Celebrities With a Quiet Luxury Style Ethos
Long before it was a trend, they considered it a lifestyle.
If you're unfamiliar with quiet luxury—or, as it's sometimes called, stealth wealth—it's a relatively new term for a decades-old fashion notion. Quiet luxury is the opposite of flashy and maximalistic; instead, it's all muted colors and soft textures—but everything is expensive and perfectly tailored, all while nodding to the latest couture sensibilities.
Long before it was a trend, plenty of celebrities were quiet luxury aficionados. Since it went mainstream, plenty more have jumped aboard. Below, celebrities who epitomize the quiet luxury ethos.
Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes has been a fashion force for several years now, mainly for her street style as she walks around New York. This white tank and light pink trousers create a clean line, and the simple black bag and flowy trench are both exceptionally complementary and obviously well-crafted.
Bee Schaffer
The daughter of Anna Wintour has an upscale red carpet style (and usually has one of the best dresses at the Met Gala). Of late, her style has gotten simpler and sleeker; this is the 2023 Tony Awards, and the army green, velvet Dior dress is draping perfectly.
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough has not always had a simple, sleek style, but it's a great evolution for her. She often favors long outfits that hang beautifully and drape expertly; this is essentially logo-less with perfect pleating and a neutral, luxurious color palette.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson, who had to grow up in front of the cameras, has had an impressive style evolution into adulthood. She was a proponent of sustainable fashion long before it was popular, and her appearances (this one's at Milan Fashion Week) include some quiet, simple, gorgeous pieces—note the Prada loafers!
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner, like the model she is, can work with a number of different styles (and probably has a natural style one would call "trendy"). But, when she goes understated, tonal, and logo-less (she's at Bottega Veneta RTW Spring 2025), no one does quiet luxury with more style.
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Amy Adams
Amy Adams lives a pretty quiet personal life, but when we're graced with her presence on the red carpet, it's clean, classic, and expertly sleek. This is the 2024 Governors Awards, and the combination of high-waisted sequin skirt with simple black collared shirt is gorgeous.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is an absolute pro at awards show dressing (which, especially when you consider the black tie protocols of the Oscars, a perfect opportunity for quiet luxury). This is the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, and this dress is custom Dior in white silk.
Bella Hadid
Much like her supermodel contemporaries, Bella Hadid has an eclectic style that can, at turns, be bold and colorful as well as quiet and muted. The latter is particularly sleek, from the subtle pinstripe on the pants to the sole point of contrast in the brown belt.
Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller's natural aesthetic is often boho and flowy, with plenty of vintage. But part of the secret of her success is that her taste in pieces is excellent, so when she dresses more simply (this is at Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2024) you notice just how luxurious her clothes really are.
Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Paradis, French actor (and mom to Lily-Rose Depp) has had great style for a long time. In her everyday, she's got great French streetwear style, but in her red carpet events, like the Deauville American Film Festival, she understands that simple luxury speaks for itself.
Cate Blanchett
While Cate Blanchett's natural style is often daring and button-pushing, she also clearly has an understanding of the designers that suit her. We see her quiet luxury impulses most often in day events (like this) instead of at big award ceremonies like the Oscars.
Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth has quietly been a fashion it girl for a while—in more than one sense, as her style has evolved to be even more quiet and luxurious than when she was young. This is the Paris Fashion Week Isabel Marant Paris Womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 show, and this brown matching set is texturally compelling.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence didn't always fall into "quiet luxury"; she was a young star and initially had an (age appropriate) youthful style. But in the past few years, as a mom—and New York resident, where her street style is sometimes photographed—she has leaned in on simple, high-end pieces.
Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman has always favored a simple, sleek, timeless style, rarely dipping into trends on the red carpet. This has only increased in her adulthood: this, at the Fourth Annual Academy Museum Gala in 2024, might be the simplest, sleekest thing she's ever worn.
Sofia Richie
Sofia Richie's style evolution has kicked into high gear in the last few years, particularly when she got married (to Elliot Grainge) and became a mother. This is at the Ralph Lauren Fashion show at New York Fashion Week, and the sweet, simple pinstripe outfit is a good example of how she balances modern and timeless.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman became a spokesperson for the Miss Dior fragrance in 2011, which felt appropriate for the star's floral, delicate style at the time. Which makes it all the more impressive that Portman's red carpet style has slowly but surely gotten more neutral, quieter, and sleeker.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee Ellis Ross is an expert at integrating bold colors and big shapes into her everyday wardrobe. When she leans in on neutrals, like with this long leather coat and matching pants, she's still using quiet touches (the red bad and nails) to nod to her maximalism.
Naomi Watts
If you go back and look at her red carpet style, Naomi Watts has demonstrated an impressive consistency. She likes simple outfits but will elevate them with a cool shape (like these long pants and oversized jacket) and some quiet but very expensive jewelry.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Even when she was younger and experimenting with different aesthetics, Gwyneth Paltrow was the queen of '90s minimalism. As she's matured, she's only leaned into that further, and the now-Goop founder has basically the finest taste in all her clothes.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone's style is simple and sweet, and we can see a touch of whimsy and color in her very luxurious outfits. A touch of contrasting nail polish and rainbow buttons add a touch of the personal without ever making her look like she's wearing a costume.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber has truly great street style. She knows what works for her, and she's usually ahead of the trends without ever feeling like she's dressing like anyone else. This was true when she was pregnant, too; one could argue her style got even more streamlined and luxurious.
Demi Moore
Part of Demi Moore's staying power in Hollywood is thanks to her style. She can sometimes lean in on a '70s aesthetic and has been known to favor a glamorous look, but the modern Demi is just a touch of elegance with otherwise classic, well-fitting pieces.
Julia Roberts
In the same way as some of her contemporaries, Julia Roberts matured into quiet luxury (and honestly, may we all look forward to such sartorial heights). These days, she's traded some of her biggest glam for cool, expensive, structural pieces—like this coat.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Before the rest of the fashion world had caught on, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was doing quiet luxury better than most. She has a really strong understanding of how to use shape and texture (instead of intricacy) to make a simple look completely compelling.
Julianne Moore
It turns out, a lot of our quiet luxury icons are actresses in their 50s and 60s who've just nailed their aesthetics! Julianne Moore's rich, tonal wardrobe allows her gorgeous auburn hair to be the defining feature of all her looks. And she never goes halfway in shape or structure.
Amal Clooney
Amal Clooney has been chic since day one, but getting married to one of film's biggest movie stars has only made her style more exceptional. It's very unusual to see her in a busy pattern or complex dress; they're most often simple gowns that are tailored to perfection.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett doesn't always do stealth wealth; in fact, I would categorize some of her red carpet looks as serotonin dressing, with lots of color and flair. But her "daytime" looks really channel her professional vibes, with the sartorial grace notes in the fit and tailoring.
Jennifer Connolly
Since becoming a House Ambassador for Louis Vuitton in 2015, Jennifer Connolly's style has been routinely luxurious and cool. There's always a bit of an edge (as we see with the silver accents on her bag) even while the rest of her look is minimal and polished.
Victoria Beckham
Few do it better than Victoria Beckham. It probably helps that she's a fashion designer and her clothes fit her to perfection; the pieces themselves look (but only look!) simple, and they're often draping and oversized in such a way that looks thoughtful.
Meghan Markle
Even before she was officially a member of the British Royal Family, Meghan Markle had evolved her taste to include some impressive couture designers. These days she favors tonal pieces, sometimes with contrasting texture (as we see here) but everything extremely chic.
Angelina Jolie
From her edgy early days to now, Angelina Jolie appears to have entered her final, "quiet luxury" form—her outfits are always simple but extremely luxurious and tailored to perfection. She also rewears her gorgeous, pricey pieces, so her look has built-in consistency.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen literally founded quiet luxury brand The Row, and it was clear they had a sense of why the aesthetic would resonate with people. It's rare to see the Olsens in public, but when we do, it's often in gorgeous vintage and their own designs.
Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.
Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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