The Royal Icons of the Fashion World

Lockdown has hit again, and at this point, there’s no better way to pass it than a long Netflix binge to spot some of our favourite fashion. From Dallas to Pose, there are innumerable shows that boast a supreme costume department, but perhaps this year’s most talked-about is The Crown. From the iconic pastel outfits of the Queen to the beautiful Lady Diana, this show has definitely impressed us all in reinterpreting some of the most iconic royal fashion moments.

However, the British royal family is not the only one with an enviable fashion sense. Below we’ve featured some of the most prominent royal fashion victims of the last century and their most iconic outfits.

Lady Diana

The iconic Lady D had to be the first on my list. Her fashion sense has now become timeless, although I personally don’t actually prefer her style, especially those overly-flowery dresses from the early years of her marriage which have nothing to envy an air balloon. Nonetheless, I recognise her importance in establishing new trends in the 90s: from her infamous “revenge dress” to the Lady Dior bag, Diana has contributed to the success of global designers. Embracing more feminine silhouettes, Diana’s sense of fashion revealed the strong and independent woman she aspired to be, especially after leaving the oppressive rules of the royal protocol.

Tops: short cut and matching shorts and oversized sweaters

Flops: fairy-godmother style puffy sleeves and excessive patterns; exaggerated volumes and inconsistent patterns; puffy sleeves by Murray Arbeld

Duchess of Cambridge

The other iconic woman in Prince William’s life is certainly fan-favourite Kate Middleton, the chosen one who succeeded in becoming a real-life Cinderella. Kate is now an established fashion icon, with her pastel matching suits and pret-a-porter fashion. However, also the Duchess had her dark period before becoming an entitled princess. During her time at St Andrews and the following “will-they won’t-they” years with William, Kate was the quintessential 2000s fashion victim, from her low-waisted skinny jeans to her layered tops. Nonetheless, her charm and elegance have definitely rescued her from her dark past; from impeccable gala attires to her casual jeans, Kate is the emblem of the new age of the British monarchy, looking towards the future.

Tops: the timeless Alexander McQueen’s Grace Kelly-inspired wedding dress; gala attires during the royal tour of Pakistan and India

Alexander McQueen’s Grace Kelly-inspired wedding dress. An iconic look for the most spectacular wedding of the 2010s.

Gala evening in Islamabad. A perfect sequined emerald green dress, celebrating Pakistani fashion and making the Duchess a real-life princess.

Flops: “Waity Katie” clubbing outfits and cowboy boots: pure 2000s clubbing fashion horror and a way too daring a kitsch Far-West inspired countryside outfit.

Letizia of Spain

Moving south towards warmer climates, the Reina Letizia is Spain’s ultimate fashion icon. A very elegant woman, she has never had a public backlash during her “career” as a monarch. Letizia is effortlessly able to look stunning both in elaborate evening outfits as well as in more casual attire. Since the Spanish royal family is less institutionally-bounded compared to the British one, we can enjoy photos of Letizia’s daily outfits from her walks in Madrid to family holidays in Ibiza. Her style is very contemporary and minimalist, embodying the essence of royalty with a very sober taste. The only critique one could propose is that sometimes the result of her outfits is a bit boring, especially compared with the extravagant fits of some other royals.

Tops: Summery looks in Ibiza

Letizia and Felipe in Ibiza. This flowy white dress paired with platforms hints to the casual atmosphere, while also expressing the queen’s own elegance.

Flops: Exaggeratedly simple suits for official engagements.

Letizia at the Vatican in a rather boring, shapeless suit.

Rania of Jordan

Travelling east, one of the most beautiful and stylish royals on the current scene is definitely Queen Rania Al-Abdullah. Her innate elegance is reflected in her flowy fits, both innovative and respectful of her country’s Muslim traditions. Most of her looks for official royal engagements have a Jackie O taste, with timeless coats and elegant silhouettes. However, Rania’s beauty really shines bright during evening galas, where her carefully embroidered gowns elevate her to fairytale princess. For Queen Rania, in our opinion, it’s basically impossible to identify a flop outfit, and indeed we can only celebrate her raffinate fashion sense from ball gowns to skinny jeans.

Princess Sririvannari

The only daughter of King Vajiralongkorn, Sririvannari is the beautiful princess of the Kingdom of Thailand. Maybe less known to a Western public, the princess is actually very active in haute couture environments as a trained fashion designer. The princess enjoys her time in the Paris couture scene, while also having founded her own jewellery and clothing brand. As it can be seen on her company’s Instagram account (@sririvannari_shop), Sririvannari loves bold designs and geometric silhouettes, creating incredible pieces from pret-a-porter fashion to ball gowns. She has even created a fashion line for dogs, one of her passions. The princess’ incredible designs are surely outstanding, however, some of them appear a bit too grounded in fashion stereotypes, such as her S’Homme men line. Here she is clearly trying to reprise the traditional English dandy style, mixing and matching different long-established patterns (for example, tartan) which only creates a mess of fabrics rather than a cohesive outfit. Nonetheless, the princess is surely a young promise in the designer world, and it’s fascinating to see a royal wearing her own creations.

Tops: Her custom-made ball gowns and the dogs’ fashion line

Custom-made ball gown for Vogue photoshoot.

Flop: S’Homme men couture line