Well…sort of.
Our international correspondent, C.V., provided the two links below. (I believe David also spotted one of these and posted in the comments section of a recent post.)
The articles make note of a recent fashion trend that embraces clothing that is subtle, durable, and timeless. Previously referred to as Ivy League style or Preppy, this most recent incarnation of the old wardrobe tradition has a few wrinkles to it, so to speak, and of course requires new labels and search terms to mark its entry into society.
According to Tik Tok, current epicenter of the social media universe, the ‘Old Money aesthetic’ is on the rise right now.
Read all about it HERE and HERE.
My personal reaction to all this swings from a triumphant ‘Yes!’ to a world-weary Yawn.
Perhaps we get a well-deserved break from the ostentatious ‘bling in your face’ fashion wave and the ‘more gangsta than thou’ attitude that went with it lo’ these past decade. Good. Then again, I’ve been advocating this manner of dressing (and corresponding modest attitude) for almost as long. So pardon me if I’m not jumping up and down with excitement.
Candidly, my hope is that, in their search for a classic style, young people will trip across an enduring philosophy.
So, as the rest of the world suddenly discovers what we here on the blog have known for some time (the wisdom of dressing with Old Money Style), you can each individually select your preferred Byron Response to all the hub-bub, according to your mood:
(a) “Oh, that’s great. I hope you all embrace Old Money Style and benefit from it”;
(b) “Oh, that’s great. I hope you consider the Core Values of Old Money that go along with the clothing”; or
(c) “About damn time. Go away.”
Of course, by definition, fashion changes. Trends come and go. Skirts rise and fall, lapels expand and contract. Marketing executives scheme, racking their brains to make Something Old New Again. And retailers benefit from it all.
All this contributes to creativity and commerce, and I enjoy much of the spectacle. You should, too.
Let’s keep it Old, regardless of the trends.
– BGT
Many could benefit from attiring themselves thusly. I took my son to his weekly Tae Kwon Do lessons this (Saturday) morning and perused the humanity of full display among the parents in the studio during our time there. My wife reminded me of that old adage once we were safely ensconced back at home with the drawbridge in place. “If one has nothing nice to say. . .”
Kind Regards,
H-U
Sometimes I wonder what would happen to the economy if everybody stopped keeping up with the latest fashions and trends. Then I remember there’s no danger of that.
Yes! I saw that also, and yes, I laughed. The only hope the kids will understand the whole concept is to get your book advert on TikTok immediately!
Response (b)! Hopefully the Values part of Old Money style gets conveyed as a part of this trend.
As a lifelong contrarian though, part of me doesn’t want this to become too mainstream, as I’d have to find another way to rebel.
Whatever one wears, the basics of ‘Old Money Attire’ are its values.
At the core of those values are manners. You ‘wear’ your manners. They speak louder than the perfect pearls, the perfect jersey or the perfect chinos.
Thinking about this reminded me of my late uncle who was a retired Rear-Admiral. Someone once said to me: “ You know, if you took your uncle, stripped him down to a bathing costume and placed him on a beach amongst a group of people, a complete stranger might walk by and say – you see that man over there, he must be an Officer “. He was ‘wearing’ it.
I think Byron’s comment sums it up: “ Candidly, my hope is that, in their search for a classic style, young people will trip across an enduring philosophy “
Wear it.
I ended up tracking down the “justoldmoney” account on Instagram and messaged the creator to get an idea of her intentions: are you chasing this as a trend or are you generally interested in adopting an OMG lifestyle and all the values that come with it? I was pleasantly surprised to hear it’s the latter, so I went ahead and sent her a link to buy The Old Money Book and encouraged her to read it and share the values from the book on her page and encouraged her to engage the community on this site.
Sad note though: she was unaware that Business Insider used her page for their article and should hopefully compensate her hard work in the future (or ask for permission, at least). Tough time to be a journalist, I guess.
Thank you for the endorsement, Bryce. It is much appreciated. I hope we’ll have her join us soon. – BGT
With WSJ reporting today that old money style is the style trend of the moment, we’ve likely hit peak old money style.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/old-money-style-preppy-fashion-aesthetic-47607135