Revival Vintage Styles Fit For A Queen
On February 6th 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
To celebrate this milestone anniversary, events and initiatives will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June this year.
To mark the historic occasion in our own way Revival bring you this blog to track some of our Queen's unique daywear through the decades since she became head of state & give you some vintage outfit ideas that would be fit for a queen!
No one can deny she has developed a signature style that quite literally makes her stand out in a crowd. Namely bright block colour clothing with closely matched accessories but where did the desire to look so correlative stem from?
Born in 1926, if we look back to her childhood we get an inclination. Here she is pictured with her sister Margaret stepping out in matching coats and hats. It was quite fashionable at the time to dress siblings in mirrored clothing. My sister Julie and I often wore the same outfit, sometimes in a different colourway.
The young princesses continued to coordinate through their early years but their wardrobes took a different direction once Elizabeth was crowned and their individuality developed.
It was on February 6th 1952, during a short break from an international tour, that a 25 year old Elizabeth learned the sad news that her father George VI had passed away in his sleep. That carefree break in Nairobi took a very different turn as she was catapulted into grief alongside the realisation that life would never be the same again.
In our opinion from the very outset the young Queen rarely put a foot wrong when it came to her fashion choices. Understated elegant, eye catching ensembles that enhance her lean figure and perfect poise. The intention here is to highlight one iconic non-ceremonial day outfit from each decade that typifies her key looks at the time alongside similar examples from our current stock.
1950s Royal Revival
No doubt inspired by Christian Dior's New Look silhouette this 1954 shirt waister has a button-through bodice with a wing collar. The nipped in waist has a matching fabric clad belt. Our original vintage dress from the same period has a similar check fabric and multiple pin tucking to the front bodice. Teamed with a white bag and half hat, this vintage 1950s outfit would be perfect for a garden party.
1960s Royal Revival
This brightly coloured sixties two piece consisting of a fitted shift dress and cropped jacket was one of those worn during the Queen's tour of the West Indies in 1966. She looks radiant in this outfit. Our cream brocade version has a similar silhouette with a shorter sleeve. This type of 1960s outfit would be seen at formal occasions such as a wedding. The flower bomb hat was inspired by swimming caps at the time. The Queen is seldom seen without a pair of white gloves & these vintage gloves have some lovely detailing to complement her striking look.
1970s Royal Revival
This sunshine yellow polka dot dress was worn in 1975 as she greeted local children during her state visit to Mexico. It typifies the midi style dresses of the mid seventies with their full bishop sleeves and knife pleat skirts. Our version of this 1970s dress is perhaps a little later and is a cotton version with an over-sized open revere collar. We do not currently have a turban along these lines but think this white sunhat and crochet summer vintage bag accessorise it just as well.
1980s Royal Revival
Often quite garish, the vibrant florals and geometrics of the 80s decade did not bypass the Royal family. Pictured here is the Queen with Princess Diana outside Clarence House on The Queen Mother's birthday. Our red eighties dress has a splodge spot design with short cuffed sleeves & is reminiscent of 1980s Royal style.
1990s Royal Revival
Pictured here is Elizabeth II at Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. A popular hat style during the early nineties was this variety with a twisted brim that reveals complementary detailing underneath. The Queen's has a band of matching dress fabric, our vintage hat in navy sets off this bright teal scatter spot dress showing the same pussy bow neckline, long sleeves and cuffs.
2000 Onwards
In 2002 Angela Kelly took on the role of the Queens senior dresser, she still holds the position today.
"The Queen loves clothes and is a real expert on fabrics," Kelly quotes in a 2007 interview. "It's not been a question of me teaching the Queen - it's been the other way round."
She has always realised she needs to be easily identified in a crowd and reportedly said to one of her biographers that if she wore beige, no one would be able to recognise her.
This has influenced her outfit choices through the decades and appears to have become even more prevalent as she has aged with matching block colour dresses and coats topped off with a matching millinery in her favourite top hat style.
We have enjoyed recreating these Royal looks, Her Royal Highness has worn some stunning outfits over the years and we can confidently say that she is a strong contender for one of our very own RAFTAs! New interpretations of the Queen's classic outfits can be seen on Netflix's hit series The Crown. We are very proud to say that Revival is a supplier for such a prestigious TV show.