stealth wealth (keep it hidden)

(TFS, altamiranyc)

Apparently on the rise as the fashion world waves goodbye to the 80s, the shoulder pads and generally OTT influence of Balmain, stealth wealth is "about accoutrements that are subtle, not necessarily readble by the general public but by those in the know". So... understated elegance in a nutshell. That's not unlike the French take on style and appearance, no? Being made up, yet with just the right touch of nonchalance, to look like you're in the money.

Thank you mama for making this into a key part of my philosophy, although I was ungrateful and didn't understand this concept in my teenage years-
No monogrammed anything... ever; 
Quality trumps quantity every time; 
It's all in the details, and the subtleties;
Less is always more, regardless of what anyone is saying;
and that the classic 'investment pieces' will forever transcend time.

Not to say I don't like my trends and my chain stores (they can be life savers, being on a student budget and all...), but the trendiness of an item should be inversely proportional to the price (i.e. The more trendy it is, the lower its longevity and hence, the less I want to pay for it). I'm glad I seem to be following these basic guidelines, because its got me thinking even more about the nuances and my wardrobe is very slowly starting to attain a sense of timelessness. After all... like that Russh article said, what I really want is to be showing off by not showing off.