Fashion Rules: The UK Way
Do you remember the exact moment you met your best friend? What about your significant other (if you have one)? Whether you recall that life-changing moment or not, your brain played a part in making the outcome of that meeting. In less than a second, you judged that person based on what they were wearing [1]. Your mind already decided how that person behaved, worked, and treated others based on the clothes you saw them in that day! I guess it’s a good thing your BFF decided to dress-up! With the way our world operates, fashion rules. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Unfortunately, this happens every second of every day. Is it really a wrong thing to do? Book covers give valuable information to potential readers: the book title, author, and an eye-catching graphic to intrigue the reader. It lures people in. Like this, people can be judged by their appearance. “Your hair cut, your clothes, your mannerisms, how you present yourself to others – these aren’t accidents, but deliberate choices you make. We constantly invent ourselves by the choices we make: how we choose to act and what we choose to do in any given situation” [2]. The way we dress is a choice. Our clothing represents who we are and what we want the world to see in us.
Fashion not only rules our world and the way we see people, but it also has its own set of rules. The guidelines or norms for dressing are based on differing cultures, religions, and geographical areas. Fashion is a form of identity for people that tells the story of life. Fashion Rules is a series of blogs, and this is the first of many to come. Each post will bring insight into a different culture and society. We will begin with morning tea in the UK!
First, it is important that we further examine why fashion can mean so many different things for different people. It differs between cultures, religions, climates, values, and more. Culture is the knowledge and beliefs we gain from our time in this world. Culture comes from our ethnicity, family, and traditions. What we wear expresses who we are as a person, our social status, personality, mood, and beliefs [3]. In some cultures, clothing expresses gender, modesty, and power. It can even show a person’s beliefs. For example, a superstitious person will wear a lucky t-shirt [3]. Religion, on the other hand, divides the clothing a person wears into categories ranging from sacred to appropriate to disgraceful. Head scarves, hats, chadors, aprons, and other fashion pieces are viewed by some religions as sacred garments that MUST be worn [4]. Other religions may find it necessary to have a dress code for attending church that is seen as appropriate in nature, not scandalous! Climate also influences fashion in society; cooler geographical locations force people living there to wear warmer clothing made of wool, acrylic, or fur [5]. Warmer climates will have people wearing less layers of clothing made of cotton, linen, or rayon. Weather can also impact the color of clothing in these areas; brighter colors will be used in clothing in warmer areas to reflect the sunlight, while darker colors will be worn in colder locations [5]. Silhouettes even differ based on climate, with looser garments being worn in hotter areas for comfort. In addition to weather influences, a person’s values are seen through their clothing in many aspects. Someone who values their body and self may wear more (or less) conservative clothing (straying away from strapless tops or super-short shorts) to emphasize that. Someone who values the environment and the planet, will only wear sustainable, recycled, or vintage clothing to do their part. A customer who only shops at one clothing store may value loyalty in life. The list goes on.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation gown. Princess Margaret’s Africa look. Princess Diana’s polka dots [6]. The royal style in the UK has always been anything but boring. Family heirlooms, jewels, gowns, crowns, hats, and so much more truly mark the defining identity of a royal fashion statement. Queen Elizabeth II has her own fashion rules she lives by, as outlined by the royal family. All royal family members must also follow these rules, including maintaining neat hair and minimal make-up to appear effortlessly natural. Handbags must be always held in the left hand to free up the right hand for waving or hand shaking in public [7]. In addition to this, clutches are often used to hide cleavage when exiting a car or sitting down. Clutches are also used to show that the royal woman does not wish to shake hands (this is done by holding the clutch with both hands). Skirts and dresses must always be knee-length for all royal women, while boys must be dressed in shorts as a tradition of aristocracy. The Queen must approve of all royal brides’ wedding gowns [7]. Tiaras are only worn to upscale events like weddings, with brides wearing them for the first time at such event. They can only be worn by married women to represent the crowning of love and loss of innocence as she moves from one family to another [7]. In general, hats (or tiaras, crowns, scarves, etc.) are worn to formal events to continue the traditions of keeping women’s hair covered in public. The Queen encourages this rule to be enforced for weddings, christenings, etc. In addition, coats cannot be taken off in public for fear of looking unladylike or not proper. The Queen has her own specific wardrobe rules as well. She is seen in monochromatic, bold colored outfits when out in public; this is done for a reason. She wants to stand out in crowds to allow people to confidently say “I saw the Queen!” In contrast to the colorful outfits, every royal member must always pack a black outfit when traveling in the case of a royal death (the black outfit must be worn upon arrival back into the UK) [7]. As for footwear, the Queen has a staff member break in all of her heels and other shoes to never have sore feet at events where she is required to stand for long hours. One shoe style you will NEVER see the Queen in is the wedge heel. She does not like this style and other royal women do not wear wedges in her presence. As for heel height, royal women cannot wear heels over 6 inches. This will prevent them from falling or walking weird in public, as well as prevent them from appearing too tall. Not all clothing and accessories have clear rules attached to them for the royal family. For example, gloves and pantyhose are not required for royal women to wear; they are highly encouraged [7]. I’d definitely opt for the gloves in the time we live in right now! The royal family is also quite culture-conscious when traveling to other countries. Clothing worn by royal members while overseas usually honors that specific culture, either by wearing the national color, meaningful symbol, or designer from that country. They also avoid wrinkle prone fabrics made of linen or silk, instead choosing to wear heavier fabrics made of wool to always look their best when photographed. Unfortunately, Princess Diana did not follow this rule for her wedding day as her dress was quite wrinkled in photos. One fabric they, except for the Queen (rule breaker and enforcer), tend to stay away from is fur, per the request of King Edward III in the 14th century [7]. However, some accessories made with fur can be seen on royal members today like gloves or hats.
Not everyone follows these cultural rules in the royal family. Princess Margaret, always rebellious in nature, broke a few rules in her day. For royal weddings, the brides are to wear a tiara from the Crown Jewel collection. Princess Margaret wore a beautiful gown by Norman Hartnell (the same designer of the Queen’s wedding dress) but opted for a tiara she had purchased the year before at an auction [8]. This broke tradition and upset many people. Princess Diana, another outcast and rebel, wore a stunning off-the-shoulder, chiffon LBD with a plunging sweetheart neckline, designed by Christina Stambolian, in 1994 on the evening Prince Charles’ admitted to having an affair in a documentary. Princess Diana wore the daring “revenge dress,” that was originally designed for her to wear 3 years prior when she split from Prince Charles, to show the world who she really was: confident and beautiful [9]! She was already the outcast and could not have made it much worse. This was only one of the many times she went against rules and tradition. In 1985, she wore the Queen’s diamond and emerald Garrard choker necklace as a headpiece at a gala in Australia [9]. Many royal women have had their turn at breaking rules or causing fashion disruptions. In 2011, Kate Middleton almost created a horror show when her yellow Jenny Packham dress caught a breeze, lifting the skirt up [7]. The Queen now enforces a rule of weighted hems to prevent such wardrobe issues. The Queen’s couturier, Parvin, sews curtain or lead weights into the hems of the Queen’s clothes to prevent wardrobe malfunctions, calling them “penny weights” [7]. Most recently, Meghan Markle (another outcast) was guilty of many fashion no-no’s before her exit from the family. She has taken her shoes off in public, gone out without stockings/pantyhose, chose a non-British designer wedding gown, worn non-tailored (loose fitting) pieces, overused black in her wardrobe (which is commonly used for mourning in the UK royal family), sported too many pantsuits, and also wore bold colors in the presence of the Queen [10]. Most royal women opt for muted colors to not draw attention away from the Queen in public. Meghan Markle has also not worn a hat in the presence of the Queen; it is a basic rule that when the Queen wears a hat out, the royal women follow suit. She also attended the 2018 Fashion Awards Royals in a black one-shoulder dress with Bordeaux nail polish. Dark nail polish is usually not worn by royal women as the Queen only approves of SUBTLE pink or nude colors [10]. The Queen herself often wears no nail polish at all.
The royal family and those around them are meant to maintain class and aristocracy through conservative, high-quality fashion. Even Princess Margaret’s ideal risky looks are nothing compared to what we see today in fashion. The royal culture in the United Kingdom sets the standards of beauty based on how they present themselves to society. Queen Elizabeth II has adorned herself in beaded, jeweled gowns to events like premieres on the West end in 1973 [11]. She is also very particular in the coordinating of her outfits with her accessories. During her Silver Jubilee Year Tour in 1977 in New Zealand, the Queen wore a vibrant green and white floral dress with a matching floral sun hat [11]. We can see throughout many of her looks that she has a keen eye for matching pieces and monochromatic outfits. Many royal women follow the trends and style etiquette set by the Queen with their own looks. Princess Diana wore a dark blue skirt suit for her engagement photo in 1981 to match her beautiful sapphire engagement ring, mimicking the monochromatic style of the Queen [11]. Princess Diana did not need to always follow trends as she was quite the trend-setter! At Princess Eugenie’s christening in 1990, Princess Diana wore a dual-toned houndstooth skirt suit; she mixed bold colors with a black and white skirt and red and white blazer. She paired the look with black and red pumps and a wide-brimmed red hat with black trim. This bold choice excited many people and started a color contrast trend. The royal family of the UK sets many royal trends across other cultures as well. Princess Victoria at Sweden also wears bright, bold colored skirt suits with matching accessories, as seen at Prince Albert II’s coronation in 2005 [11]. Monochromatic looks are truly a royal must, even minus the bold color palette. Crown Princess Masako, Princess Sayako, and Princess Kiko in 2005 Tokyo all wore monochromatic skirt suits [11]. Kate Middleton is another trend-setter; her elegant white laced, Alexander McQueen wedding dress largely impacted the bridal industry in 2011 [11]. What many royal members are seen wearing, as with celebrities in the U.S., influences what society desires to buy in the fashion industry. The British royals are the social media influencers of the UK. If Kate Middleton wears a floral suit, many UK citizens will say, “I want one too!”
UK fashion culture differs from others through who exactly influences the trends, the popular fabric options used due to cold weather conditions, and what is truly valued there. Princess Margaret pioneered the cat-eye sunglasses in the 1950s and many people where this vintage look today, with a 71% increase in search results [12]. Queen Elizabeth II’s monochromatic, bold outfits have become popular among many women in the UK. Princess Diana’s sharp shoulder padded blazers are seen in women in the working world of the UK. Kate Middleton’s athleisure styled puffer jackets are trending right now in the UK. The top handle bags by Launer London for the Queen are designer approved today with brands like Balenciaga, Dior, Kate Spade, Dolce & Gabbana, and Jacquemus selling the handbag style. The Queen also favors the equestrian style of dressing, with Burberry and Chloé mimicking the look in 2018 [12]. A few days ago, Chanel had Princess Charlotte Casiraghi go down the runway on horseback during Paris Haute Couture Week [13]. This just shows that the royal trends will continue to trickle down into society for years to come.
Fashion is a world of its own and as we look further into other cultures and geographical locations, we will begin to see the similarities and differences that fashion brings for people. It unites us, empowers us, and pinpoints who we are.
REFERENCES
[2] https://careers.workopolis.com/advice/you-should-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/
[3] https://janetpanic.com/how-does-culture-influence-the-clothes-we-wear/
[4] https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/religion-dress
[6] https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-royal-outfits-of-all-time
[7] https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g19643527/royal-family-fashion-rules/?slide=1
[9] https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/g33633151/controversial-royal-fashion-moments/
[10] https://www.elle.com.au/fashion/meghan-markle-fashion-rules-18350
[11] https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-royal-outfits-of-all-time
[13] https://www.cnn.com/style/article/chanel-horse-charlotte-casiraghi-haute-couture-paris/index.html