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She is one of the most photographed women in history, and for the past 70 years, she has defined what it means to dress like a queen. It’s not about new trends or daring, but an iconic style.
She became famous for her brightly colored dresses and coats paired with her hat – accompanied by an unmistakable square bag, pearl necklace and jewel brooch. It sounds simple, but Queen Elizabeth II’s style has become a powerful formula.
It’s a style that has been honed and refined over seven decades, with the help of designers and costume designers with whom she has developed close, trusting relationships.
“Real fashion is fun, powerful and full of meaning,” says royal fashion writer and commentator Elizabeth Holmes.
“Your image is a big part of your legacy.”
Stunning and elaborate
According to historian Michael Pick, the Queen always had a very clear idea of ​​what she wanted to look like. “People say she doesn’t know anything about clothes, but that’s just not true. She’s very astute about what suits her,” he says.
When she was 20 years old, then-Princess Elizabeth began using the services of designer Norman Hartnell, a relationship she inherited from the Queen Mother.
Flared skirt dresses with a fitted waist, influenced by French haute couture, were paired with white fur stoles and diamond headbands.
As she assumed her new role as queen, Hartnell helped her impress at state banquets and royal tours with a series of tulle and satin gowns, exquisitely adorned with pearls, crystals and beads.
Hartnell also created two of the most important dresses she would ever wear — her wedding dress and the one she wore to her coronation. Pick describes this process as a collaboration.
“For her coronation gown, Hartnell produced about eight designs, and she chose elements from each of them and made her own,” she reveals.
For the queen, working with the same people was not just a matter of trust but also of necessity.
Hartnell had the biggest couture house in London along with the biggest embroidery workshop, and for someone as busy as the Queen, who needed hundreds of new costumes every year, that meant he had the ability to design and produce the that she needed.
Still, the magnitude of the work made her also ask designer Hardy Amies to work for her, starting with a wardrobe of looks for a tour of Canada in 1951.
Amies led the queen to adopt a slightly more sober look, with tailored daywear and more elegant evening wear. Until Ian Thomas influenced her during the 1970s and 1980s with a flurry of brightly colored chiffon, floral prints and bows.
For the past 24 years, her looks have been designed and produced in-house by a small team of around 10 people, led by her personal costume designer Angela Kelly.
Every piece the queen wears is custom-made and, before the covid-19 pandemic, she attended more than 300 engagements a year. “It’s a huge amount of work,” says Pick.
“You don’t want the monarch wearing something someone else is wearing. The public expects something different.”
“Hartnell and Amies made her more unique, while Angela Kelly was very smart and managed to take her individual style and make it shine.”
Hat, bag, shoes
When the queen goes out in public, every aspect of her appearance has been meticulously planned.
Fabrics are checked for fit and how they can behave in a breeze. The vivid colors, chosen for the season and occasion, provide an instant impact to make her stand out from the crowd. The hat, in turn, adds a few more inches to her small stature and enhances her face.
She wears practical block-heeled (thick) shoes—handmade and worn to ensure they’re comfortable—and there’s always a clear umbrella with a finish the same color as the outfit waiting for her, so she doesn’t even the unpredictable British weather gets in the way.
This uniform-style of dress maximizes your comfort on long days, but it also helps define your role, says Elizabeth Holmes.
“Your job is to be a calm, consistent presence. Your clothes are a mixture of knowing what to expect, but also the ability to surprise and delight.”
“Even in casual moments there’s a feeling of uniform, with her headscarf and wellies. She maintains continuity and also shows that she’s never off duty.”
Arguably the most iconic part of the queen’s look is what has remained largely unchanged throughout her reign: her famous hairstyle is nearly identical to the style she wore when she ascended the throne in 1953.
Except for the change in color as she aged and embraced her natural gray, she kept her two characteristic wavy curls in the front and tight, structured curls in the back, shaped perfectly to accommodate a crown or hat.
The traditional style, defined by curlers with the help of a hairdryer, was the hairstyle chosen by many of the women who followed the fashions of Britain in the post-war years. But although trends have changed, the queen has remained loyal to this style ever since.
“Her hair is quite conventional for a woman her age, but it’s a strong look, smoothed by curls to give it a finesse,” says royal and celebrity hairstylist Richard Ward.
“I think her hair sums up what we all really value about her. It’s sensible, practical and elegant.”
Among the queen’s most iconic style brands is her famous elongated-handle Launer bag.
Unlike other classic designer bags like the Hermes Birkin or Chanel 2.55, which are popular with women in their 20s to 70s, the Launer isn’t as stylish or desired by younger women, says Charlotte Rogers, an expert in luxury accessories. .
But there is still a big market for them in other countries, especially in the Middle East. The queen’s royal seal of approval changes everything for a brand.
“The fact that the Queen still wears the Launer bags carries enormous weight,” says Rogers.
“Royals are the ultimate influencers.”
The bags sell for around £1,500 to £2,000, and the Queen is said to have a collection of over 200 in different colors and styles.
It seems that in her jubilee year the queen has become more influential than ever, which is not an easy task for a 96-year-old woman, according to Rogers.
“She’s age-appropriate, has a style very similar to what my grandmother used to wear for special occasions, and I think she’s influential for older ladies,” she says.
“Pins and brooches were seen as old-fashioned and now I can’t buy enough of them. They sell too fast.”
real influence
The queen’s clothes are not just style choices, but brand statements, steeped in meaning and influence.
Whether she’s wearing a bejeweled dress or a tweed skirt, each outfit says something about her and her role as ambassador and representative.
“Your wardrobe is your communication,” says Matthew Storey, curator of Historic Royal Palaces.
She has to look prepared, trustworthy and traditional. But while they make the line accessible and reassuring, their clothes also “have to be fit for royalty,” adds Holmes.
“It’s part of the crown’s wonder. In the Queen’s case, her clothes are custom-made. You can’t buy them, but that means they can be seen and admired.”
There’s also a diplomatic role, subtle nods to a country or event indicated in emblems or colors she wears.
“The pale pink dress she wore to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony was chosen because it wasn’t on any of the national flags. It stood out, but it didn’t show any alliance either,” notes Storey.
Just like other iconic brands, it also means many different things to people.
“As a work of art, you interpret it in your own way,” summarizes Jeetendr Sehdev, author and expert on celebrity brands.
“Do we really know who she is? I’m not sure. But what we do know is what she means to us and the things she represents – her strength, boldness and authenticity – remain relevant even among young people.”
He said younger royals like Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are clearly inspired by her, but the Queen is far above her.
There is great affection for her appearance, adds Holmes. She has a style of her own that will always remind people of her.
“No one dresses like her anymore,” he says. “That’s her job and it’s profound.”
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
