While many luxury brands aim to make you look as rich and remarkable as humanly possible, old money aesthetic is not about that goal. Even though some pieces of clothing might be as expensive as the new Gucci belt they surely are not designed to attract the attention of all the people surrounding you like you just came from another dimension.
Old-money fashion is about creating a well-formed look with classic fashion. So, the brands that are truly old money differ from the ones people like to wear to look rich.
In this list, I will present to you old money designer brands as well as affordable options to choose from.
Top 3 old money brands
As there are, in my opinion, old money clothing brands that have to be mentioned first, here they are.
1. Polo Ralph Lauren
If you’re thinking of a brand that screams old money, the first one coming to your mind must be Ralph Lauren. Originally starting as a tie-designer, the founder of Polo Ralph Lauren made a switch to designing the world’s famous polo shirts.
Think about a beautiful summer day in the Hamptons or an Ivy League cricket or polo match. certainly, you cannot unsee the picture of a nice oversized sweater or a polo shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren.
For being everywhere old money can be found, Polo Ralph Lauren is the number one best old money brand and an essential to have when it comes to dressing old money.
If you want to know how to put together an old money summer outfit for men, check out my article about it here.
I do not get any commissions or any other sorts of payment from Ralph Lauren, but I really love their designs and dedication to sophisticated and elegant clothing. So, check them out here.
2. Tommy Hilfiger
Do you think of old money in America? Ivy League? The Hamptons? If you do, you cannot unsee the image of a Sweater with red stripes on it or a yellow collar. This is Tommy Hilfiger. Founded in 1985 it is the youngest brand on this list but screams old money. Being rather cheap doesn’t prevent Tommy Hilfiger from making great quality clothing with a unique look.
If you want to know about which old money sweater suits you and where to buy them besides Hilfiger, check out my article about the best old money sweaters for men and women.
I think it is one of the best designer brands in terms of cost-value ratio. It still holds a place on this rather expensive list as its designs are just unmatched.
Tommy Hilfiger, for me, is with Ralph Lauren the best old money brand. Even though I do not get any commissions or so, check them out for some unique old money clothes here.
3. Loro Piana
Unlike almost any other brand, Loro Piana stands for quality over glamour and qualifies exactly for the old-money aesthetic. No fancy logos or wild patterns.
Loro Piana offers plain clothing of very high quality. It may be a bit expensive but if you can afford it, I would recommend buying a piece of their fine fashion.
With even socks costing up to 900$, Loro Piana is truly a brand for the rich people in the world. If you wear one of their pieces of clothing you will stand out from other people trying to look rich.
Old money designer brands
This list may contain clothing brands that might be a little pricier. Nevertheless, these old money brands offer you timeless and elegant designs hardly anyone can match. Even though most of them come with a big price tag, others are affordable.
1. Lacoste
With its founder being a former tennis champion, Lacoste surely qualifies as an old-money brand. Not only has he been a champion in tennis, a sport considered to be old money, but René Lacoste also opted to design the original polo shirts to portray elegance and wealth.
Whilst not every piece of clothing screams old money, Lacoste truly offers some great pieces of clothing. Examples are the polo shirts or the numerous sweaters or sweat jackets Lacoste offers.
2. Patek Phillipe
Founded in 1839, Patek Phillipe is the oldest brand on this list though doesn’t fail to impress. Offering luxury watches, pocket watches, and cufflinks Patek Phillipe covers many old money accessories.
If you want to know more about old money accessories, check out this article here.
With its price ranging from 10.000$ to 40.000$, Patek Phillipe watches surely aren’t cheap at all. Though, they are a worthwhile investment due to limitations and therefore increases in resell prices. In addition, you will have a watch only the most elite and richest persons can afford to wear.
3. Burberry
Only falling short a couple of years of the oldest brand, Burberry, founded in 1856, represents old money, unlike nearly any other brand. Think of the iconic pattern you can sometimes see when walking in a wealthy neighborhood, screaming wealth and exclusiveness.
If you can afford to, I would consider buying a simple sweater or a scarf with that unique pattern design to elevate your old money appearance.
4. Chanel
Being a brand for women only, Chanel nevertheless represents old money like hardly any other brand. With its famous, most sold, perfume ‘NO 5′, Chanel is an iconic brand, being popular since the 1920s.
If you want to know more about old money perfumes, check out my article here, where i will give you a detailed list for men and women.
5. Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent surely is considered to be some sort of extravagant. Representing French fashion, not every piece of clothing can be worn to look old money.
Certainly, their accessories and perfumes do. YSL Jewelry and other accessories will elevate your old-money outfits and if you are looking for a unique scent, YSL will not fail to impress you.
I own a couple of YSL perfumes; from my perspective, there are no better scents to wear on any occasion.
6. Armani
Not only does it offer a variety of clothing or accessories or perfumes but Armani also holds a home décor and furniture line. This makes them the most widespread brand on this list.
Being more affordable than many other brands on this list, Armani still has pretty high price tags on its items. Its premium quality and clean lines speak for themselves though, making it a worthwhile investment.
7. Hermès
With its founder coming from an upholstery workshop in 1837, Hermès early on was considered for wealthy people. Since today nothing has changed their attitude, just like old money doesn’t like changes.
Being more on the costly side, I would recommend buying a belt or a purse, to sum up your old-money look or if you’re more well-off you can go on a shopping spree here.
8. Cartier
The founder’s expertise as a skilled jeweler and Cartier’s deliberate focus on the elite demographic from the outset paved the way. The iconic Panther was emblematically associated with Cartier, embodying notions of grace and enigma.
Cartier’s most famous piece of jewelry the Cartier Tank has been worn by old money style icons such as Princess Diana.
Whilst it can be somehow costly to buy a watch or any other piece of jewelry from Cartier, it certainly is one of the cheaper luxury brands with watches starting at about 3000$.
9. Brioni
Being a brand solely focused on menswear, Brioni stands apart in this list. Brioni is well known for suits and formal accessories. Therefore, it is a brand you should consider when dressing old money up.
If you want to know how to dress up for formal occasions, check out this article about formal old money outfits for men and women.
10. Barbour
You are looking for a British style? Meet Barbour. The British brand exists since 1894 and is in the same price category as Tommy Hilfiger. This also makes it one of the more affordable ones on this list.
I would recommend buying their Sweaters or jackets as they are one of the best at featuring old money style.
11. Brunello Cucinelli
Being an Italian luxury brand, Brunello Cucinelli has more exclusive fashion to wear. With their tops and dresses, Brunello Cucinelli offers great pieces of clothing for women if you can afford to buy them.
They don’t fall short on the masculine side of things though. Offering a variety of essential shirts and, in my opinion, beautiful frames, Brunello Cucinelli is suited for men and women who can afford their pieces.
12. Delvaux
Delvaux is a Belgian brand founded in 1830. It offers purses for women and for men, it holds some truly nice wallets. If you want to find a good wallet that looks stylish too, you are at the right place.
The purses are a little more expensive costing around 3000$ to 4000$, therefore have been made with exceptional craftsmanship. If you can afford to, I would advise you to buy one to add to your old money wardrobe.
13. Rene Caovilla
Looking for some fancy shoes or clutch bags? Welcome to Rene Caovilla. Being a clothing brand solely for women, Rene Caovilla offers some unique and rather extraordinary shoes.
Whilst costing around 1000$, they are in the mid-price segment. If you want to buy one of these hand-made pieces to suit your old money style, you will make a great choice.
Find out more about old money shoes here.
14. MaxMara
Selling almost everything for a women’s wardrobe, Maxmara is the perfect fashion brand if you are looking for some old money pieces of clothing to add to your style.
This Italian brand offers classic designs in form of sweaters and cardigans that represent that Ivy league style. Additionally, you may want to see their timeless clothing in form of tailored pants.
Selling at a mid-price, MaxMara is more affordable than many of the brands on this list. This makes them a one-of-a-kind brand to wear if you want to look old money.
Affordable old money brands
Even though most of these affordable brands may also offer lots of fast fashion, you will find timeless designs and classic silhouettes. As a matter of fact, some of them even converted to making more sustainable products.
Don’t be fooled though as you still have to look trough many items before finding great old money clothes. So, let’s get into this list of affordable old money brands.
One of the largest retailers, Amazon will not be featured in this list. For a specific guide on which old money garments amazon offers, check out my article about 12 old money amazon finds.
1. H&M
H&M may be one of the biggest players in the fashion industry. Many pieces may be fast fashion but others represent a timeless style.
Known for button-down shirts, trench coats, and tailored pants, H&M offers great clothes at a fairly low price. Offering these timeless pieces, their prices may range from 25$ for some simple button-down shirts to about 99$ for a trench coat of high quality materials.
The variety of clothing and elegant designs make H&M one of the best old money clothing brands regarding affordable ones.
2. Mango
I may know Mango as a store mostly for women, but nevertheless they also offer classic menswear. Besides fashion trends and low quality clothing, Mango also offers timeless styles.
I would advise you to check out their polo shirts, knit sweater dresses, or wrap coats. Astonishingly, Mango also offers tailored blazers with great attention to detail. Nevertheless, you may watch out for quality issues.
Roaming in a price range from 20-60$ for most pieces, they are pretty cheap. Regarding tailored blazers, you may have to spend about 100-160$ which is still cheap. Overall, I would consider Mango one of the greater fashion brands though you may watch out for sustainability issues.
3. Gap
For our American friends, we included Gap in this list. You can surely put together an old money style outfit shopping at Gap. Great items are their Oxford shirts, cable knit sweaters, chinos, or midi wrap dresses.
You might get some old money fashion dresses for about 25$ up to 80$. Cable-knit or cashmere sweaters will start at 30$and go all the way up to 90$. Oxford shirts and chinos may be a little cheaper.
Even though, no piece of clothing will last you over a century, they still have fairly good quality. Keep your fingers away from bold prints and stay with the classic American fashion Gap offers.
4. Massimo Dutti
This brand’s commitment is mainly offering good quality shoes for rather low prices. Especially the classic style loafer will be way cheaper here than with many other fashion brands. For 70-100$ you can get yourself the refined footwear representing the quiet luxury aesthetic.
In terms of clothing, Massimo Dutti doesn’t fall short in this list of affordable old money brands. For the casual wear, you will find some pleated midi skirts, as well as silk blouses and wool blend trousers.
This fashion house will charge you 50-80$ for most items, only the trousers may be cheaper. Nevertheless, their pieces are presented in high quality reminding us of traditional tailoring techniques.
5. J.Crew factory
Mostly known for their J. Crew vests, which are a common thing in preppy style, this fashion brand stands for classic styles. Regarding the old money aesthetic, this brand offers a wide variety of clothes you might want to check out.
Mainly, I would opt for a V-neck sweater or chino pants or shorts. Also, you may want to get yourself classic blazers as they mostly feature clean lines and classic, tight silhouettes. The blazers may be a little more expensive with about 150$, but v-neck sweaters and chinos start at 35$.
One secret tip is their leather belts. They are fairly cheap (20$) but still look great. In my opinion, J. Crew factory may be focussed on preppy more but still mages to get to the old money crowd pretty well.
6. Lands’ end
You may not know this brand but in my opinion it is a breath of fresh air in the fashion world. Lands’ end mainly features nautical inspired elements for an elegant style. You can use the cheap clothes of this brand to put together various old money boat outfits.
You may want to check out an article about old money boat outfits here.
Pieces like socks, jewellery, umbrellas, but also striped shirts and beautiful coats represent understated elegance well. As most of these items are in a range of 30-120$, you can go on a shopping spree here.
7. Zara
Whilst not typical being known for old money aesthetic, Zara nevertheless has some great offers. It may lack little in quality and durability but some pieces give you that quiet luxury aesthetic.
Even though Zara has been criticised for not being sustainable at all, they made some crucial changes. You may not receive the finest materials, but not only are most clothes cheap, but also is the quality still good.
One thing, I love from Zara is their linen. So, choose linen pants and linens shirts. Also, you may opt for some affordable cardigans or cable knit sweaters on your way. The all range from 20-50$, so take some!
8. Old Navy
You might think at this moment: Aren’t there enough old money brands I can choose from? The answer is no! Even though, many affordable and designer brands of timeless designs and classic silhouettes have been featured, we still need to look at two.
This brand offers great versatile designs regarding striped T-shirts as well as utility jackets and quilted vests. They are rather cheap ranging from 20$ to 60$ at max.
9. Accessorize
No, this is not a call to action but rather a brand featuring exactly what you might think: Accessories. As we didn’t include any affordable old money clothing brand that also offers accessories, here is one.
You can shop everything for women from jewelry to scarves or belts for a small price averaging 5-40$. So here you go! Enjoy shopping at which ever of the old money clothing brands fits your needs and budget.
Final thoughts on old money brands
As we’ve seen, there are many brands featuring old money fashion. You can sense lots of timeless designs, classic silhouettes, and high-quality fabrics but also find affordable options for nearly anything.
If I would want to buy clothes or accessories to add up to my old money style, I would go for Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Armani, as well as Zara and Mango.
Most of these brands are not as expensive and offer great quality.
FAQ
What are old money luxurious brands?
Loro Piana, Ralph Lauren, and Brunello Cucinelli are the best old money luxurious brands.
Where do old money people buy their clothes?
Depending what theywant to spend, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Brioni, and Ralph Lauren are great places old money people buy their clothes at.
What are the best cheap old money brands?
Zara, J. Crew, Mango, and H&M are the best cheap/affordable old money brands.
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