Ariana Grande has emerged from self-imposed isolation in full quiet luxury mode. Well, maybe 1/4 quiet luxury mode, but the point is made.
Grande's personal off-duty style has never not been solid. She typically dresses for comfort, rather than outré flair, and there's nothing wrong with that; it just doesn't often make for must-see style moments.
Which makes the fact that Grande is clutching a $7,000 The Row handbag all the more intriguing.
This isn't merely Grande's first outfit of 2024, either, but one of her first paparazzi photos in years and one of her few public appearances in casual clothes since 2022. That's a long while to go without a fitpic.
It's also not a wild look in and of itself, which makes Grande's accessorizing all the more impactful.
Gossip sites and fanpages alike were set alight by Grande's sweatshirt alone, an oversized black number printed with two words: "Yes, and?"
Considering that this woman's song titles rarely surpass three words, it was immediately, widely, and fairly speculated that Grande was hinting at the first single from the album that she's been working on for the past year or two.
Fans desperate for info were proven correct a week later when Grande's label, Republic, confirmed that "Yes, And?" was the single's name and Eternal Sunshine was the name of her new album.
It's otherwise Ariana Grande business as usual: nails done, blonde hair in a long ponytail, washed-out straight-leg jeans, and leather mules lined for warmth. Classic stuff.
But Grande zuzhed the whole thing up in a quintessentially quiet luxury kinda way by draping The Row's XL-sized leather Devon bag over her arm. That unbranded flex retails upwards of $7,000, mind you.
A lotta moolah for a brandless bag, which is obviously the point of quiet luxury and all. The aesthetic was always about paying top dollar for qualitatively better stuff, only recognizable through humbly potent accessories and objectively stylish outfits. Stealth wealth flexes don't scream their good taste, they whisper.
There's been ample pushback and even widespread desire to move beyond quiet luxury as a concept but that's only among the proletariat.
Ariana Grande obviously has the dinero to use a The Row bag as a work tote and, thus, very much fits the quiet luxury lifestyle.
Frankly, The Row seems a good fit for Grande in general, given the label's acuity at creating clothes that're as effortless as they are exquisite. For someone who appears to prefer getting dressed with ease and without sacrificing comfort, the brand could be an easy stylistic upgrade.
For now, as good as Grande's bag is, it does feel a tad out of place. Notice how the OIsen twins' own beat-up Birkins look utterly organic when worn with their own layers of slouchy luxe — it's all about the complete look, which Grande certainly could pull it off if she was willing to commit to it.
This may very well be Grande's semi-legit paparazzi photo until her album is ready to go, which ought to be sometime between this summer and the launch of Wicked, the forthcoming movie musical in which she plays Glinda (the good witch, duh).
Get a good, long, last glimpse at Grande's semi-luxurious look, Arianators. It'll have to do for now.
