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The Affordable Luxury Brands That Give You More For Less

  • Sep 10, 2024
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The Affordable Luxury Brands That Give You More For Less

Quiet luxury has been a big buzzword in menswear for a hot minute now. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s all about dressing in a simple yet elegant way that prioritises fit and quality above overt branding and trend-chasing. It’s all about craftsmanship and fine fabrics, and, as a result, the clothes can be eye-wateringly expensive.

Some of the key names in the quiet-luxury game are Italian companies like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. In other words, companies you’ll need a six-figure income just to buy a pair of boxer shorts from. At the risk of stating the obvious, this puts them firmly outside many people’s budgets. But don’t resign yourself to a life of low-quality logo tees just yet, because there are a number of brands offering this winning formula up at much more palatable prices.

On this page, we’ve curated a collection of the brands we feel provide a taste of true luxury at an accessible price point. These labels perhaps work with high-end materials and local artisans to craft superior products without charging the insane markups tagged on by bigger brands.

Intrigued? Let’s get into it.

Luca Faloni

Italian brand Luca Faloni serves up a similar spread to some of the ultra-premium quiet-luxury heavy hitters but at much more reasonable prices. Granted, it’s still not cheap, but when you consider the level of quality and attention to detail, the price tags offer exceptional value for money.

Like many of the Italian stealth-wealth greats, the brand is particularly well known for its cashmere knitwear. It offers buttery-soft crewneck sweaters and refined rollnecks, to name just a couple of pieces. You’ll also find linen shirts made from the finest Italian fabric and all manner of luxurious wardrobe essentials to boot.

Shop now at Luca Faloni

Aurélien

Aurélien specialises in ‘smart luxury’ essentials – timeless pieces crafted from high-quality materials, priced somewhat accessibly. The brand is well known for its footwear, especially the loafers, which are handcrafted in Italy using premium suede and leather. But it’s not just shoes. Beyond footwear, Aurélien’s collection extends to luxurious knitwear, suede jackets and well-tailored chinos. And that’s just for starters.

Aurélien says its pieces are ‘elegantly priced’, and while we can’t for the lives of us figure out what that is supposed to mean, it certainly doesn’t translate as ‘dirt cheap’. Make no mistake, this stuff is still pricey. However, the quality and craftsmanship is there, so in comparison to a lot of the big stealth-wealth brands, it’s much better value for money.

Shop now at Aurélien

ASKET

Not to be confused with Arket (below), ASKET is a Swedish brand that takes a pared-back approach to design and manucfafturing. The focus is on creating a tightly curated collection of wardrobe essentials—key pieces that no person should be without—and then refining them until they’re as good as they can possibly be while keeping prices reasonable.

ASKET makes pieces like plain white tees, straight-leg jeans, overshirts, simple knitwear and sweats – everyday basics to be lived in and worn in countless ways. These pieces are designed with versatility in mind, to enable those buying them to do more with less.

Shop now at ASKET

Carl Friedrik

Direct-to-consumer luggage brand Carl Friedrik makes bags, wallets and suitcases that look and feel far more luxurious than their prices suggest. We’re talking contemporary yet classic designs, high-quality materials and precision construction—the kinds of bags that, if you look after them properly, will last you a lifetime.

The brand’s Palissy Weekend Bag is one of the stand-out products. At £735, it’s far from cheap, but if you were to buy a bag comparable in materials and construction from a designer label, it would likely cost you two or even three times the price.

If you want a high-end bag for a mid-tier outlay, this is the brand for you.

Shop now at Carl Friedrik

ISTO

Portugal is a country famous for textiles and clothing manufacturing, and ISTO is one of its rising menswear stars. The brand is committed to the pricing and production transparency of its high-quality basics and a minimalist approach to design. In short, it’s all about crafting well-made, timeless garments that are both stylish and sustainable, rather than churning out endless new pieces in a desperate attempt to keep pace with trends.

ISTO prides itself on using organic cotton and other natural materials, ensuring that every item is built to last. Key products include classic Oxford shirts and soft organic cotton tees. This focus on ethical production, combined with honest pricing and clean designs, allows ISTO to offer an affordable gateway into the world of discreet yet luxurious menswear.

Shop now at ISTO

Arket

Upscale minimalist H&M offshoot Arket brought quiet luxury to the high street by breaking down fashion to its essentials. The brand’s aesthetic is stripped back, simple and free of frills, focusing on clean lines and good design rather than big logos or in-your-face branding.

Arket’s permanent collection is known for its attention to detail and focus on fit. Product highlights include well-cut T-shirts, expertly tailored chinos, and classic sweaters. The brand also emphasises transparency, providing detailed breakdowns of the cost and origin of every piece.

Shop now at Arket

Uniqlo U

Uniqlo probably isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think ‘luxury’, but the Japanese retailer’s Uniqlo U sub-label has some really nice pieces. Sure, they’re not cut from fine Italian fabrics or handmade in a fancy Parisian atelier, but they look much better than their relatively modest price tags suggest.

Helmed by French designer Christophe Lemaire, Uniqlo U delivers an elevated take on everyday essentials, combining form, function, and refined aesthetics. The brand is celebrated for its clean lines, neutral colour palettes and innovative fabrics, like Airism, that offer both comfort and durability.

Standout pieces include sleek, well-fitting outerwear (like the BlockTech coats) and merino-wool sweaters. The versatile nature of the garments makes it easy to build cohesive and sophisticated-looking fits while keeping the overall cost low.

Shop now at Uniqlo


Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by menshealthfits.
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