Sofia Richie’s wedding attire sparks discourse on social media, alluding to people’s relationship with the idea of wealth.
By Paige Ganim
A single celebrity-studded event created a mass buzz on TikTok over the weekend — model Sofia Richie’s wedding. Richie, who documented her wedding weekend outfits on her TikTok account, entranced thousands of people on the app, signaling a growing appeal for the modernization of the old-money New York “it-girl” aesthetic.
Donning chic yet modest clothes, shoes and bags from brands like Hermès, Proenza Schouler and Chanel, Richie’s wedding looks will popularize the timeless aesthetic — a “classier” and pompous embarkment from the quiet luxury trend of the past several months. This shift comes at a time when there are competing fashion trends and signals consumers’ interests in utility and the wealthy.
Richie is a long-time ambassador of Chanel, so it was fitting that a team of Chanel designers recreated a gown Stella Tennant wore in the 1997 Chanel couture show for her wedding dress. In fact, several of her wedding catalog outfits were from Chanel.
This highly media-captivated move comes just in time for the 2023 Met Gala, a grand-scale fundraising event that will honor Karl Lagerfeld, the late creative director at Chanel. Celebrities who attend will undoubtedly be adorned in Chanel, triggering interest in this type of attire on a macro scale.
For months, quiet luxury and #Barbiecore have competed with one another in the fashion industry, each bolstered by their distinct pieces in the media, reported the Business of Fashion.
Fascination over #Barbiecore skyrocketed with the highly anticipated live-action Barbie movie set to hit the big screen this July. However, the trendiness of the hallmarks of the modest, chic aesthetic in huge media-engrossed moments like Richie’s wedding and the Met Gala will likely overpower #Barbiecore. While it is not subtle like quiet luxury, it is branching off of the modesty at the core of the trend.
Arguably, the timeless old-money aesthetic is more practical for everyday use than Barbiecore. For running errands or going out for lunch, most people typically would rather sport a color that society perceives as less flashy than a bright pink.
“Hot pink will always feel a bit like drag, an exaggerated version of feminine dressing that skews a little aggressive,” reported Refinery29.
As videos of cheaper dupes for Richie’s luxury outfits are circulating on TikTok, some question why so many people are fawning over Richie’s clothes.
“I’m trying to figure out why ‘old rich money’ is what we’re celebrating,” said one TikTok user. “I thought we were eating the rich.”
On the one hand, the rise of the old money aesthetic underlines people’s complex relationship with the wealthy: We love to hate them but also carry an undying fascination for them.
However, there is simply an obsession with looking like you have money. In his book “The Theory of the Leisure Class,” Thorstein Veblen described the notion of pecuniary emulation, where people try to mimic one’s status to satiate a psychological need to feel valued and achieve a positive self-image. The concept remains true today, as the appearance of wealth appeals to many.
“Indeed, these days, the vast majority of luxury goods are bought to be loud, not quiet, about one’s purchasing power,” the Business of Fashion reported.
One of Richie’s looks was a white-collared dress with gold buttons from Proenza Schouler paired with pink-sequined slingback Chanel shoes and a rainbow-colored vanity bag stamped with the Chanel signifier. The outfit indicates her status while remaining refined and polished.
Fashion trends nowadays run in cycles, but while the timeless aesthetic may resurface, unlike other trends that do not directly gesture to one’s status or provide feasibility, this one will never go out of style.