How the Queen became fashion royalty and honed her 'iconic uniform' (2024)

She ruled for longer than any monarch in British history, and during that time Queen Elizabeth II developed her own instantly recognisable style.

By incorporating daring colours, crisp silhouettes and a practical cut, she achieved a look that was individual, appropriate and, quite simply, fit for a queen.

She had a high fashion bar to meet at the many events and occasions she was invited to attend.

In her latter years, the Queen may not have had quite such a busy working calendar as in her youth, but she still dressed up and attended many important events in her role as head of state.

As the world mourns her loss, we look back at how the Queen became fashion royalty, pulling off daring looks and avoiding fashion missteps along the way.

Signature look

The Queen would steer clear of style trends that would quickly fall out of favour. But that didn't mean she was boring in her fashion choices. Far from it.

Her look had an instantly recognisable silhouette - think slim-brimmed hat, A-line dress and tailored jacket.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour called it "an iconic 'uniform' that suggested continuity and tradition".

Indeed, the Queen became a cover star for the hallowed fashion bible in 2022, pictured in the early days of her reign.

Labelled a "fashion icon" by Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, it's no exaggeration to say the Queen was perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet.

Who dressed the Queen?

The Queen's wardrobe was handled by a team that included multiple dressers, a dressmaker and a milliner. Bespoke created items were fitted to a mannequin made to her specific measurements.

She was formerly styled by Margaret Macdonald, who had been her nanny as a child, and senior dresser Angela Kelly took over that duty in 2002.

In her 2019 memoir, The Other Side of the Coin, which was approved by the Queen, Ms Kelly wrote: "I look for movement with soft light materials and might even switch on a fan to see how they behave in a breeze...

"As the light changes, or when Her Majesty moves to an interior space, this will have an effect on the colour and texture of the fabric, and this must be taken into account."

Not only a member of staff, but also a friend and confidante, Ms Kelly has literally walked a mile in the Queen's shoes.

Having the same size feet as the Queen, she would walk about in her shoes when they were new to wear them in and minimise the risk of rubbing.

And as to putting one's clothes on, contrary to popular belief the Queen actually dressed alone.

The monarch also did her own make-up for most events, with the exception of her annual Christmas speech, for which a make-up artist was employed.

Practicalities

Although her daily schedule ramped down a little over the last few years, the Queen's busy programme of engagements meant her outfits had to cover a wide range of eventualities.

From visits to charities and schools and hosting visiting heads of state to leading the nation in remembrance and celebratory events, the Queen's clothes had to fit the bill and look good while doing so.

As well as being watched by crowds at every walkabout, she was also photographed from all angles, with images beamed around the world, so the stakes were high.

She had to look sombre one day, attention-grabbing the next, elegant and poised another.

Her frequent overseas visits meant her clothes had to work in other cultures and in very different climates to our standard British weather.

Extensively researched forecasts and insight into local customs helped to ensure the Queen was appropriately dressed at all times.

And to make sure people could see her clearly, whatever the weather, special transparent plastic umbrellas were commissioned for public events.

And they weren't just any old umbrella. They had colour-matched handles and edging to complement each outfit.

All about colour

As the Queen was 5ft 3in, one practical consideration was how to ensure she was as visible as possible during walkabouts and public events.

She moved away from print and pattern over the years in favour of a less busy look.

A fan of colour blocking, she frequently wore one shade, incorporating overcoats and decorative hats, allowing her to be seen easily in a crowd.

TV fashion stylist Britt Taylor told Sky News: "The Queen's use of colour was the most stand-out thing about her fashion choices, and the thing we think of the most.

"I loved her in pink and I really loved her in yellow. Yellow is such a fresh colour. It's the colour of rebirth, and when the Queen was wearing top-to-toe yellow, I just felt like she was having a good day."

A single colour also has the added benefit of elongating the wearer, a bonus for our petite monarch.

Colours were chosen so as not to clash with or blend into the background. And the Queen loved bright colours - sometimes verging on neon.

Ms Taylor says for her it was all about bright colours too: "When I'm styling for TV, I tell my clients you have one shot to be memorable and you're going to be memorable if you're wearing a bright colour. I want the eye to be drawn, and I loved the Queen's use of colour because it was always block.

"To me, it's the biggest fashion statement you can make. If you're ever stuck for something to wear, just go monotone - one colour head to toe. I promise you you'll always look expensive, rich and chic. Isn't that the dream?"

It seems like the Queen was of the same mind, once joking: "If I wore beige, no one would know who I am."

Speaking in the 2016 documentary The Queen at 90, the Countess of Wessex said: "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, 'I saw the Queen.'"

Of course, bright isn't right for every occasion.

In 2021, the Queen wore all black to the Duke Of Edinburgh's funeral - a black hat, coat, gloves and mask - sitting alone at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle due to COVID restrictions.

Her sombre outfit was made all the more poignant by the rarity of seeing her in such dark colours.

A family affair

In 2020, Princess Beatrice walked down the aisle in one of the Queen's hand-me-downs - a 1960s dress, refashioned into a wedding gown by the monarch's dressmakers.

The ivory taffeta gown, with diamante-strewn bodice and organza sleeves, was remodelled for the princess by Ms Kelly.

Beatrice said on social media that "it was an honour to wear my grandmother's beautiful dress on my wedding day".

She also wore Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, which her grandmother wore on her own wedding day in 1947.

Ms Taylor says there's a reason the younger generation are looking to the Queen: "If she had worn muted colours – navy, brown, black - I don't think she'd have had anywhere near as much influence on the younger girls as she did.

"I think her use of colour made you remember her looks and it made you go, 'Yeah, actually, you've got style.' Colour just invites people to see you as a fashion icon."

Many feel that the duch*ess Of Cambridge was been largely influenced by the Queen's style too.

Ms Taylor says the duch*ess discovered the Vampire's Wife, a fashion label created by Susie Cave, the former model, and beloved by celebrities. The brand's signature dress is fitted and floor-length with three-quarter-length sleeves.

"She's discovered that dress, she's starting to wear that style more and more," Ms Taylor said.

"It's a bit like she's saying, 'You know what? I'll follow in the Queen's footsteps. I'll have one cut that suits me - down to the ground - and I’ll wear it in every colour.' I do think she's looked at the Queen and thought, 'I want to be that timeless, I want to be that classic too.'"

In her youth

Marrying in 1947, two years after the war had ended, the Queen used clothing ration coupons to purchase her wedding dress like many brides at the time.

The gown, designed by Norman Hartnell, was made of ivory silk and duch*ess satin with a 15ft train.

It was a more luxurious look than most could have stretched to - the princess did receive 200 extra coupons from the government to help to cover the cost.

She was crowned in 1952 aged 27 – and at her request her coronation was broadcast on television around the world for the first time.

Her clothes would now be seen by many more people, and they had to look good not only in person but also on the screen.

At the start of her reign, in the years after the Second World War, the Queen was frequently portrayed as a "fairy-tale queen".

In the 1960s she began to develop her own signature style, driven more by function than fashion.

Ms Taylor describes her as "era-less", saying: "Imagine if we googled pictures of the Queen in the 1980s and she had all these 80s trends on like big white earrings, pointy shoes, polka dots and bright clashing colours.

"You'd be like: 'You're the Queen. I need to just know that you're stable and solid and there'. And I think she absolutely did that through her fashion choices."

The Queen's fashion rules

Firstly, no trousers. The Queen rarely wore trousers to public events, and you have to look back as far as a walkabout in Canada in 1970 to see her photographed at a formal event wearing a pair.

Her signature formal look revolved around a feminine line - and, clearly for the Queen, tailored trousers did not fit into that vision.

Ms Taylor says: "Don't forget, she had a lot of men around her. If they're all in trouser suits, I wouldn't be surprised if [her avoidance of trousers] was strategic - she was expressing her femininity as the reigning female monarch."

Away from trousers, the Queen favoured dresses over skirts and hemlines always had to fall below the knee.

Her hems were also weighted with small lead weights to avoid a Marilyn Monroe moment should the wind get gusty.

When she used to travel more frequently, the Queen could change outfits up to five times a day depending on the number of engagements.

For that reason, she was a fan of zips, which allowed her to slip in and out of each look without ruffling her hair or smudging her make-up.

Items also had to be resistant to creases and wrinkles, allowing her to step out of a car and immediately look the part.

Rarely seen in sleeveless items, she favoured the three-quarter sleeve, allowing enough room for comfortable waving (an essential part of her role).

The Queen wore brushed cotton gloves that were 15cm long and could be changed for each event.

Shoes-wise, she prefered a practical heel height of 2 and 1/4 inches, allowing for a little boost in height but comfortable enough to wear all day.

As for jewellery, she was a fan of the three-strand pearl necklace and antique brooches. She also makes thoughtful accessory choices, wearing a brooch given to her by President Obama for her first meeting with President Trump.

She was a big fan of handbags too and had hundreds to match her many outfits.

Keeping track

With so many items to keep on top of, spreadsheets were used to list and group all the monarch’s shoes, coats, hats and accessories.

The sheets listed the date and time each item was last worn, avoiding the same item or colour being repeated too often or worn in the company of the same people.

The Queen kept every piece of clothing she wore, mixing new items with old to create fresh looks.

All clothes and accessories are kept for posterity. They are archived and kept in cotton bags and boxes and stored in an air-tight environment in Buckingham Palace.

The collections are sometimes put on public display.

Such sartorial archiving has inspired the likes of Kim Kardashian (who is reality royalty after all) to stockpile her entire wardrobe too, keeping well-received looks and outfits worn to historic events for future generations to enjoy.

A more relaxed Queen

Aside from her public life - which clearly demanded a big chunk of her time and therefore her clothing considerations - the Queen had an active home life too.

Having raised four children and welcomed grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the Royal Family, like all of us she had clothes for downtime – though it's a side to her the public didn’t often get to see.

The Queen was an avid equestrian, and away from her more formal attire, jodhpurs, a Barbour jacket and riding boots were a staple throughout her life.

Country walking gear also came in useful for walks with her dogs (corgis, a dorgi and a co*cker spaniel).

For more relaxed outdoor sporting events, including the races, the Queen was a fan of silk Hermes headscarves and had a large selection to match every outfit.

The queen of fashion

The Queen honed her look over the years, impressing the fashion world and her family to boot.

Practical, yet on point, she was able to impress at big formal functions and intimate gatherings alike, effortlessly looking the part.

Though she followed her own set of rules, the Queen did have fun with her look.

Stylist Ms Taylor says: "I think she realised that actually being in a more classic dress or skirt suit just meant she could have fun elsewhere rather than with the cuts and the shapes."

And it's colour where she found her fun, pushing the boundaries and shocking with bold tennis yellow, citrus orange or bright turquoise.

Ms Taylor says: "The Queen had years and years to build up her styling portfolio with the help of her team, so dressing her must have run like clockwork. The way they spiced it up was by using seasonal colours or shocking brights, just to keep the magic sparking with something unexpected.

"She's a person who definitely didn't want to shock us in the sense of, 'Oh my god, what is she wearing?' and of course she didn't want to be on the worst dressed list, but I think she just had that cheeky glint in her eye and the personality where she was never going to play it safe. It was a very fine line to walk, and she walked it perfectly."

Year on year, the Queen's ever-growing wardrobe was recorded and carefully stored, kept for posterity and promising to delight a new generation with her love of fashion.

And it's that love, Ms Taylor says, which shines through: "I like the way she wasn't defined by her age. We didn't see her say: 'Oh, I'm older, I’ll let the kids take over.' No, she was still there. I love that you could tell she still enjoyed fashion, and that’s the most important thing."

Queen Elizabeth II

21 April 1926 - 8 September 2022

Credits

Reporting: Bethany Minelle, arts and entertainment reporter

Picture research: Dan Daukes, picture editor

Graphics: Pippa Oakley, designer

Picture credits: PA / AP / Shutterstock