What people tend to forget about Charles is that he was a bit of a style icon back in the day. But it's something which will be brought back to our collective consciousness as the outpouring of grief and tributes from around the world slowly give way to looking at the future of the monarchy which Charles now leads after the longest wait in royal history.
Take the forest-green and cherry-red shirt Charles wore to play in a charity polo match in the late Seventies. Imbued with a prepped-up, Eton-boy-gone-bad vibe (not least because Charles chose to wear it quite so close-cut), it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine Frank Ocean – or even the fash pack’s favourite skater Blondey McCoy – wearing the same thing today and looking every bit the wavy young disruptor doing it. Then there’s that full-on, Yves Saint Laurent-inspired taupe safari suit he wore on a state visit to Australia in 1985.
In a taupe safari suit for a state visit to Australia in 1985
Both of those looks exemplify Charles’s acute understanding of the soft power demonstrated by an excellent cut. The King so often opted – and still opts – for muted shades over showier ones and tends to pick garments that focus on function over form.
This attention to detail is something those studying the King have often remarked on. The man who played him in the The Crown, Josh O'Connor, said: “Whenever he gets out of a car he checks his cufflink, checks his pocket and then waves. [It’s] the same movement every time.” It’s this sense of consistency that defines Charles' unique personal flair. “In every photo you see, he has great style. The shirt, tie and pocket square combinations are put together so well, with a great eye for detail,” says Steven Quin, retail director at Turnbull & Asser. “He’s not afraid of colour and he clearly wears what he feels comfortable in and does not follow trends. HRH has always worn a double-breasted jacket. I remember reading a quote from him where he stated that his style 'comes back into fashion every 25 years’. That still rings true. His elegance is timeless.”
The other important thing to note about Charles’ very specific mode of dressing is that he’s loyal to the brands he likes and, perhaps most importantly, he invests in quality. He has his shirts made at the aforementioned Jermyn Street shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser, he wears handmade shoes from Northampton shoemaker Crockett & Jones, he gets his ceremonial gear from Ede & Ravenscroft and he alternates having his suits made at Gieves & Hawkes and Anderson & Sheppard. It’s a roster of loyalty many British men will probably relate to.
