Who are the best-dressed royals in the world? Rankings as such seem always favoured by fashion magazines and tabloids. To no one’s surprise, the Princes William and Harry, are frequently mentioned in these topics. But if you ask any ardent sartorial stalwarts, they would assure you that it was the predecessors of William and Harry’s, like Prince Charles, Prince Michael of Kent, and the notorious Edward VIII (later the Duke of Windsor) who have truly inspired the rest of the world about men’s elegance.
Undisputedly, English tailoring has an entrenched leading position in menswear history. In recognition of London as the provenance of modern men’s style, the illustrious Neapolitan tailoring house Rubinacci was called the “London House” by its founder Gennaro Rubinacci since 1932. Hence, UK royals seem to have a beneficiary in sartorial circumstance, from old Hollywood movies to nowadays men’s fashion guiding books, the influence of their wardrobes are profound.
As one of the most perennial style icons of all times, The Duke of Windsor, back then the Prince of Wales, was dubbed as the best travelling salesman of British fashion when he visited American in the 1920s. His photograph occupied the front page of U.S newspapers, and his attire attracts massive attention among the Americans. “The average young man in America is more interested in the clothes of the Prince of Wales than in any other individual on earth”, commented by Men’s Wear magazine in 1924.
The Windsor’s rebellious and audacious taste start to emerge since he was the young Prince of Wales. His father, King George V, used to chastise him for putting jokes (“flippant remarks” as the King called them) into speeches, just as he criticised the Prince for wearing brogues in the city. But he was always reluctant to show deference to the strict etiquette. The Duke of Windsor recalled, “My father always wore a top hat, and he was surprised that I wouldn’t follow his tradition”, the Prince, on the other hand, prefer to wear a bowler hat or other more casual models.
Great article!
Cheers, my friend!