Old Money Style: The Look, the Wardrobe and How to Wear It

Old money style is a way of dressing that looks inherited rather than bought: fine natural fabrics, quiet colours, classic cuts and almost no visible logos. The core pieces are a camel coat, a navy blazer, cashmere knits, pressed trousers, a pleated skirt, loafers and a structured leather bag. Max Mara, founded in Reggio Emilia in 1951, makes almost every one of them.

Key facts

• What it is: a classic, understated way of dressing built on quality fabrics and long-lasting shapes, not trends.
• Colours: camel, navy, cream, grey, chocolate brown, white and black, with the odd bottle green and burgundy.
• Fabrics: wool, cashmere, camel hair, silk, cotton poplin, linen and good leather.
• Signature piece: the camel coat. Max Mara’s 101801 coat, designed by Anne-Marie Beretta in 1981, is a double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere.
• Branding: minimal. Quality shows in the cut and the cloth rather than in a logo.
• Max Mara: an Italian house founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti and still family owned.
• Where to buy: Luxury Handbags stocks Max Mara and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority.

What is old money style?

The phrase describes how families with long-held wealth have traditionally dressed. The point is not to look rich. It is to look comfortable, well kept and slightly indifferent to fashion. Clothes are bought to last, repaired and worn for years, and they fit properly because they were tailored.

The look borrows from several places at once. There is English country dressing (tweed, cable knits, waxed jackets), American preppy (navy blazers, oxford shirts, loafers) and Italian tailoring (soft camel coats, wide trousers, fine knitwear). What ties them together is restraint. Nothing shouts, and every piece could be worn ten years from now without looking dated.

It has had a revival online because it answers a real problem: trend dressing is expensive and tiring. A wardrobe of good basics in a few colours is easier to wear, easier to shop and often cheaper in the long run.

Old money versus quiet luxury: is there a difference?

The two overlap, and many people use them as if they mean the same thing. The difference is mostly in mood. Quiet luxury is a recent fashion term for very expensive, logo-free minimalism: think a perfectly cut grey cashmere coat. Old money style is warmer and more traditional. It allows a tweed blazer, a striped shirt, a silk scarf with a pattern, a velvet headband and a well-worn loafer.

Put simply, quiet luxury looks new and exact, while old money looks lived in. A Max Mara camel coat fits both, which is part of why the house is so often named in each conversation.

The old money wardrobe: the pieces to own

You do not need a large wardrobe to dress this way. You need the right twenty pieces in a few colours that all work together. This is the list we would start with, and what to look for in each.

Our capsule wardrobe guide shows how to build these pieces into a full season of outfits.

Old money colours

The palette is the quickest way to get the look right. Start with neutrals that all sit happily together, and add colour sparingly.

• Camel and tan: the anchor colour. It flatters most skin tones and works with navy, grey, white and black.
• Navy: softer than black for blazers, knits and trousers.
• Cream and ivory: for knitwear, shirts and skirts. Warmer than pure white in winter.
• Grey: flannel trousers, a grey cashmere crew neck.
• Chocolate and tobacco brown: leather goods, suede loafers and gloves.
• Accent colours: bottle green, burgundy and a pale blue shirt. One accent per outfit is plenty.

Avoid neon, bright logo prints and anything that looks deliberately distressed. Patterns are allowed when they are traditional: stripes, Prince of Wales check, houndstooth and small foulard prints.

Old money fabrics: what to look for on the label

The fabric is where old money style lives. A cheap fabric in a classic cut looks cheap; a fine fabric in a simple cut looks expensive. Check the composition on every piece before you buy.

Wool is the backbone, from flannel trousers to a double-faced coat. Cashmere is softer and warmer, ideal for knitwear and scarves; a wool and cashmere blend is a sensible middle ground. Camel hair is light, warm and has a subtle sheen; the Max Mara Manuela coat is made in pure camel hair. Silk is for blouses and scarves. Cotton should be crisp poplin and oxford for shirts. Leather should be smooth calfskin and soft suede, never plasticky.

Synthetics are not banned, but they should earn their place. A water-repellent trench coat in a cotton blend is perfectly old money; a shiny polyester blazer is not.

Old money outfit formulas

These six combinations cover most of the year. Swap the colours within the palette and you have dozens of outfits.

1. The winter classic: camel coat, grey cashmere turtleneck, navy wool trousers, brown suede loafers and leather gloves.
2. The country weekend: cable knit over a white oxford shirt, straight jeans, loafers and a quilted gilet.
3. The office: navy blazer, cream silk blouse, grey flannel trousers and a structured top-handle bag.
4. Lunch out: pleated midi skirt, fine knit tucked in, ballet flats and a silk scarf tied at the neck.
5. Spring in town: beige trench coat, striped shirt, white trousers and tan loafers.
6. Evening: black wool dress, a long camel coat over the shoulders, simple gold earrings and a small clutch.

Fit matters more than any single piece. Trousers should break neatly over the shoe, sleeves should show a little cuff and coats should close without pulling. A tailor is part of the look.

Old money accessories and bags

Accessories should be few and very good. A structured leather bag in black, tan and brown; a silk scarf; a slim belt; leather gloves in winter; a watch and simple gold jewellery. Sunglasses should be classic shapes in tortoiseshell and black.

Choose bags with small hardware and no loud monogram. The Max Mara Whitney Bag, created in 2015 with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop for the opening of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, is a good example: a clean top-handle shape in calfskin. For a full edit, see our guide to old money bags, and learn how to wear a silk scarf the classic way.

Max Mara picks for old money style

Every piece below is on Luxury Shoes . Prices are in US dollars.

1. Madame 101801 Icon Coat in Camel

The double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere with kimono sleeves, designed by Anne-Marie Beretta in 1981. If you buy one coat for life, this is it. From $5,170.

2. Manuela Icon Coat in Camel

A house classic: a pure camel hair wrap coat with a notched collar, side pockets and a belt. Softer and more relaxed than the 101801. From $4,290.

3. Lamine Single-Breasted Stretch Wool Blazer in Navy

The navy blazer every old money wardrobe starts with, in pure virgin wool. Wear it with jeans, flannel trousers and pleated skirts. From $870.

4. Cappa Wool and Cashmere Polo Jumper in Navy

A polo-collar knit in wool with 10% cashmere. Neat under a coat, and smart enough for the office. From $450.

5. Alben Cable Knit Wool Jumper in Honey

The country cable knit in pure virgin wool, in a warm honey shade that pairs well with camel and navy. From $630.

6. Cobalto Cotton Oxford Shirt in White

A crisp pure cotton oxford shirt, to wear under knits and blazers and open at the collar on its own. From $450.

7. Hateley Stretch Wool Flannel Trousers in Dark Grey

Grey flannel trousers in virgin wool with a touch of stretch. The most useful trousers in the edit. From $540.

8. Foggia Plisse Pleated Skirt in Ivory

A fluid pleated skirt that moves when you walk. Wear it with a cream knit and loafers. From $530.

9. Sponda Suede Penny Loafers in Dark Brown

Classic penny loafers in soft goat suede. Brown suede is the most old money shoe there is. From $1,310.

10. Whitney Bag 4 Small in Black

A structured calfskin top-handle bag with clean lines and no loud branding. From $3,050.

11. Patterned Silk Twill Foulard in Natural

A silk twill square to tie at the neck, on a bag handle and in the hair. From $390.

12. Spalato Nappa Leather Gloves in Tobacco

Short, close-fitting gloves in nappa lambskin with a wool lining. The finishing touch on a camel coat. From $470.

Where can I buy Max Mara in the US?

Luxury Handbags stocks Max Mara coats, knitwear, tailoring, bags and accessories, and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority. Import duties are usually payable on delivery. Shop the full Max Mara collection, and check our Max Mara size guide for Italian to US conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What brands are considered old money style?

Houses known for quality fabric and classic shapes rather than logos. Max Mara for camel coats, Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana for cashmere, The Row and Toteme for clean tailoring, and Valextra for structured leather bags. The common thread is restraint and very good materials.

Is Max Mara old money?

Max Mara fits the look closely. It is an Italian family-owned house founded in 1951, best known for camel coats such as the 101801 and the Manuela, alongside fine knitwear and tailoring with little visible branding. That makes it one of the easiest labels to build the look around.

What colours are old money style?

Camel, navy, cream, grey, white, black and chocolate brown, with occasional bottle green, burgundy and pale blue. Keep to two neutrals and one accent per outfit. Avoid neon, loud logo prints and distressed finishes.

How can I dress old money on a budget?

Buy fewer, better pieces and start with the ones you wear most: a coat, a blazer, two knits and good trousers. Check fabric labels for wool, cashmere and cotton, and have everything tailored. One great camel coat does more work than five trend pieces.

Which Max Mara coat is best for old money style?

The Madame 101801 Icon Coat in camel is the most formal choice: double-breasted, in wool and cashmere, with kimono sleeves. The Manuela, a belted pure camel hair wrap coat, is softer and easier with knitwear and jeans. Both work for decades.

Are logos old money?

Generally not. Old money style keeps branding small and lets fabric, fit and finish show the quality. A small metal monogram on a glove and a discreet clasp on a bag are fine; all-over logo prints are not part of the look.

Shop the look in our Max Mara hub, and read our guides to how to style a camel coat, the best camel coats for women and Italian luxury brands.