Queen Elizabeth II and British Luxury

Source: Harpers Bazaar

One may say that the late Queen Elizabeth II was a noticeable consumer of British luxury. For example, she was known for dressing in vibrant colours to stand out in a crowd because she was conscious of how she appeared. She was ever mindful of the fact that people would notice her fashion choices, and by donning clothing from homegrown brands, she was promoting British luxury just as she did later when she joined Anna Wintour on the front row at London Fashion Week in 2018. The Queen frequently “bought British,” as the British people were advised to do throughout the conflict-stricken 1970s and 1980s. But not always, and a strong feeling of patriotism didn’t stop her from possessing a large collection of Hermès scarves in addition to several Burberry scarves and their classic trench.

Charles III has displayed comparable but not identical impulses to the late Queen. He has long advocated “slow fashion,” and typically purchases his clothing from Savile Row and Jermyn Street who practise this. However, he was an early eco fighter, which informs projects like Campaign for Wool, and his dedication to trying people of all ages as well as supporting both traditional and contemporary crafts fuels the Modern Artisan programmes implemented by his The Prince’s Foundation. The classic Aston Martin DB6 that Charles drove in his carefree bachelor days has since been modified to run on sustainable bioethanol. 

When it comes to arriving for big events, it’s simple to imagine the young Queen gracefully getting out of a Rolls-Royce Phantom while wearing a Norman Hartnell gown adorned with a diamond necklace and tiara. Equally unforgettable are pictures of her in her later years driving a Land Rover, a well-dressed countrywoman in a Barbour and wearing one of those Hermès scarves. And in the royal warrants, brands such as Musto, Hunter, and Kinloch Anderson are used to represent HM’s downtime.

Source: Harpers Bazaar

On the Row, you can find uniforms from equestrian specialists Bernard Weatherill or Gieves & Hawkes, as well as royal robes from Ede & Ravenscroft for state occasions. Those understated handbags, discreet but costly, are made by Launer, a company established in Walsall, a town in the Midlands that produces excellent leatherwork, including saddlery for the Windsors. Fulton’s brollies are transparent while on duty—again, the emphasis is on visibility. Shoes are primarily by London-based Anello and Davide, who originally produced shoes for ballet and theatrical dancers before diversifying in the 1960s by creating Chelsea boots for the Beatles and patent leather shoes for the Queen, usually with a two-inch squarish heel.

Some of these long-standing warrants appear destined to expire with the accession of Charles III, that is unless Kate Middleton, who will soon become the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge and be eligible for her own set of By Royal Appointments, renews any of these warrants. With each new generation of royals come new interests and fashion trends. The King clearly likes his English menswear, including brands like Turnbull & Asser as well as the relative newcomer, Hackett.