Made in Heaven: Fashion Icon Queen Elizabeth II
In memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II and to honor the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. An imaginative ponderance on what the late and glorious Queen might wear in spirit from her celestial perch on Coronation Day.
Made in Heaven, I pondered a fictional story of what the late Queen Elizabeth II would wear from above to the coronation of her son, Charles III, and his wife, Camilla. Charles acceded to the throne on September 8, 2022, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II passed away. The coronation takes place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Westminster Abbey. Charles will be crowned King and Camilla the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The late Queen will surely be present in spirit and dressed elegantly for the royal event.
According to her biography, “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch” by Sally Bedell Smith, the Queen believed in “being seen to be believed.” And to be seen, since she was small in stature, in life she favored a brighter head-to-toe monochromatic color palette. However, for the King’s coronation, and in her earthly absence, perhaps she would take a back seat and wear a more muted color, Dove Gray.
Fashion Sketch by Sally M. Di Marco
I envision the late Queen wearing a slightly fitted, tailored Princess Line dress. The cut of the straight Princess Lines would incorporate both front and back short kick pleats near the hemline. The functional kick pleats allow the wearer greater freedom of movement. A coordinated and slightly fitted Princess Line jacket completes the look, accented by a muted pink and gray Hermés floral silk scarf, gathered and hand stitched to the underside of the buttoned front opening. The scarf is anchored by a brooch at the left shoulder, with the remainder of the fabric floating freely over the shoulder, thereby providing design back interest to the garment (see sketch).
The bespoke dress suit is made with fabric sourced from the Queen’s personal textile collection—a summer-weight wool, Super 120-150, often used for English suiting. This high-grade fine and soft wool is wrinkle resistant. The Queen favored beautiful and luxurious fabrics, which she purchased and stored for future wardrobe use. For example, she used a fabric that she bought in 1961 for a dress worn during her Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.
“The Queen favored beautiful and luxurious fabrics, which she purchased and stored for future wardrobe use. ”
Keeping with the monochromatic look, she would wear gray patent leather shoes with silver clasps to be custom-made by her heavenly cobblers and designed in a similar style to what might have been produced by her earthly cobbler, Anello & Davide of Kensington, West London. The slip-on, low block-heeled shoes with raised insole would give the Queen an added lift in the arch. According to her dresser, Angela Kelly, she shared the same size four shoe as the Queen. Therefore, Kelly routinely broke in the new shoes for the Queen so that they were always comfortable.
To complement the shoes, a gray patent leather Launer London handbag custom-made to match. The Queen’s fascination for the beautifully crafted handbags was spurred on by the Queen Mother, who bought Elizabeth her first bag in the Fifties. Some reports suggest the Queen owned about 200 handcrafted and customized handbags. The handbags were made lighter in weight and with longer top handles, which made it much easier for her to hang on the arm and at the same time shake many hands.
To give her additional height, a gray hat, small brimmed so as not to overpower but highlight her face, festooned with three-dimensional silk flowers like the one-dimensional flowers printed on the Hermés silk scarf, worn with her dress suit. Royal milliners, such as Rachel Trevor-Morgan and the late Philip Somerville crafted the Queen’s hats. The milliners worked closely with the Queen’s dress designers to create the coordinated bespoke hats, which always matched her outfits. The milliners followed precise instructions that the hats must not be too wide as to obscure the Queen’s small face. And the hats could not be too high, either. A too-high hat could be a fashion hazard as the Queen may have gotten stuck getting in and out of her car at public events. Hats were also safety-proofed against the elements using two hat pins to secure the hat to the hair.
And to complete the imaginative look, matching practical gray gloves of washable brushed cotton, usually fifteen centimeters in length. Cornelia James Ltd, provided the Queen with her handmade gloves since 1947. The Queen often carried a spare pair of gloves in her purse in case she lost the pair that she was wearing at events. Gloves were not only an essential fashion accessory but also sanitary due to an abundance of handshaking at public events. If the weather is inclement, a custom-made, clear Fulton umbrella with a matching gray handle and band will also be utilized.
Her trademarks were an heirloom brooch to the left shoulder or lapel and often strands of pearls gracing her neck. Envisioned is the Queen donning the Flower Basket brooch on Coronation Day, which has a deep and meaningful connection to Charles III. Her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, gifted the brooch to the then Princess Elizabeth on the birth of her first child, Prince Charles, in 1948. The flower-filled basket is encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. It will accent the dress suit by keeping in theme with the floral pattern of the silk scarf.
In the eighteenth century, Queen Charlotte set the stage for royal women to wear British. The late Queen remained loyal and supported the British fashion industry. Queen Elizabeth II communicates through her wardrobe from beyond—Made in Heaven for a royal fashion icon. The royals will likely continue to prefer and influence British designers. At the same time, perhaps they will exert their freedom and, in an attempt to modernize the monarchy, purvey the work of global designers.
God speed to Charles the III as he is crowned King and to Camilla, the Queen Consort!
Shop the late Queen’s accessory look at the following purveyors of luxury goods.
To learn more about the Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic fashion look, tune-in to the Voice America radio broadcast.
https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/142826/sally-di-marco-presents-queen-elizabeth-ii
Episode Description: Author, educator, and fashion designer, Sally Di Marco, speaks to listeners about Queen Elizabeth II and her iconic fashion style during her 60-year reign from 1952 until her death in 2022. The Queen dressed to rule in her couture suit dresses in a pallet of vibrant colors, which were crowned with matching hats. Accentuating the regal look were beautiful heirloom jewels, practical gloves, and signature Launer handbags. And to complete the image, the hush-hush about the Queen’s comfortable work shoes will be revealed. Her conservative, symbolic, and tailored look reflected a confident modern woman in charge.
Special Thanks To:
Francesca Di Marco, MA, Marketing and Communications
Digital Content Creator and Blog Editor
C. Melody Edmondson, Msc.D
Host, The Space of the Waist, Voice America
Frank Monteferrante, Ph.D
Editorial Assistance