Isn’t luxury lovely? I’m talking about real luxury, when goods are made of special materials, soft, transparent, unusually strong or uniquely textured. Luxury featuring great design and that little “pop” of delight somewhere inside you.
But what if you don’t want, in this day and age, to show off? What if you find yourself in the fortunate position of being able to afford luxury, but you don’t want to lord it over the less well-resourced?
Welcome to luxury without logos. Where old money has been hanging out for decades.
But wait. There’s another secret that old money knows about unlogoed luxury. When you buy without logos you generally get a better deal. Branding the value of that logo costs money. When companies do without, you pay only for the quality of material and design.
How, after all, do you think old money gets old?
How To Do Unlogoed Luxury
The road to unlogoed luxury is paved with companies that flew high once, but fell. Cacharel, all the rage in the 1970’s, is a good example. Or brands that never quite figured out luxury branding, like the incredibly comfortable and well made Stuart Weitzman shoes, or Pringle cashmere. Or in-store brands from luxury department stores like Barney’s New York.
And, although I’d be hard-pressed to call $38,000 worth of anything a “bargain,” you can find jaw-dropping estate jewelry for much lower than retail pricing.
Now let’s say you still harbor a little yen for display. That’s OK. I understand. Me too. When you meet the perfect person with no ego needs, call me. We can make a fortune. But the rest of us have options that keep us on this side of the logo tracks.
Compromise by choosing brands that rely on a particular design element, known only to those, well, in the know, to identify their pieces. Alexander Wang studs the bottom of his bags, Bottega Veneta has been weaving leather for decades, Missoni‘s knit patterns are legendary, and Vivier‘s square buckle made Catherine Deneuve La Very Belle de Nuite.
Get your gold jewelry on Etsy for a virtuous counterpart. Handmade, no middleman, great craftmanship.
Better snap up Missoni soon, though, as they have a collaboration with Target in the works, and you want to be able to say, in your best Grande Dame tones, “Oh no dear, this was from BEFORE,” thus demonstrating that you know secrets. Aren’t secrets the greatest luxury of all?
Products
#1
Cacharel dress via la garçonne
Pringle cashmere wrap
Barney’s Co-op shoes
Beladora diamond necklace (come to Privilege for a 10% discount)
#2
Missoni dress via net-a-porter
Alexander Wang bag via net-a-porter
Bottega Veneta wallet from their site
Roger Vivier pumps via My Theresa
Pretty Things Galore gold hoops via Etsy.
7 Responses
Now you know I am loving this post, what a *fabulous* topic. (Heh,heh,heh.) You make a very good point that I think I frequently overlook – you are paying for that branding on the product. I do love every line you mention, especially Pringle and Stuart Weitzman.
Another wonderful post!
tp
I could not agree more for several reasons, none of which are about whether or not to “show-off”. For some reason, I’ve always resented having someone else’s name on something I’ve purchased. No one would wear a bill board so why carry your cell phone in one?
That Missoni dress is delicious.
Love this post! I like the idea of being wise with money. I love the look and feel of demure and quiet luxury. Lisa, could Blue Nile pearl and diamond jewelry be considered as a luxury without logos? They offer nice quality and aesthetics without the prices of Mikimoto pearls and Graff diamonds? Thank you.
Secrets are the greatest luxury!
As one sensitive to the feelings of the less resourced, I love this idea of luxury without logos.
Not only do I not want to pay more for a logo, I am not anybody’s billboard. The only brand I’m going to shill for is Rubi.
Delicious as usual, TPC. Secrets are indeed the greatest luxury – though, truth be told, I prefer that my secrets be clad in cashmere.
Roger Vivier is one such understated gem I keep waiting to be “discovered” more broadly here in the US. I don’t own any myself – yet.
Would that I could say I don’t fall prey to logo-ism, but I do. I strive to be better, most days.