Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).
Always elegant in her style. Always gracious in her manner. Always striving to do her best.
After ten days of official mourning, today is The Queen’s funeral.
Rest in peace.
Posts Tagged ‘Queen Elizabeth II’
Farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged British royal family, fashion icons, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II death on September 19, 2022| 3 Comments »
Queen Elizabeth II: Platinum Jubilee
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged British fashion designers, British history, British royal family, fashion history, History of British Fashion, Norman Hartnell, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation gown, Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee on February 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
On February 6th, 1952 Princess Elizabeth, traveling in Kenya, awoke a Queen, after her father King George VI had passed away overnight in his sleep.
Queen Elizabeth II returned immediately to the UK but her coronation wasn’t until June 2nd, 1953. The lovely gown she wore that day was created by British designer Norman Hartnell, who also made Elizabeth’s wedding gown in 1947.
For the coronation, Hartnell sketched eight potential gowns before Prince Philip pointed out that his wife was soon to become sovereign to the British Commonwealth and perhaps all her lands should be represented.
The final version was made in white satin and included embroidered emblems:
- Tudor Rose – England
- Thistle – Scotland
- Shamrocks – Ireland
- Maple leaves – Canada
- Wattle flowers – Australia
- Ferns – New Zealand
- Proteas – South Africa
- Lotus Flowers – India
- Leeks – Wales
- Wheat, Cotton and Jute – Pakistan
For luck Hartnell added an extra shamrock underneath the skirt. For proper balance the gown demanded a complicated construction of supporting undergarments, which was created by Hartnell’s expert cutters and fitters. He himself could not sew.
Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth who celebrates 70 years on the throne, her Platinum Jubilee.
Fashionable Quote of the Week by Luella Bartley
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged British style, fashionable quotes, Luella Bartley, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Fashion, Selvedge Magazine on October 12, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Princess Anne, illustration by Zoe Taylor, Selvedge magazine.
Anne is the very epitome of cool. An androgynous, horsey dude who looked killer in a pair of jodhpurs, and whose extraordinary up-do (I think the technical term is ‘the onion’) has become part of the Royal Family’s mythology. Princess Anne has followed her mother’s footsteps by hanging on to her innate sense of style – namely jodhpurs unless harangued into wearing something else by family commitments – e.g. royal weddings. But she always manages to keep to the English rule of looking slightly unkempt in everything.
Luella Bartley – English fashion designer and fashion journalist.
This quote is from the May/June 2011 issue of Selvedge magazine. The theme of this issue is all things Britannia and Ms. Bartley was asked to choose six women who reflect the British unique and quirky sense of style.
Ms. Bartley is speaking of Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter. The princess certainly marches to the beat of her own fashion drum. Like her mother, she always looks appropriate and put together. Unlike her aunt, Princess Margaret, who was the fashion plate of her day, she stays with the traditional British country look. I understand Ms. Bartley’s point, that there is something cool about a woman who sports a sort of “unfashionable” style and looks good doing it.
Fashionable Quote of the Week by Kim Collison
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged costume design, costume exhibits, Costuming the Crown, fashionable quotes, Queen Elizabeth II, television show costumes, The Crown, Victoria magazine, Winterthur Museum on September 16, 2019| 1 Comment »
A costume for Princess Margaret played by Vanessa Kirby in The Crown. Hand-embroidered and beaded floral appliques with the unexpected pockets.
The exhibition examines costumes from public and private moments depicted in the show … People are clearly captivated by the coronation robes and regalia, and they have enjoyed the wedding dresses – replicas of both Princess Elizabeth’s and Princess Margaret’s. But our visitor’s survey indicates that Princess Margaret’s hand-painted and beaded gown with the pockets is a strong favorite.
Kim Collison – exhibitions manager at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Delaware.
Ms. Collison is speaking to Victoria magazine of Costuming The Crown, the current exhibit on at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. On view are 40 costumes from the popular Netflix series, which fictionalizes the life of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
Fashionable Quote of the Week by Claire Foy
Posted in Arts, Events, Uncategorized, tagged Claire Foy, Gloden Globes, Michele Clapton, Queen Elizabeth II, television costumes, The Crown on January 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.
All the gowns and those sorts of things, I don’t think she particularly enjoys getting dressed up. But they’re like a uniform to her. All the garments and all the jewels and everything, she’s very particular about what message she portrays with what things she’s wearing — where that one’s from, who gave them that, how long this one’s been in the family, and all that. So nothing’s an accident.
– Claire Foy, British actress and star of The Crown, the popular Netflix series on Queen Elizabeth II. This quote is from a interview with WWD.
The costume designer for The Crown is Michele Clapton.
Congratulations to Ms. Foy, who plays the young Queen Elizabeth in the series and just won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama. The series also won Best Drama TV Series. Looks like this is going into my Netflix queue.
OverDressed for Life 