Call it "stealth wealth," call it "quiet luxury" — this fashion trend simply won't stop. So much so that even the world's most famous — and famously ostentatious — family has swapped their usual over-the-top designer duds for more streamlined silhouettes in neutral tones. Kylie Jenner in sensible block heels was not on our 2023 bingo card and yet, here we are.
On a recent trip to Paris, Kylie stepped out not once or twice, but three times in monochromatic outfits with nary a lion head bust or whale tail in sight. With just two dresses and a skirt set, Kylie debuted, explored, and cemented an entirely new look (for now, anyway).
Mind you, Kylie didn't throw her old aesthetic entirely out the window. The KarJenner staple dress silhouette that hugs each and every curve carried through Kylie's quiet luxury makeover. The snatched waist seen on both Kylie's black and white dresses signifies that while she might enjoy riding the wave of a new look, she's not fully abandoned her previous vibes altogether.
Still, while the bones of her Paris 'fits so far might share a common ancestor with her favored style, one look at the floral mesh midi dress she wore in early May still feels like Kylie Jenner at her Kylie-est. So will she bounce back when she's Calabasas-bound? Time will tell.
Kylie isn't the only one in her family dipping her toe into the quiet luxury trend. If anything, her older sisters have been toying with quiet luxury for longer, slowly transitioning from dramatic designer looks into separates that could be considered, gasp, minimalist. But each KarJenner has imbued their approach to quiet luxury with a bit of their own personal style.
In mid-May, Khloé Kardashian paired a black maxiskirt with a high-neck crop top. It's not demure by any means, and the metallic draped detail keeps it from being truly minimal, but we concede it's understated for KoKo.
That same month, Kendall Jenner — whose sense of style arguably embodies this trend most naturally — stepped out in a quietly luxurious look that isn't too far off from her go-to casual uniform of leggings and sneakers. Kendall's leather trench adds a certain gravitas to the vinyl tube top underneath, adding a sleek vibe.
Head back even further in time and you'll glimpse which KarJenner likely first took the plunge into quietly luxurious waters: Kimberly. At the Time 100 Gala in April, Kim Kardashian wore a sleek maxi dress a world away from the dramatic silhouettes the mogul usually favors for big events.
Sure, you could say that Kim's look, with its opulent diamond-studded chains, is far from quiet, but the family's particular brand of luxury is anything but. We would argue that this was the mogul beta-testing the trend. Fast forward to Kylie Jenner's pared-down Paris looks and the pathway from billionaires on display to quiet luxury is a clear one.