Fashion Rules: regal fashion at Kensington Palace

Almost every girl has dreamt of being a princess at some point in her life. Being able to live in a fairy-tale castle, enjoy the privileges and most of all, the dresses and beautiful outfits that come with it. Look at Cinderella; she got a dress from her fairy god mother and the next thing you know, she fell in love with a prince and they lived happily ever after.

But princesses and royals don’t just exist in fairy tales, and nor do their beautiful dresses. Kensington Palace has put on the Fashion Rules exhibition showcasing HM Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana’s dresses and outfits ranging from the 50s to the 80s.

The exhibition is separated into three sections, of outfits worn by the Queen Elizabeth II in the 50s and 60s, Princess Margaret in the 60s and 70s and Princes Diana in the 80s. Videos and covers of Vogue from the respective eras are also on display.

The collection showcases many designs; notably those by Norman Hartnell, one of the Queen’s favorite and designed many of her 50s ball gowns. The young queen is more conservative in her fashion but the style still contains the essence of the 50s such as the full skirt.

During her tour in the 50s commonwealth tour the queen had commissioned many beautiful gowns with design related to the national flag colours and flowers of the visiting country, for example the beautiful Hardy Amies gown the young queen wore to a banquet in Halifax was incorporated with embroideries of mayflowers (the official symbol of Nova Scotia). The royal gowns she wore are mostly full-skirted with fitted bodices in light, pastel colours that befit a queen. Fabrics were mainly in silk with heavy beading and embroidery.

Princess Margaret was considered to be a fashion icon in the 60s through to the 70s. The princess is less conservative in style compared to the queen, often at the forefront of fashion with her choices. Collections of her dresses and coats include early works from Christian Dior. The collection shows the transition of fashion into the modern era. One of her more modern choices is the turban and kaftan made of exquisite Indian sari silk.

Moving onto Princess Diana in the 80s; as one of the most photographed woman in the world, her fashion choices included a wide range of designers from Catherine Walker to Bruce Oldfield. Padded shoulders, asymmetrical sleeves as well as a dropped waistline were all in style during the 80s.

If you are a true lover of fashion or curious about the glamour of the royals, this exhibition is a must-see. Not to mention, the exhibition do not require any extra fees apart from the entrance fee to Kensington Palace, which is magnificent to see in itself, and this with the added fashion bonus of seeing a range of styes, including the Victorian era style and Queen Victoria’s wedding dress.