‘Style renaissance’: Princess Beatrice has gone from butt of the joke to best-dressed
Once derided for wearing a silly hat, the Princess Beatrice is now one of the smartest royals.
Lifestyle
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In terms of a style renaissance, it doesn’t get any bigger than Princess Beatrice.
Having once been derided for her fashion choices, alongside sister Eugenie, Beatrice has gone from being the butt of the joke – thanks to that daring Philip Treacy hat worn at William and Catherine’s wedding in 2011 – to recently being voted the best-dressed person in Britain by society magazine Tatler.
Pregnant with her second child, Beatrice, 36, has found her groove, according to fashion experts.
From her chic wedding dress, repurposing a Norman Hartnell gown owned by her grandmother, the late Queen, to the beautiful Monique Lhuillier floral dress she wore to Wimbledon in July, and stylish maternity wear – including our own Rebecca Vallance’s festive Eliana midi dress – she’s immaculately turned-out and on-point.
“Princess Beatrice has found a fashion formula that works for both her body and personality,” says Jessica Montague, executive editor of Vogue Australia.
“Her on-duty looks – usually a mid-calf dress with floral print, high neckline, cinched waist and a longer sleeve – exude a sense of confidence and ease many women spend decades chasing.”
The key to her success, she says, is once she found her signature style, she stuck with it.
“Rarely does she deviate from this, except to add detailing, or to emphasise a bolder shoulder look. Her choice of labels in recent years also demonstrates a new-found sophistication, with the likes of Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, Richard Quinn, Monique Lhuillier and even our own Zimmermann on rotation,” she says.
“She clearly loves colour, but there’s a sense of balance to the way she dresses. You can tell she’s having fun with the floral prints, but the razor-sharp tailoring she’s embraced, elevates these ensembles to a whole new level.”
With Tatler declaring she’s “a beacon of sartorial elegance” and “the pinnacle of contemporary splendour”, Beatrice has cemented herself as a Windsor woman to watch.
She also joins some of the best-dressed royals in the world.
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, 55, loves a bit of stealth-wealth styling. The childrenswear designer and author plumps for palettes of creams and greys, favouring designers like Mary Katrantzou, which she wore to the coronation of King Charles, last year. Her off-duty looks are just as successful – think cashmere sweaters, denim shirts and white jeans.
Queen Rania of Jordan
Stunning Queen Rania, 53, also stood out at Charles’ coronation, in her yellow Tamara Ralph couture dress. She mixes high-end designers, like Dior, which she wore to her son Crown Prince Hussein’s wedding last year, with low-key looks like white shirts and jeans and shirt-dresses.
Queen Mary of Denmark
She’s always been our queen when it comes to style and now she’s taken the throne, 52-year-old Queen Mary is even more glamorous. She has a similar style to the Princess of Wales, favouring pant suits and tailored frocks from the same designers, like Emilia Wickstead and Beulah London, and lately, more daring looks, like the red jumpsuit from MaxMara she wore to the Olympics in July.
Queen Letizia of Spain
The 51-year-old Queen is always immaculately-dressed, whether she’s in a floaty summer dress on holiday in Mallorca, or a formal gown like the blue Felipe Varela ballgown she wore a state banquet in Denmark last November. She also mixes designer labels with high street ones, recently sporting Mango to an awards ceremony in Barcelona.
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Even though she’s been out of action, when Catherine, Princess of Wales appeared in public recently, she proved the “Kate effect” is as strong as ever. Catherine, 42, has a signature style of pant suits, blazers and tailored dresses, like the black and white Jenny Packham dress she wore to Trooping the Colour in June, mixed with showstopping red-carpet gowns.
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