The secrets of Buckingham Palace still excite the imagination of not only subjects of Queen Elizabeth II. As a rule, interest begins with the solution to the secret: what the queen will wear today.
It’s not easy to guess, because the Queen of England has a whole floor reserved for clothes, shoes and accessories.
Chic elegance
Usually connoisseurs share the clothing style of Elizabeth II in two time stages. The first period of royal fashion is characteristic of the young age of the queen. The "young" style was distinguished by masterfully executed Hartnell fitted silhouettes, wide skirts, small hats and handbags. Then Her Majesty wore clothes made of satin, tulle, wool, which was decorated with embroideries, brooches.
For the Queen's mature age, dresses and suits of a straight cut are characteristic, monochrome colors, sophisticated hats. This style was finally formed in the 2000s, which was greatly facilitated by the royal designer and dressmaker Stuart Parvin and Angela Kelly.
The art of monochrom
Fashion observers have not noticed a single outlet in gray or black in the wardrobe of Elizabeth II over the past 20 years.
The art of monochrom in combination with shades of the dominant color harmoniously complement each other. The canons of the royal image: a set (suit, dress, coat) of bright color with a veiled hat in tone, short gloves.
The classic lacquered shoes with a steady heel and restraint in jewelry remain unchanged.
Her dressmaker Angela Kelly is preparing four sketches of the future outfit. After the queen approves the outfit, a team of 12 masters proceeds to manufacture it. Particular attention is paid to details: it is important to consider for what purpose the kit is made, how much time the queen will spend in it, what the weather will be, and so on.
The royal protocol of fashion is quite complicated, because the queen should not only look chic and be an example to follow, but also fulfill her duties of managing subjects and participate in protocol events. Therefore, clothing should be not only beautiful, but comfortable and convenient.
And something should always remain in the Queen’s wardrobe, traditional and unchanging.
So Elizabeth II always carries a bag from her favorite designer Launer. By the way, this company annually makes 4 handbags for the Queen.
It is not easy for the queen to decide what to wear, therefore it is not surprising that she has a whole floor devoted to clothes, shoes and bags, and personal wardrobes.
According to former royal butler Paul Burrell, the queen “needs to be removed and brought clothes, while all of her kept on the top floor.”
In the morning, her wardrobe prepares two outfits with pieces of fabric attached to them from which they are made. It is important for the queen to choose the set made of silk, cotton or wool specifically for the weather or protocol conditions.
Her Majesty puts on one of the selected costumes, and the second set is sent back to the dressing room. In addition, it is known that the Queen’s personal wardrobes maintain a special catalog of images so that there are no repetitions in colors and materials for several months.
In a certain sense, the queen is limited in her choice: she can use clothes from only two of the proposed options.