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What’s This About
Old Money style for young men means classic, well-fitting clothes with little branding, built up slowly; it needs no inherited wealth and the clothes prove nothing about background.
This guide shows a young man how to start the look, such as:
Four principles: fit, natural fibres, a narrow palette and little branding
The blazer, suit, shirts, knitwear and shoes to buy first
Why Oxford cloth and poplin suit different shirts
What Cary Grant, Gianni Agnelli and the Duke of Windsor can teach about cut and pattern
A five-step buying order and two starter outfits
and many more!
Start with a navy blazer, two good shirts and grey trousers, then add one garment at a time.
Key Points
01Old Money is a contemporary label for classic clothes, and wearing them says nothing certain about family or wealth.
02Fit matters more than labels; ready-made clothes with alterations and secondhand tailoring are valid routes.
03Brand names in this guide are examples to look at, not requirements, and price is not a reliable guide to quality.
04Fit and the silhouette you choose are different, and no body shape is required to wear the look.
Old Money style for young men is a way of dressing in classic, well-fitting clothes with little or no visible branding, built up slowly rather than bought in one go.
You do not need inherited wealth, a particular background or expensive labels to wear it, and the clothes cannot prove wealth or background anyway.
This guide covers the principles, the garments to buy first, well-known labels (mostly at the top end), the men whose photographs inspire the look, and how to build the wardrobe on a starting budget.
What is the Old Money aesthetic?
Old Money is a contemporary style label for classic menswear drawn from Ivy League campus dress, British country clothing and Italian tailoring.
It is usually set against new money fashion, which leans on logos and attention-grabbing trends, and our comparison of Old Money and New Money clothing details looks at how those labels are used.
For the full wardrobe by season and occasion, see our Old Money aesthetic guide.
For a young man, the useful idea is simple: a small set of good clothes that fit, go together and last.
Four principles of Old Money dressing
Fit before labels
A tailored suit, blazer or pair of trousers that fits you looks more considered than an expensive one that does not.
Ready-made clothes with alterations, made-to-measure or bespoke tailoring are all valid routes, and our guide to Savile Row tailoring explains the top end.
Savile Row houses such as Huntsman, Henry Poole and Anderson & Sheppard are well known for bespoke work, but you do not need them to dress well.
Natural fibres
Wool, cotton, linen and cashmere breathe, wear well and can be repaired, which suits a wardrobe meant to last.
Italian makers such as Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli are known for fine cashmere and wool, while many mid-priced brands use the same fibres at lower prices.
A narrow colour range
Navy, charcoal, grey, beige, forest green and camel combine easily, as our guide to Old Money colours shows.
A narrow palette means fewer garments make more outfits, which matters when you are starting out.
Little or no visible branding
Clothes in this style rely on fabric and cut rather than logos.
Labels such as Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Rubinacci and Crockett & Jones are examples of makers whose products carry little visible branding.
For a related approach in casual clothes, see our guide to subtle luxury in casual wear.
Old Money wardrobe essentials for young men
A small capsule wardrobe covers most situations, and our fashion style guide explains how a classic style differs from a trend.
Our explainer on what an aesthetic means in fashion puts the label in context.
Blazers and sports jackets
A single-breasted navy blazer in wool, with metal or horn buttons, is the most useful first jacket.
Check that the shoulder seam sits at your shoulder, the waist is shaped without pulling, and the jacket covers most of your seat.
A sports jacket in herringbone tweed, Prince of Wales check or houndstooth adds texture for autumn and winter.
Soft Neapolitan jackets, from makers such as Rubinacci and Kiton, drape more loosely, while structured jackets such as Ralph Lauren Purple Label tailoring or Anderson & Sheppard cuts look crisper.
Suits and trousers
Classic suits change slowly compared with current fashion trends, so a first suit can serve for years.
A two-button single-breasted wool suit in navy or charcoal grey covers interviews, weddings and formal work.
Very slim suits date quickly, so choose a cut that lets you move and sit comfortably.
Canali, Huntsman and Cesare Attolini make suits at the higher end of the market.
A grey flannel or navy worsted double-breasted suit is a later, dressier addition.
Peak lapels, ticket pockets and hand-sewn buttonholes are details to look for, not requirements.
Wool flannel, cavalry twill and high-twist wool trousers in grey, beige and brown work all year.
Side adjusters let you skip a belt, and pleated trousers from makers such as Pini Parma and The Armoury suit heavier winter cloth.
Our guide to Old Money clothing brands lists more makers.
Oxford shirts and knitwear
White and light blue shirts in classic colours are the core of the shirt drawer.
Oxford cloth is a soft basket weave usually made with a button-down collar for casual wear, while poplin is a smooth plain weave better suited to ties and suits.
Sea Island cotton is a fibre, not a weave, so a shirt can be made from it in either cloth.
Shirtmakers such as Turnbull & Asser, Charvet and Emma Willis are known for formal shirts, while many mid-priced brands make good Oxford shirts.
For layering, fine-gauge cashmere and merino sweaters, cardigans and roll necks in navy, camel and grey add warmth without bulk.
Loro Piana and Johnstons of Elgin are well-known knitwear makers.
Shoes
Our dress shoes guide covers construction and fit in detail.
Brown penny loafers in leather or suede are the most versatile first pair.
Goodyear-welted shoes from makers such as Alden, Crockett & Jones and John Lobb can be resoled.
Black cap-toe Oxford shoes cover formal occasions, and Edward Green and Gaziano & Girling make them at the top of the market.
Dark brown or snuff suede chukka boots suit casual days with wool trousers or chinos, and Carmina and Berluti are among the makers of dressier versions.
Our list of menswear brands for the Old Money look covers more options for shoes and clothes.
Outerwear
A camel wool overcoat, single- or double-breasted, works over suits and knitwear.
Loro Piana, Burberry and Private White V.C. are among the makers of classic coats, and our list of heritage luxury brands covers more.
A navy pea coat or a tweed field jacket is a more relaxed option over a jumper or an Oxford shirt.
Our guide to why Gen Z took up Old Money style explains why coats like these became so popular online.
Accessories
A simple watch on a leather strap is enough, whether new, secondhand or vintage; a famous brand is not required.
Silk ties in regimental stripes, small dots or solid colours, from makers such as Drake’s, Hermès or Turnbull & Asser, finish a suit.
Plain gold or silver cufflinks, a dark brown or oxblood leather belt and, in winter, a cashmere or lambswool scarf complete the set.
Swaine Adeney Brigg and Anderson’s are among the makers of leather belts, and Johnstons of Elgin among the makers of scarves.
Men who inspire the look
Old Money moodboards borrow from a small group of mid-century men, and earlier figures such as Beau Brummell, covered in our guide to Brummell’s influence on Old Money fashion, shaped the plain dark tailoring behind it.
Use these men as references for cut, colour and pattern, not as models of a life to copy.
Cary Grant
Cary Grant’s films are often used as references for clean, classic tailoring.
Kilgour, the Savile Row tailor, names him among its clients.
Take from him the habit of well-fitted suits in plain colours with white or light blue shirts and dark ties.
Gianni Agnelli
Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiat, is often cited as a model of relaxed Italian dressing, as our Gianni Agnelli style guide explains.
He is widely described as a client of the tailor Caraceni, and photographs often show him with his wristwatch over his shirt cuff and his button-down collar left unbuttoned.
Take from him the idea that tailoring can be worn with ease, a habit also seen in Italian Old Money style.
The Duke of Windsor
The V&A describes the Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII, as an acknowledged leader of men’s fashion who favoured a casual style, bright colour and bold pattern, made by tailors in London and New York.
As Prince of Wales in the early 1920s, he helped popularise the Fair Isle jumper as golf wear, according to the V&A’s history of sweaters.
The Windsor knot is named after him, although he credited the fuller knot in his photographs to thicker ties.
Take from him pattern mixing, such as a striped tie with a checked suit, and comfortable country clothes; our guide to Huntsman suits looks at one Savile Row house in detail.
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping businessman, is a common reference for warm-weather dressing, and our guide to his style looks at his wardrobe in detail.
Take from him the summer combination of a navy blazer and white trousers, a staple of French Riviera style.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren started his company with neckwear in 1967 and built it into a brand known for reinterpreting the American Ivy League look, East Coast yacht club style and British country clothing.
His collections draw on Ivy League outerwear such as the polo coat, navy blazers, cable-knit jumpers and flannel trousers.
Our guides to Polo Ralph Lauren, British and American preppy style and The VOU’s Preppy Style Manual cover the American side of the look, and The VOU’s Sloane Ranger style manual covers the British side.
How to build the wardrobe on a starting budget
Buy in this order, so each new garment works with what you already own.
1.A navy blazer, two Oxford shirts (white and light blue) and a pair of grey wool trousers.
2.Brown penny loafers and a brown leather belt.
3.Stone chinos and a navy crew-neck jumper.
4.A navy or charcoal suit and black Oxford shoes when work or events call for them.
5.A camel overcoat or a trench coat, depending on your climate.
Look secondhand first for blazers, knitwear, coats and shoes, and check shoulders, linings, moth damage and soles before you pay.
Budget for alterations, because shortening sleeves and taking in a waist can make an ordinary blazer look made for you.
Price is not a reliable guide to quality, so judge each garment by its fabric, seams and fit.
Two starter outfits
Campus or casual office: a light blue Oxford shirt, a navy crew-neck jumper, stone chinos and brown suede loafers, with a navy blazer on top.
Interview or formal dinner: a white shirt, a navy single-breasted suit, a navy silk tie with small dots and black cap-toe Oxford shoes.
Fit and proportion
Fit means how each garment sits on you: shoulders at your shoulder line, sleeves showing a little shirt cuff, trousers that sit at your waist and reach your shoes cleanly.
Silhouette is the overall shape you choose, slim or relaxed, and both can suit this style if each garment fits.
If you want to read about body shapes, our guide to men’s body shapes explains the framework, with guides to the triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid and hourglass shapes, and to menswear silhouettes.
Celebrity examples, such as our list of celebrities with a rectangle body shape, show how other men dress, but no body shape is required to wear the clothes in this guide.
Mistakes to avoid
Chasing short-lived fashion trends that date the wardrobe quickly.
Large logos, which work against a look built on fabric and cut.
Too many accessories at once.
Buying everything in one go before you know what you actually wear.
Treating the look as a costume or as a claim about your background.
Small details such as horn or mother-of-pearl buttons, neat stitching and good alterations make the difference, as our guide to looking classy explains.
Built slowly, an Old Money wardrobe gives you clothes that fit, combine easily and last long after the trend has moved on.