Old-Money Morning Rituals for a Model

How I built beauty, balance, and elegance into the first 90 minutes of every day

I’ve always believed that the way you begin your day says everything about you—even if no one is watching.

In the fashion world, we’re often told that beauty comes from within. But no one tells you exactly how to create that calm, radiant “within.” For me, it started when I stopped chasing the chaos of overnight success and started building quiet habits that make me feel like the heiress of a Tuscan estate—whether I’m waking up in Milan or in my shared apartment in New York City.

This is my morning ritual. Not just skincare and lipstick—but mindset, movement, and minimalism rooted in Old Money elegance.

Let me walk you through every step I take, starting from the moment sunlight kisses my cheek.

🌞 6:00 AM — Wake with the Sun, Not the Scroll

Before the DMs, the emails, the contracts—I start in silence.

I use an old-fashioned Lumie sunrise alarm clock instead of my iPhone. It mimics natural sunlight and gently wakes me up with warm amber tones. That one switch changed everything.

No blue light. No pings. No cortisol spike.

Just… breath.

🧘‍♀️ 6:10 AM — 10-Minute Meditation for Stillness

I sit cross-legged on a small velvet cushion beside my window. Even if I’m on the 37th floor in Tokyo or crashing in someone’s guest room in Paris, I always find a patch of stillness.

Why meditation? Because Old Money elegance doesn’t rush. It paces itself. It’s intentional.

I use the Waking Up app by Sam Harris (he sounds like someone who reads the Financial Times while sipping Darjeeling). I love his 10-minute guided mindfulness sessions. They ground me.

Sometimes I meditate to ambient classical music instead. Think Debussy or the softer works of Ryuichi Sakamoto.

🍵 6:25 AM — A Pot of Warm Green Tea (Not Coffee)

Coffee is amazing, but I reserve it for midday shoots or Paris Fashion Week chaos. In the mornings, I brew Gyokuro—a shade-grown Japanese green tea known for its subtle umami and antioxidants.

Here’s my tea ritual:

I heat water to 60°C, never boiling.
I steep 1 tsp of Gyokuro leaves in a ceramic cup from Kyoto.
I drink it slowly, always seated, always with intention.

Sometimes I add a small piece of crystallized ginger or a lemon slice, but never both. Old Money is about restraint.

📖 6:35 AM — Journaling in My Linen-Textured Notebook

This is where the emotional elegance comes in.

I write three things:

What I’m grateful for.
One visual detail from a dream or thought.
A sentence that describes how I want to carry myself today.

This morning’s line?
“May I walk like I belong in every room but never need to prove it.”

I use a Leuchtturm1917 notebook in ivory with dotted pages. My pen is a Lamy fountain pen—yes, it leaks sometimes, but the ink makes my thoughts feel more real.

🧘‍♀️ 6:50 AM — Light Stretch (The Ballerina Routine)

Forget HIIT. Forget spin bikes.

Old Money movement is fluid, elegant, and precise. Think 1960s ballerinas at rehearsal, not gym rats.

I stretch in my silk camisole and cashmere socks (yes, really). My go-to routine:

5 cat-cow rounds to wake the spine.
Neck circles + jaw tension release.
Standing forward bend for posture.
Arm extensions and wrist rotations to prep for posing.

Sometimes I use the Alo Moves app, other times I follow a bookmarked YouTube video titled “Parisian Ballet Warm-Up” that only has 4K views and feels like a secret.

🧴 7:05 AM — Skincare: The Silent Luxury Routine

Now we get into the skin. But this isn’t about “glass skin” or over-exfoliation. This is about health. Strength. Velvet resilience.

Step-by-Step Old Money Skincare:

Step	Product	Notes
Cleanse	Augustinus Bader Cream Cleansing Gel	Mild, no stripping.
Hydrate	Caudalie Grape Water Spray	Light mist over face + neck.
Serum	Skinceuticals CE Ferulic	3 drops—brightens without shine.
Moisturize	Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré	French pharmacy gold.
Eye Cream	La Mer Eye Concentrate	Dab with ring finger, never rub.
SPF	Shiseido Urban Environment SPF 42	No white cast, smooth finish.

I always use upward strokes and end by pressing a cold jade roller along my cheekbones and jawline. It’s about contour and calm, not sculpting.

Pro Tip: Keep your jade roller in the fridge next to your fresh-cut pears.

💄 7:20 AM — Makeup: Barely There, But Strategic

The rule is: no one should see your makeup. They should see your face and wonder why it looks so radiant.

My Daily Makeup Ritual:

Tinted SPF or Chanel Les Beiges Water Tint.
Brow gel (Glossier Boy Brow) in clear.
Westman Atelier Blush Stick in “Petal”—blended at the temples.
Mascara only on outer lashes.
Dior Lip Glow Balm in Coral 004 or “Pink” for colder months.
No powder. No contour. No drama.

Optional: a dab of Byredo’s “Rose of No Man’s Land” on my wrists and nape. It smells like a rose garden after rain.

👗 7:40 AM — Dressing with Intent (Not Speed)

Even if I’m not leaving the house until noon, I get dressed.

Not in sweatpants. Not in something to “change out of later.”

I wear:

A crisp white shirt (COS or Sezane).
Tailored trousers or a wrap skirt.
Ballet flats or cashmere socks and loafers.
Tiny vintage earrings—just a flicker of gold.

Why? Because Old Money elegance is a habit. Not a costume.

🌐 8:00 AM — A Moment to Breathe, Then Begin

Before I open Instagram or reply to castings, I sit by my window, hold my second cup of green tea, and let the morning light remind me: this is enough.

I know the world moves fast. I know TikTok is pushing dopamine loops and hustle is glorified.

But I believe in slow luxury. In journaling over scrolling. In investing in silk, skin, and silence.

It’s not about pretending to be Old Money. It’s about living like your time, body, and energy are priceless—because they are.

💬 Final Thoughts

If you take anything from my morning ritual, let it be this:

You don’t need to be born into elegance to live with it. You just need to wake up with purpose, treat your body like a vintage Bentley, and move like your ancestors whisper blessings into your spine.

Start tomorrow. Brew the tea. Write the line. Stretch. Glow.

And let your beauty whisper, not shout.

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