Princess Anne may be the Princess Royal, but she is the queen of re-wearing her clothes and is arguably the most underrated style icon of the British Royal Family. When she was younger, she made waves in the fashion industry with her dynamic silhouettes, bright colours and prints. Kate, Princess of Wales, on the other hand, might have a huge influence on the sale of clothes, but she’s rarely seen wearing anything too divisive.
Princess Anne still wears the same clothes she did when she was younger with her much-mocked time-warp hairdo and sports sunglasses.
Looking back, the tweed-loving Princess Royal always managed to quietly capture the zeitgeist without straying into fashion victim territory, earning her the status of a style icon.
Anne was not afraid to challenge what fashion interpreted as being popular or the next best thing, and she certainly pushed the boundaries when it came to royal fashion protocol, wearing skirts that would be considered too risque for the younger royals today.
In comparison, Kate, Princess of Wales seems to play it safe when it comes to clothes, very rarely stepping out in divisive colours, patterns or prints and styles.
Express.co.uk spoke exclusively to Susie Nelson, founder of Modes & More about the two royal ladies’ fashion.
Susie described Princess Anne’s style when she was younger as: “Rather like a younger version of her mother; elegant with a fondness for bright colours, matching accessories, statement hats and bold patterns.”
As for what elements made Princess Anne a style icon when she was younger, the fashion expert revealed: “Anne has always been slim with a great figure for tailored clothes.
“She likes bold colours – royals do have to be noticed, and some of her most iconic outfits were the fun florals of the 1960s and 1970s.”
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Princess Anne was arguably more daring with her style when she was younger, compared to what Kate wears nowadays.
Susie discussed whether this was because the Princess Royal wasn’t centre stage: “Royal clothes are a sort of uniform with rules laid down by the late Queen – no short hemlines, fly-away fabrics etc, but she did embrace the playful elements of fashion in her youth, such as flower power and 80s ruffles and bows.
“As a practical royal, she recycles her clothes and is keen on UK manufacturing, so these investment pieces from decades ago still make appearances – which is a wonderful example to set as a trailblazer for sustainable fashion.”
In comparison, Kate’s style is “elegant practical chic, with a fun edge shown in her taste for polka dots and fancy sequins”, according to Susie.
The fashion expert spoke about Princess Kate’s go-to pieces in her wardrobe: “The sophisticated coat dress, bold colours, and a body-skimming – not clinging silhouette.
“She’s great at mixing high street and high end, often finishing off her outfit with a pair of Zara earrings.”
When comparing the two royal ladies’ styles, Susie explained why Kate might play it safer compared to Princess Anne when she was her age.
“Royal clothes are a sort of uniform with certain rules and sensitivities,” Susis explained.
“She often respectfully wears local designers on foreign visits eg Gucci in Italy, Dior in France etc, and her streamlined tailoring is much more practical than floaty, fly-away fabrics.”
As for why Kate doesn’t wear more high-end fashion pieces, Susie explained: “Some things from the catwalk just won’t work on a royal – just as in real life.
“Their look has to be classic yet on-trend to be acceptable for all ages and tastes. Super-size bags, open-toe shoes, cleavage-revealing items etc are a no-go of course.”
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