The Queen was born and raised in the most glamorous age of all time: the roaring twenties, and emerged a queen in the post-war allure of the 1950s.
Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most stylish women of our times, with her ensembles regularly exuding grace, class and an expression of her own individuality, with a touch of extravagance like pearls and jewels. Many of her outfits have made it to iconic status, with creations such as her famous Hardy Amies pant suit worn on a 1970s visit to Canada which caused quite a stir at the time.
Perhaps though, the Queen is most famous for her clean, simple lines and the timeless royal glamour she epitomises. This Diamond Jubilee weekend, what better way to pay homage to our beauty queen than to inject a bit of jubilee royalty into your wardrobes with these easy ideas that would look great at any street party.
Royal Tea Party
Nothing says a right royal knees-up street party like a quaint tea dress or floral number, and this summer the high-street is full of adorable designs to flatter everyone. Tea dresses encapsulate all that is girly and feminine but don’t have to look like you stepped straight out of the 1950s. Team with wedges or chelsea boots and a leather jacket for a tougher take on the tea dress. Or try a pair of contrasting platforms like New Look’s pink and orange bow block heels (£24.99), ankle socks and a crochet cardigan for a full-on feminine version.
There are some great tea dresses available all over the high-street at the moment including a pleated, printed limited edition design from Marks and Spencer in blue and red (£37.50) and a gorgeous blue willow patterned design from PretaPortobello.com (£35). If you’re hoping to get an outfit for a bit less, Primark is the answer with their Hawaiian print playsuit that honours the Commonwealth and is a bargain fiver. If you’re still stuck then Kelly Brook’s new range for New Look is full of Jubilee joys.
The Royal Navy
If you prefer something a little more structured and reminiscent of the noble, tailored uniforms of the royals, then tailoring on the high-street is the answer to your jubilee prayers. Match ankle-grazers with button up blouses and cropped blazers for a super-chic copycat look of the Queen’s famous pant suit, or try royal blue scalloped edge shorts from River Island (£20) paired with their daring blue print jubilee blazer for a real stand out look (£40).
Match your royal tailoring with quirky accessories like pearl peter pan collars or cameo necklaces to complete your embellished uniform look and get ready to bake those Victorian sponges with military precision.
The Royal Touch
No outfit is royal without those unique touches that set you apart from England’s common subjects. The Queen loves a good hat, so why not experiment with some great designs from Accessorize or more grown-up options at M&S. For some real regal glamour add some sparkle with River Island gold tone snake drop earrings (£10) or Topshop yellow and crystal vintage stone studs (£8.50).
With the Queen being fashion inspiration everywhere this year, take a leaf out of her book and even if you only feel like a queen for a day, look effortlessly majestic and enjoy the bank holiday weekend in splendid style.
