Still from 'Succession'© HBO

How To Dress Like You’re A Character On ‘Succession’

Salva Mubarak
Senior Features Writer

If you’ve managed to survive the explosive finale of inarguably one of the best TV shows of all time, then congratulations. We’re all together on the same boat of misery, despair, and utter anguish at not having another Succession episode to look forward to ever.

The HBO’s award-winning drama about morally-corrupt billionaires doing everything they can to continue to be billionaires ended after four seasons of brilliant writing and superlative performances. The show has given us a lot, from making us question ourselves about rooting for people who are the actual worst to countless creative insults.

However, one of the most important things that it has given us is an appreciation for quiet luxury in fashion. Well, and also the line “You can’t make a Tomlette without breaking some Greggs”. It’s a close competition.

According to Google Trends, the search volume for the term ‘quiet luxury’ exploded after the premiere of Season 4 and rose up to 614 percent. Thanks to Succession, quiet luxury became a colloquial term and soon made its way into the fashion side of TikTok and Instagram.

As the name implies, it’s all about highly expensive clothing items that are devoid of any branding and are understated in style. Think well-tailored suits or cashmere sweaters and buttery soft loafers. On the surface, a show about a giant media conglomerate and its founding family fighting over who gets the place at the top shouldn’t inspire hundreds of opinion pieces about its fashion. However, the deceptively dull grey-blue sartorial landscape of Succession tells a different story.

The writers of Succession used fashion and style to carve out each character and their journey from the first season to the last one. Take, for instance, Shiv’s evolution from being a political advisor to a liberal senator to a contender for the top spot at Waystar Royco. The uncoordinated, yet luxe, separates gave way to sleek pantsuits and turtlenecks. Like his character, Kendall’s style has also been on a rollercoaster, going from flashy Lanvin sneakers to Margiela T-shirts and logoless cashmere baseball hats. And who can forget the “ludicrously capacious” Burberry tote?

Now that the show has ended, we figured we’ll go back to comb through the style lessons we’ve learned from the Roys and their colleagues and compile a quick guide to pulling off quiet luxury like a Succession character easily.

Wear the colour and don’t let it wear you

Contrary to what many people believe, Succession’s costumes weren’t devoid of any colour. In the sea of navy and grey, you could spot a bright hue here or there. However, the colour palette always tend to wear towards understated, like pastels. The easiest way to cosplay like a fifth Roy sibling is to go for single tone dressing in a neutral shade. Take cue from luxury fashion houses like Bottega Veneta or The Row and opt for monochromatic dressing.

Invest in quality fabrics

When out shopping, or browsing your favourite online stores, pay attention to the fabric and its quality before buying it. Cashmere, silk, and merino wool will always stand out from poly-blends. This doesn’t mean you have to break bank on your new Succession-inspired wardrobe. It just has to be elevated. Ditch garish prints in favour for more subdued embroidery work and don’t hesitate before going for handmade pieces. High-quality fabrics will last for a long time and retain their quality too, which means its a good and sound investment.

Hide the brand logos

Anyone with a keen eye for fashion can spot a designer brand jacket or shoe from a mile. You don’t need to brandish logos to show-off good style. Make like the Roys and stay away from flashy logos or accessories emblazoned in brand insignia. Invest in pieces that are well-made and do not scream that you spent an unhealthy percentage of your monthly paycheck on it. ‘Stealth Wealth’ is the key.

Tailored to perfection

Nothing says ‘rich’ like clothes that are made for your body perfectly. Quiet luxury is all about well-tailored pieces that flatter your shape and look like they’ve not been churned out of a factory. If you don’t have tailors and seamstresses on hand like how a rich billionaire might have, learn what styles and cuts work for your body and shape and invest in pieces that make you feel confident about the way you present yourself to the world.