Shiv Roy is one of the main characters of the show, Succession. She is known as the sole daughter of the Roy clan and through each season her personal style undergoes a stunning transformation, mirroring her emotional journey and her status within her family. Her clothes tell the story of how one woman’s ambition took her from black sheep to boss babe contender in the family dynasty. Shiv’s fashion sense is adored by fashion enthusiasts everywhere, but ironically she isn’t one herself. “Shiv is not a woman who delves into Vogue magazine,” Costume Designer Michelle Matland says in an interview with The Guardian, “But she is extremely tactical and knows what’s right for her and beelines for it.”As she rises, her fashion choices elevate in tandem. Since costume design functions differently than clothing, her style lets us in past the gorgeous halter necks, power suits, and sunglasses for a reflection that isn’t bright as the sun but actually a look into her innermost insecurities. She consciously styles herself to her environment, to outdo others, to come off as collected and sensible, but her father’s larger-than-life persona remains the ultimate measure of her self-image. Shiv may as well be the poster child of quiet luxury and a good stealth wealth outfit. Shiv gives power dressing new meaning, as fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, once said, “Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.”
In season one, Shiv’s off-duty style was all about embracing softer tones in pastels, oversized or unstructured pieces, and natural hues. She is an outlier, her first outfits have fabrics such as silks, soft knits, and even adornments such as a scarf or bag.
Shiv has put her stamp on the power suit, funnily enough, one of her first suit ensembles is anything we would expect from her. It holds a fluid structure paired with a dainty blouse. There isn’t a lot of detailing to her looks, there isn’t much dimension to her. Despite how beautiful she is, she deliberately plays herself down to not be eye-catching. This has always been a part of Shiv’s personality and wants more than just this.
Costume designer Michelle Matland stated in an interview how Shiv at first didn’t want to be identified, but through development she purposefully dressed Shiv for the position she desires through having her sport brands such as Max Mara, SuiStudio, Gabriela Hearst, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Brunello Cuccinelli, Toteme, Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, and The Row. All brands offer quiet luxury as their offering.
And no one does quiet luxury and stealth wealth as popularly put quite like Shiv. Quiet luxury is not a new concept at all, although it’s been pegged as a 2023 spring/summer trend. And there’s a difference between the two. The concept of “quiet luxury” refers to a refined expression of elegance and timeless style. It is more of an aesthetic, while Stealth wealth is more concerned with maintaining privacy in one’s financial and personal affairs because fashion is a form of universal nonverbal communication. Using Shiv as our example, she wants to walk around feeling comfortable feeling she is not putting this target on her back going look at me. Personality is expressed through simple, tasteful silhouettes that convey an air of discretion and are founded on the unwavering quality that is dependable. It is a discrete dress code that gives off an air of grandeur without using apparent indicators, such as overt branding, fashion powerhouses, and trends that everyone else is wearing.
Let’s compare this to Fallon Carrington types, who are trying to stand out trying to break away from being in someone’s shadow or seen as a part of the family legacy, and want to make a name for themselves. Fallon’s style is as bold as her personality. She often has loud prints such as animal prints that are generally expensive and considered rather exotic; hence they are a symbol of wealth and status. She wants to oppose her father’s ways and create something of her own. This is similar to the nature of Shiv as she often uses her looks to deceive others to get what she wants to achieve a more prominent status, but Shiv isn’t trying to rock the boat and quiet luxury is perfect for this. For instance, Shiv’s jewelry is mostly made up of Small earrings, maybe a diamond or a little gold hoop. Intricate dangly earrings, a fine necklace with a simple pendant and rings.
The stealth wealth style favors pieces that are timeless in nature because these are pieces that last a lifetime, they are even passed down through generations at times. The type of fashion that a grandmother gives to her daughter who passes on forward to hers. The sort that can’t be pinned down to a time or place the same way Shiv wishes to not be pinned down. She isn’t just the girl, to be overlooked as she is even nicknamed “Pinky.” The ‘if you know you know quality’ speaks volumes if you understand the concept, otherwise, it is the pinnacle of “money talks, wealth whispers.” It’s all about making a statement to the right people and doing so through fabrics, cuts, draping, and structure and colors.
When Shiv receives this approval from her father that she may be a good fit to proceed with him there is a grand shift. Shiv’s fashion choices took a sharp turn towards clean and crisp tailoring, featuring a range of luxurious neutral shades. From loose flowing waves to a sleek cut bob, her hair transformation in the second season is a bold statement. When Shiv looks to move up the ladder, her looks become darker and darker as she does as a person. Since black connotes elegance, seriousness, control, and independence, a color scheme dominated by black and darker shades is more powerful in nature. Although neutrals are incredibly eternal, adaptable, and natural, they do signal a lack of zeal, emotion, and feeling, despite their ability to produce a more traditional aesthetic. It helps Shiv blend in, she almost likes to be underestimated a bit at times using this to her advantage to make power plays.
If we look at her body language she is typically very closed off, for instance, she doesn’t open up and square her shoulders back rather she crosses her arms quite often in conversation when she does this we can see in her mind she is quite concerned, insecure, or feeling inferior but it creates this image of power and she uses this to her advantage as she would her color palette. Shiv is not very visually dominant naturally, but this is where she can make a lot of strategic moves because not so many eyes will be on her and when they are she is difficult to read. She mirrors the body language of her father and brothers the same way she mirrors masculine lines in her style because, in her world, femininity is viewed as a weakness specifically by her father’s words by which she measures her worth. Often she physically makes herself look smaller when she feels insecure due to her body language but will use her power suits as a fallback in order to retain her visual dominance even when exasperated. It could be a stark cutout or a strong shoulder pad in her blazer.
Shiv’s fashion-forward attire exudes an understated elegance that conveys confidence and authority. These pieces exude a refined sophistication that seamlessly blends in with any setting, yet their impeccable tailoring, luxurious fabrics, and sleek silhouettes ensure that they remain unforgettable even in the office to family gatherings. The stealth wealth aspect too is the iconoclastic take on traditional style formed from a focus on high-quality materials, meticulous attention to detail, and expert craftsmanship that is sharp as she is. Shiv may as well be the poster child. Shiv isn’t in an environment where she could dress up and use fashion as an expression so overtly says compared to the Elle Woods of the world. Shiv’s look is the opposite, so the sleek and contemporary designs are a testament to nature. She embraces the timeless splendor of wardrobe staples such as wide-leg trousers, turtlenecks, and structural blazers as her codes of dress.
We see more into her expression through cuts and silhouettes rather than the colors of accessories. For instance, turtlenecks are a signature of Shiv’s yes? But in this scene, she wears this open-back navy Gabriela Hearst turtleneck dress with a matching jacket and the alteration of the lines hints at the power plays she is making. As understated as she is, there is far more than meets the eye with her.
When she dresses up even, she does not stray far from this, for instance, in the halter neck high slit Plunging Draped-Back Fitted Velour Gown by Monique Lhuillier. It’s simply a riff on her signature or the Angelo Knit Top by Reiss looks like it could be from season one, but it’s styled into this power suit with aviators. She has a strong sense of style. Those who wear this style do not develop it out of a love for fashion, but rather they have this one-of-a-kind fashion philosophy where their style journey is not only a reflection of identity, but their actions, legacy, and their aspirations which paves the way for a distinctive look. For example, Logan is aways sporting bespoke suits, but we do often see him in this Aran Sweater which is not just this fashionable homage to a bygone era. It is a byproduct of their lifestyle and heritage. wives would lovingly knit their husbands a sweater to protect them from the harsh elements of the sea. They are native to the Irish shore, it’s an embrace of background.
Those who come from generational wealth naturally have a way of styling themselves because style has so much to do with values, morals, upbringing, culture, and so on. Even in the details, she spares no effort in upholding her and her father’s standards. She is the most like her father out of her father. They mainly wear investment pieces, it’s the act of investing in oneself that creates a visual power play marking the moment.
Taking it out of the context of fashion, say you are meeting your partner’s parents for dinner and you learn their favorite fine. It would be like showing up with it and saying oh it’s my favorite too, instead of saying I hear you really like this one.
It is definitely a place and time aspect. When you are styling yourself, you have to be conscious and respectful of not only others but of yourself too. As Tom Ford says dressing well is a form of good manners.
When the girl wears the Burberry bag it is instantly a display of her identity, her values, and her priorities. I really don’t like this scene and how they’re making fun of her clearly I don’t stomach this show entirely well, but it is a really good example to gain awareness of how some people view fashion.
I think one aspect of this style the quiet luxury look that we can all learn from is how to use it to create a good impression if may need to be. If you love design, this is a great way to wear to work, to wear when meeting your significant other’s parents, and so on. But overall you should wear what you love, for instance, Kendall at certain points differing appeal apartment when he leaves behind his Loro Piana cap behind and dabbles with streetwear styles that trace back to the roots of his personal interest in music such as the Gucci bomber jacket. His unique style is sure to turn heads wherever he goes.
Fashion houses carry a rich history and legacy. By sporting a designer piece overtly you take on those same characteristics and values of the brand on a visual level. Unlike powerhouses such as Chanel, YSL, Gucci, and so on that have a concept of a man or woman like I say a Tom Ford man, you instantly can see a man refined in a sophisticated suit drinking scotch or if I say YSL woman we can instantly envision an androgynous woman in a suit who is sleek and chic. This won’t work well for someone who wishes to don the quiet luxury look. It’s too identifiable, even without the logo visible fashion brands have creates codes of dress and design motifs that are the basis of their garments that have been developed decade by decade creative director by creative director. It is why a piece as simple as a pair of jeans from Celine will look so different than a pair from Prada.
Ina the previous video where I speak on the 7 style personalities, I touch on the classic style personality. Many who have this style of personality implement this because their culture, education, work, and network of friends, family, and acquaintances all contribute to the refined aura they carry. Those the timeless allure of tradition and channel your inner dedication towards something greater than yourself, like your work as Shiv does. Pushing boundaries and exceeding expectations is their signature style, but brand identity doesn’t quite match their desired image.
As she embraces her family’s heritage, her codes of dress become more defined, mirroring the determination she exudes towards her work and to gain her father approval to be viewed as competent and not less than her brothers. Given that her father views her femininity as a disadvantage in this male-dominated field, she dresses with a deliberate air of masculinity. Even in dresses such as the Wool Knit Day Dress by Ralph Lauren, there is sharp trailering, structural lines make up the piece. But in the private moment or of crisis she wears these softer sweaters and even low-cut dresses signaling her personal life which isn’t a stealth wealth move it’s simply Shiv trying to work through inner turmoil. Her insecurities surface and quiet luxury doesn’t mask this. We see that when she strays away from her codes of dress, signaling the issues of her marriage. She can’t help but do more color, show more skin, do softer lines. Many people in times of distress often alter their appearance to psychologically gain control to some extent in a situation or alter their physical state to create the instant change they feel in need of.
She looks a bit unsure of herself in these looks even, but in her quiet luxury aesthetic Shiv is at home. Everyone should wear what they love and what truly empowers them. Looking back at Shiv’s style over the seasons has just been very exquisite and great examples of quiet luxury left and right.
If you find yourself drawn to this aesthetic, it isn’t really all that tactile the way Shiv implements it. it’s definitely a beautiful one to experiment with because even though it is a very quiet and subtle look it has the potential to be so powerful and always relevant. or if you’re not particularly wanting to wear it, you may still take inspiration for sophisticated, enduring details from it whenever you wish from the color palette and use of accessories to silhouettes and styling techniques.
