I was able to see many exhibitions on my London 2025 trip. Normally I see a lot of fashion history focused exhibitions with a lot of garments; however, this trip leaned more towards jewellery (like Cartier)and painting. I still was able to catch some fantastic historic garments, though. And given that it is Blogmas, I thought I would share some outfits that would be suitable for the holiday season! Enjoy this festive royal fashion history…
Festive Royal Fashion History
While these pieces were not worn at Christmas, they would absolutely fit into our Christmas colour scheme! (Queen Alexandra’s tartan gown remains one of my absolute favourites- I adored seeing it in 2019.) Red, green and a bit of silver to mark the season- I would like to think these pieces have seen their fair share of parties.
Danish Court Suit, Sigvald Kristensen (1962)
This court suit belonged to Sigvald Kristensen. He served as the Danish ambassador to Austria in 1960 and then as Danish ambassador to Israel in 1965. The Danish court uniform is very distinctive, and you will still see it worn at the Danish court for formal events! The bright red colour paired with the very unique embroidery makes it visually stand out. If you ever see it in person, you can actually see the Danish national coat of arms on each button. (Court suits are a fascinating topic if you ever have time to poke around.
Moreno Evening Gown, Princess Margaret (1980)
Princess Margaret is arguably one of the most glamorous members of the Royal Family. While she spent time in the country like the rest of the family, I would say she was most comfortable in a formal evening gown and tiara. And she was fairly adventurous in her formalwear!
This gown was from Moreno, led by Jose Pitoy Moreno- he sought to combine contemporary fashion trends with traditional Filipino embroidery and fabrics to create a unique style. (The embroidered floral elements are incredible when you see it up close.)
Tartan Suit, Duke of Windsor (1897, later altered)
What would a list of festive royal fashion be without tartan? The Duke of Windsor was known to be incredibly fashion forward from a young age, and as Prince of Wales had a massive impact on Western men’s fashion trends for decades. However, this suit has a particularly interesting history.
This tartan suit actually first belonged to King George V- it actually seems quite bold for George, but it is the Rothesay Hunting Tartan, and hunting was one of George’s passions. Edward inherited the suit from his father and sought to modernise it. In addition to changing the buttons to a zippered fly, he also modified the neckline in order to create an extra buttonhole.
Wedding Dress, Comtesse d’Artois (1774)
If you happen to have a New Year’s Eve party to cap off the year, might I interest you in an eighteenth century, silver court gown? Not only made from expensive silver brocaded silk, the gown featured a scalloped lace with floral details and silver thread. This is a copy of the Comtesse d’Artois’ 1774 wedding gown and is rather similar to Marie Antoinette’s own wedding gown. We women need to do better at taking up space instead of making ourselves smaller, and the best way to start is with a gown wider than your armspan!
What festive fashion are you wearing this holiday season?
Cheers,
The Historian
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