Old money brands are clothing labels associated with heritage, inherited wealth and understated taste. The quietest are Hermès, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, John Smedley and Sunspel; the most affordable are Massimo Dutti, Uniqlo and Asket.
“Old money style” is a much bigger search than quiet luxury: about 22,200 US Google searches a month in September 2026, against 6,600 for “quiet luxury”. The two overlap but they are not the same. Old money is a costume — navy blazers, cable knits, loafers, tennis whites, a well-worn Barbour — that you can buy at any price. Quiet luxury is about the object: its fibre, construction and restraint.
Which brands define the old money look?
These are the heritage houses — many more than a century old — whose products carry little or no visible branding:
Hermès
Hermès is a French luxury house founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a harness maker, now best known for the Birkin and Kelly bags, silk scarves and leather craftsmanship.
Loro Piana
Loro Piana is an Italian luxury house founded in 1924 in Quarona, Piedmont, that began as a fabric mill and is best known for the world’s finest cashmere, baby cashmere and vicuña.
Brunello Cucinelli
Brunello Cucinelli is an Italian luxury brand founded in 1978 in Umbria, headquartered in the medieval hamlet of Solomeo, and known for dyed cashmere knitwear and relaxed, earth-toned tailoring.
Zegna
Zegna is an Italian menswear house founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna as a wool mill in Trivero, Piedmont, known for its own fabrics, Oasi Cashmere and modern tailoring.
Brioni
Brioni is a Roman menswear house founded in 1945 by tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and entrepreneur Gaetano Savini, known for handmade suits produced in Penne, Abruzzo.
Max Mara
Max Mara is an Italian fashion house founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, best known for the camel-hair 101801 coat and for outerwear that has barely changed in decades.
John Smedley
John Smedley is a British knitwear manufacturer founded in 1784 at Lea Mills in Derbyshire, one of the oldest manufacturing companies in the world, known for fine-gauge merino and Sea Island cotton knits.
Sunspel
Sunspel is a British clothing company founded in 1860 by Thomas Hill in Nottingham, known for the Riviera polo shirt and some of the best plain T-shirts made.
Margaret Howell
Margaret Howell is a London clothing label that began in 1970 with men’s shirts, known for British-made, utilitarian clothing in natural fabrics.
What are affordable old money brands?
Massimo Dutti
Massimo Dutti is a Spanish fashion brand founded in Barcelona in 1985 and owned by Inditex, known for classic, polished clothing in neutral tones at high-street prices.
Uniqlo
Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing retailer owned by Fast Retailing, known for technical fabrics and for affordable cashmere, merino and Supima cotton basics.
Asket
Asket is a Stockholm brand founded in 2015 that sells a permanent, seasonless collection of essentials with full traceability of materials and factories.
Arket
Arket is a Scandinavian brand launched by H&M Group in 2017, selling durable, practical basics in natural fabrics with a muted Nordic palette.
Theory
Theory is a New York contemporary fashion brand founded in 1997 by Andrew Rosen and Elie Tahari, owned by Fast Retailing, and known for minimalist workwear and stretch-wool tailoring.
What about Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren is the brand most associated with the old money image, and its Purple Label tailoring is genuinely understated. But the core Polo line is built around a visible logo, which is why it does not appear in our quiet luxury database. If you want the Ralph Lauren look without the pony, the brands above get you there.
How to build an old money wardrobe
Start with a navy blazer, grey trousers, white and blue oxford shirts, a cable-knit sweater, a camel coat and brown suede loafers. Add a polo and white trousers for summer. Choose natural fibres, keep everything slightly worn-in, and resist anything that looks brand new — patina is the point.
Frequently asked questions
What are old money brands?
Old money brands are labels associated with inherited wealth and heritage dressing — Hermès, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, John Smedley and Sunspel at the quiet end, alongside openly branded heritage labels like Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers.
What is the difference between old money and quiet luxury?
Old money is a heritage aesthetic — blazers, loafers, cable knits, tennis whites — that can be bought at any price and is sometimes branded. Quiet luxury is defined by the quality and restraint of the pieces, and can look minimal or modern rather than traditional.
What are affordable old money brands?
Massimo Dutti, Uniqlo, Arket, Asket, Sunspel and John Smedley offer old money staples — polos, knitwear, oxford shirts, wool coats — at accessible prices.