19 of Queen Elizabeth’s Outfits That Prove She Has Always Had a Perfect Sense of Style

The future Queen Elizabeth came of age during World War II and that’s why people say that her style has often reflected the state of the nation. For example, her wedding dress was made of satin, purchased with ration vouchers. This was typical of many other brides from those years.

At all times, the Queen’s wardrobe, on one hand, corresponded to modern fashion, and on the other hand, reflected the personal preferences of the monarch. We at Bright Side watched the evolution of her outfits and yes, we really enjoyed it.

Princesses Elizabeth with her younger sister Margaret, 1933

The photo was taken in 1933 and the future Queen of Great Britain was 7 years old here. She is wearing kids’ stockings but her gloves and bag look like the ones for adults. What a little fashionista!

Queen Mary of Teck with her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth, April 1944

The photo was taken at the party held to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of the Princess. She is wearing a coat that is typical for the ’40s when the A-line silhouette and military minimalism were in trend. Clothes were made from the spare details of fabric leftovers for money-saving purposes. Thus, fashionistas had to say goodbye to the wide sleeves that were popular in the ’30s. The double-breasted coat, like the one the princess is wearing, resembles a military uniform — the round lapels were also an innovation of the ’40s.

The engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten, July 1947

The Princess is wearing a pale pink dress typical of the early post-war years. She complemented it with her “significant” double string of pearls, a wristwatch, or a bracelet, on her left arm, and a ring on her ring finger. In the future, this minimal set of jewelry will be often seen on the Queen. Here is an interesting detail: shoes with bowed heels are one of the markers of the Queen’s style. Elizabeth wore shoes from the Rayne brand for many years, and her mother and grandmother preferred this company’s products too. She wears closed-toe shoes in most of her photos, but not here.

A couple of words about her hairstyle. According to her childhood photos, the Queen’s hair is naturally a bit wavy. She has never worn long, freely disbanded hair like Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton. At least, we were not able to find any photos of her with her hair down. Her hair has always been either collected in a hairdo or her head has been covered with a hat or a kerchief.

Princess Elizabeth’s and Prince Philip’s wedding, 1947

Elizabeth Windsor and Philip got married in November 1947. Their union became a symbol of hope for the countries of the British Commonwealth during difficult post-war times. Elizabeth is wearing a dress with flower motifs created by the famous British designer Norman Hartnell. The gown was decorated with pearls, silver thread, and crystals. The train of the dress was 13 feet long.

The Princess used ration vouchers to purchase the fabric for the dress — the country was still facing some difficulties after the war.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England, 1953

This outfit was also created by Norman Hartnell. The Queen wanted that her coronation dress be made of satin, like her wedding dress, with accentuation of regal elegance, but with no undue emphasis on shape.

Elizabeth II with her husband, 1957

In the 1950s, ladies started to prefer more feminine dresses as compared to the war period. That’s when outfits with long voluminous skirts and an accentuated waist became trendy. In this photo, the Queen’s waist is accentuated, while the skirt does not simply cover the knees but even reaches the middle of the calf. She visited the British Embassy in Paris in this outfit and even planted a cherry tree there.

Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the Channel Islands

This photo was taken in 1957. The Queen is again wearing a voluminous skirt that is typical of the ’50s. Still, Elizabeth II has always made sure that her evening outfits are different and that they could easily outshine even Hollywood celebrities. See for yourself in the next picture.

Queen Elizabeth II and American actress Jayne Mansfield at a Royal Film Performance and premiere in London, 1957

The Queen is wearing a tight evening dress accented with a diadem, earrings, and a bracelet. The look was complemented with a white fur stole.

Elizabeth II at the World Charity Premiere of the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, 1967

In this photo, you see actors Dick Van Dyke, Diane Cilento, and Sean Connery meet Elizabeth II. Just like in some other photos with evening outfits, we can see the Queen wearing dresses with open shoulders. A tiara, traditional white gloves, jewelry on her wrists, and a handbag is the standard royal outfit.

Queen Elizabeth II holding one-year-old Prince Edward at Frogmore in April 1965

The Queen is wearing a formal gray checkered suit. Her neck is again decorated with a thread of pearls and her bright brooch matches her red lipstick.

Queen Elizabeth II talks to paramount chiefs, during a tour of an arena in Ghana, 1961

The queen took a royal tour across Africa. This dress accentuates the Queen’s waist, the skirt is voluminous but is not as long as the one she was wearing while visiting Paris. Her head is covered with a “flower-style” hat that matches the tone of the dress. Her gloves, bag, and shoes are white. We can also see that her lips are enhanced with bright lipstick.

Summer look, 1967

Here’s another summer look from the Queen. Elizabeth II is wearing a suit in a mint color with gloves (as always), pearls, and a “flower” hat. Her makeup accentuates her lips.

Queen Elizabeth II in London at the Royal Film Performance charity event, 1975

The Queen was literally shining in this dress when she met Barbra Streisand. For this event, Elizabeth II opted for an unusual evening-style loose-fit dress with delightful embroidery. The shine was complemented by another tiara that is called a “Russian kokoshnik.” It used to belong to Edward VII’s wife, Queen Alexandra whose sister, Maria Feodorovna, was the Empress of Russia.

The Queen’s visit to Barbados, 1975

Elizabeth II is warmly welcomed by a crowd outside the Parliament Buildings in Bridgetown. The Queen is wearing a dress with an “Indian paisley” pattern, loose sleeves, and a pleated skirt. At the end of the ’70s, “paisley” patterns became the symbol of the Hippie movement and this print could be seen everywhere — from John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce to men’s ties and women’s dresses. It seems that the Queen liked the pattern too.

Tour across Australia, 1986

It seems that the Queen has borrowed some tendencies from the bold prints of the ’80s. Doesn’t the pattern of her dress resemble a leopard print? An unusual scarf tied around her neck that matches the fabric on her white hat also stands out and draws attention.

Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Diana in March 1981

Voluminous skirts in everyday outfits are no longer trendy. The Queen is wearing a collar with pointy ends. The future Princess Diana has a similar collar with a bow. This cut is called a “sailor collar” and it was very popular in the ’80s.

Elizabeth II greets Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as she arrives for dinner aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, 1989

At this point, the Queen started wearing dresses in a more simple straight cut — you are unlikely to see her with such bouffant sleeves today. In the picture, you can see an elegant watch on the left wrist of the monarch.

Queen visits the Windsor Old People’s Welfare Association, 2018

If you watch the Queen’s wardrobe closely, you’ll see that Elizabeth II has been sticking to the same style since the ’90s. This style consists of a bright one-color skirt suit or a long coat with a matching hat. The jewelry she usually opts for is a strand of pearls and a brooch from her vast collection.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip arrive at Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s wedding ceremony, 2011

From 2002 on, Angela Kelly, the daughter of a simple dock worker from Liverpool, has been Her Majesty’s personal designer. It’s Angela who comes up with the designs that we see today on the Queen. One of her most popular creations is the outfit that the Queen was wearing at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. It is a woolen coat in a primrose yellow color and a dress that matches it. You can see this outfit in the photo above.

Do you think the Queen could be called a fashionista?