The Importance of Sandwich Dressing to Achieve the ‘Old Money’ / ‘Quiet Luxury’ Style

Old Money and Quiet Luxury style is a timeless aesthetic. It highlights the importance of classic and high-quality pieces as opposed to brand logos which are the main feature of an outfit. Wearing logos that are so ‘in your face’ makes an outfit look cheap and tacky. Whereas a timeless outfit will use colors, fabrics, textures, and styles that will never go out of trend. This style tends to be more sustainable over time than just buying trending pieces.

The old money style is derived from the upper class who have inherited their wealth over many generations, hence the term ‘old money. The easiest way to achieve the quiet luxury / old money aesthetic is to apply the sandwich dressing technique when putting an outfit together. Many women like to utilize this structure to achieve a sophisticated look with minimal effort.

As the name suggests, it’s like making a sandwich. You have the bread at the top and bottom with the filling in the middle, so you can recreate this with clothing. The best way to do this is with color. You match the color of your top half to your shoes, and then you ‘sandwich’ another shade in between. You can choose any color with this technique and look put together but personally, I think to fit the old money aesthetic, neutral colors are best, e.g. black, white, cream, beige, and brown tones.

Staple pieces would be roll-neck jumpers, tweed skirts, knee-high and ankle boots, ballet flats & a trench coat. Having pieces like these in your wardrobe means you can rotate each piece to create multiple outfits. Having the pieces in neutral colours also means everything will go together so you won’t have the issue of nothing to wear.

Fabrics: When dressing for autumn/winter I think it’s best to avoid synthetic fabrics such as acrylic. This is because it doesn’t keep you warm in the colder months, it lets the cold air in. I would suggest natural fabrics such as cashmere, alpaca, merino, and wool. These are breathable fabrics so it regulate your body, making you just the right temperature.

Textures: My favorite textures to use are boucle and tweed. They are timeless so you won’t have to worry that they are out of fashion after each season like others such as velvet.

Patterns: Not all patterns can look sophisticated, e.g. spots and florals. However, I think the most timeless and classic ones are stripes and the houndstooth pattern. Decade after decade you see them in luxury and affordable clothing.

Here are two outfit examples using the sandwich dressing format:

Look One:

Black Roll Neck Top

White Skirt

Black knee-high boots

White Bag

Look Two:

Beige Trench Coat

Cream Dress

Beige Ballet Flats

Example Pieces: