It’s a common error to think of so-called aristocrats (or old money types) as blue bloods that wear luxurious fabrics and strictly tailor-made clothes with impeccable cuts, including dandy-like accessories of silk, gold and precious furs. On the contrary, when referring to old family names that have prospered and endured for many generations, these perceptions are not exactly true.

Yet, the old saying that a nobleman can recognize another of his species from across the other side of the room is indeed true, at least among the older generations.

There are telltale signs that can reveal that a person belongs to a member of a certain hereditary gentry…with one of the strongest clues being that of dress and general appearance .

Despite the presence of precise coding that can be easily spotted, unless you’ve been born to such a family or spent a lot of time among noble people, you probably won’t pay any attention to these codes that can easily reveal a so-called aristocrat.

Such a specific group is like a large private club with tacit signals, mostly unrecognizable to someone who doesn’t know such codes.

I’d like to shed a little light on these untold observations (at least in the area of personal style) beginning with general principles and following with specific advice that you may or may not choose to adopt as your own.

Why care?

The fact is that, unless you were actually born into the very limited number of privileged families…you will never be an aristocrat. That is just the way that it is—-no matter how hard you try to emulate the style and behaviour of a noblemen.

But if you are, for some reason, a part of a society where you meet regularly with top class people, then you may want to become familiar with their way of approaching life and living. Whether in situations at private schools, certain professions, or just out of interest of being “in the know”, this type of knowledge can be beneficial with little to no downside to taking the time to learn about the subject.

Some people who attempt to climb the social ladder try to hide their modest background, while others are just hopeless romantics who watch too much Downton Abbey. No matter your disposition, a word of warning: never lie about who you are because not only is it immoral, but there is no greater faux-pas in noble circles than trying to convince people that you are someone whom you are not.

It is much better to be a regular guy dressing particularly well than an insecure person with a fabricated history. So just be…and be true to you. So without further delay, let’s look at some traits of the über elite.

1. ATTITUDE

The first rule rule is not to over-focus on what you wear. Strange isn’t it–given that you are reading about presenting yourself well in a text that focuses on ways to dress ?

But let me explain! Imagine you grew up in a very established noble family and that your father is a Lord, as were members of the 12 generations of his ancestors. You are a Lord as well—-and some of your children as well as their children will hold the same title.

Your identity is given. You don’t have to define yourself by how you look. Even when dressed in old, torn clothes, you still know who you are and that other people will respect you because of your name and pedigree.

There’s simply no need to emphasize your presence with a flashy style.

This leads us to another rule : No. flashiness. ever.

Forget about fashion. Totally. You have no interest in wearing what some designer thinks is cool or sporting accessories with high fashion symbols on them. You wear what you are supposed to wear, which is exactly what your father or your grandfather wore when they were your age.

You will never see any member of a “good family“ in anything remotely fashionable. Most of the time, their clothes are mainly non-descriptive (i.e., classic, safe, and all too often, quite old fashioned).

Designer logos are not even considered. As one blue blood saying goes, “wearing crests of other people belongs to the footmen”; so, no matter how expensive your clothes are, the quality of the materials you wear should speak for itself, with brand logos completely eschewed.

“Trust not the heart of that man for whom old clothes are not venerable.” Thomas Carlyle.

2. OLD IS GOOD

A fact that may be surprising for many, is that quite a few noble families may actually be quite poor!

Yes, they might have lavish estates and beautiful old paintings hanging from the walls, but they may be quite short on cash, as taking care of manors can set anyone back by a fortune.

Therefore, whether full of money or struggling to make ends meet, as a matter of prudence, herein lies another reason why most noblemen have no interest in buying new clothes. Even aristocrats full of money find it a bore to go shopping and clutter up their living areas with items that hold little to no meaning in their lives.

A phenomenon is thus created that we will refer to as “inverted snobbery”. It’s absolutely acceptable (if not preferred) to show up at an event in a frayed suit that belonged to your father and has been repaired many times. Actually, there is a great amount of pride in that.

On the other hand, wearing a beautiful and expensive Armani suit is a surefire way to show that you aren’t even remotely part of “the society“. I remember a grand old duchess coming to a party in an old tweed jacket with a sleeve that was almost completely torn off. It literally barely hung on by a thread!

Most of your clothes can be worn with the same attitude. What a great new approach to value your clothing by repairing and rewearing items that hold a history and a story.

If you do buy new items, then buy the best that you can afford and wear them until they literally fall apart. Prince Charles is regularly seen in the exact same suits and shoes that he wore when he was in his twenties. Forty years after, the same items may look worn in and even old fashioned, but always proper and with a lot of flair. Invest well and emulate this behavior as a way to to stretch your resources and elevate your presence.

3. INHERITING CLOTHES

If you are an aristocrat, then there is a great chance that at least a half of your wardrobe will consist of handed down, or inherited things.

Most likely, you come from a decent sized family. In such a family, usually no one gives anything away, as personal items are considered to be well…personal (and there isn’t a shortage of closets in a castle).

This point of reserving your belongings is quite useful if you are not particularly rich, especially since you may feel a sense of pride in wearing things that once belonged to someone special to you. I remember a young Earl who wore an extremely ragged Barbour jacket that had somewhere around ten previous owners! This same concept can be applied to suits, ties, shoes and pretty much everything…with the exception of underwear.

4. GO WITH NATURAL FIBERS

When choosing your clothes, pay attention to the raw materials that make up the garments. Wearing nothing but natural fabrics is a given.

Think wool, cotton, leather, and maybe cashmere…nothing shiny and nothing artificial. Always ask yourself: was this material around a century ago? If the answer is no, then move on.

5. COVER YOUR ARMS AND LEGS

Another rule is to cover your extremities.

It is no coincidence that you’ll rarely ever see a young aristocrat in a sleeveless vest or any man in his thirties or older wearing shorts.

Aristocrats seem to wear more clothes than other people. Where a regular guy will enter a room wearing jeans and a t-shirt, an old-money man may enter the same room with similar jeans, but will also be wearing a long sleeved shirt, with a blazer or sweater, and quite possibly a scarf.

Can you imagine your great-grandfather leaving the house in anything but a suit, no matter how hot outside?

Hugo Jacomet

OF ARISTOCRATIC, BLUE BLOOD AND OLD MONEY STYLE