Netflix‘s The Crown premiered first in 2016 and has become a fan favourite ever since. It is our insight into the royal life of the British Monarchy and takes us on a visual journey of historical events that took place since Queen Elizabeth II‘s reign. However, the series claims to be a loose adaptation of the real events, with not all events being portrayed a hundred per cent accurate. Nevertheless, we are hooked onto the drama and the glamorous attire, picturesque settings and extravagant ceremonies. In 2020, the much-awaited season 4 premiered, which introduced the viewers to the favourite, Princess Diana.
The impact Princess Diana had on the royal family was unfathomable. She was the most-photographed royal, the public’s favourite and her iconic fashion choices are followed and spoken about till date. Season 4 of The Crown was all about influential women figures as we also saw Margaret Thatcher make her way into parliament as the first woman prime minister of the United Kingdom. We also saw Emmy winning costume designer, Amy Roberts deliver some iconic ensembles in the season. She creatively emulates the fashion trends of these influential ladies in the ’80s. With a large wardrobe to work on for the Windsor clan and their many key events, we see Amy recreate several recognisable outfits. Spanning over a decade, we witness a mix of historical fashion moments along with some entirely new creative outfits for the private moments.
Ahead, we give you a peek at 5 of our most favourite fashion moments from The Crown:
1) Princess Diana’s Wedding Gown
Princess Diana’s character was the focal point for us all this season. Loved by many, we couldn’t be more excited to see her come to life on screen. The slender and beautiful Diana, known for her classic fashion moments continue to influence even the present era. It was no easy task for the costume department to nail her look and find the balance between re-creating her looks and designing for her character.
Her wedding to Prince Charles was watched by over 750 million people worldwide. Princess Di’s fairy-tale wedding gown had a 25-foot long trail and was created by designer David Emanuel. This dress became the new princess gown every girl wanted. Seeing this elaborate ’80s fashion wedding gown once again on-screen was magnificent. However, costumer designer Amy Robers did not replicate the infamous wedding dress exactly. While she did consult with the original designer David, she added a personal touch to the interpretation. The dress is crafted from 95 meters of silk taffeta and took over 600 hours to finish along with five fittings before it was ready to be worn. The lace and ruffle details along with the simplicity of the skirt is sheer elegance.
2) Margaret Thatcher’s Power Suit
The first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher made quite an impact during her journey in the parliament. Her outfits comprised skirt suits, pussy-bow blouses, stud earrings and vivid colours. Most of which were a trademark style of that period. The power-dressing of the ’80s is portrayed via Tatcher’s wide-shouldered and perfectly tailored suits, softened with pussy-bow blouses. The pussy-bow blouse adds the touch of feminity and is also sported often by the Queen herself. Her standout look in the season is this electric-blue pleated-skirt suit which she wears for her Downing Street acceptance speech. The blue hue also represents the political party to which she belongs.
3) Princess Anne‘s Yellow Ruffled Piece
Princess Anne was one of the first royals to repeat clothes in public, wearing the same outfit years after. This characteristic made her stand out from all the other royal family members. We see her character on the show transition from a teenager dressed in skirts to a more mature, conservatively dressed adult. This includes low heels, longer skirts and headscarves. For her brother’s wedding, we see Anne dial up her style and fashion in a yellow and white floral-printed ruffled dress paired with a matching hat. All features being current to the ’80s era. Looking graceful and poised, her character stands out in each frame she is featuring in. Also a fun fact—the Princess re-wore the same frock to a different wedding in 2008. Recycling at its best, showing us that fashion is sustainable.
4) Princess Diana’s Blue Ruffled Dress
With so many amazing outfits of Diana featured, it was very tricky to narrow down to a couple of favourites. She has worn some of the most beautiful outfits and looked ethereal in each of them. While the show couldn’t capture it all, it did feature some of her key sartorial moments. A personal favourite is the blue ruffle dress Diana wears at the charity ball in Sydney. The couples tour to Australia had all eyes on them as they made their way to different parts of the country.
The blue gown is a symbol of a fun night of dancing and love between the couple post a distressing period in their relationship. And of course, it was the rare moment where we saw the Prince and Princess enjoy the loving moment and dance their heart away! Princess Diana looks like a dream in this ruffled attire with dangly diamond earrings. The original dress is by designer, Bruce Oldfield.
5) Princess Margaret‘s Tartan Suit
The eccentric Princess Margaret is more toned-down this season as the show portrays a low period in her life. Hence, we see her in dark colours to suit the mood. Nonetheless, she still sports some fashionable outfits throughout the season. Our favourite moment was her in a purple tartan suit and hat paired with a hot pink blouse during their Scotland holiday. The heritage print and wool, tweed and tartan material is a representation of the Scottish culture and the royals follow it thoroughly for the annual Braemar Games. Princess Margaret stands out in this bright coloured attire which adds some life to her otherwise weary mode.
What was your favourite outfit from the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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