s-1950s)
American plutocrats (such as Vanderbilts and Rockefellers) borrowed the fashion sense from their British counterparts, though they made it “prep.” Chinos, button-down shirts, and loafers were the creation of Harvard and Yale gentlemen, who developed an informal version of the formal suit that would later become the attire of choice for global power players.
Kennedy & Ralph Lauren (1960s-1980s)
John F. Kennedy made this style popular through his signature “sailor look”—sweaters, Ray-bans and white trousers.
Ralph Lauren: In the eighties, he started selling the idea of an “English countryside meets New England” to regular people everywhere.
