Reason Queen Elizabeth Wears Bold Colors

Queen Elizabeth does not wear beige or dark colors. She deliberately wears bright and bold colors on all occasions. Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen has worn every color of the rainbow and dozens of colors not in the rainbow. The bright colors she had worn include hot pink, fuchsia, yellow, orange, red, blue, green, and purple. She is not trying to make a fashion statement. However, there is a very good reason why she wears bright and bold colors.

Queen Elizabeth Wears Colorful Clothes

Queen Elizabeth wears bright colors so she will stand out in the crowd. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, set the record straight about the colorful clothes her mother-in-law wears. Sophie revealed that the bright colors allow Queen Elizabeth to be seen by the public whenever she is in a very large crowd. Sophie said, “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen’ even when the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep.” The colorful clothes help her be spotted from miles away.

No other royalty is allowed to wear the same color as Queen Elizabeth wears when they attend the same event. She doesn't wear beige, black, brown or gray, but she never travels without carrying a black dress with her in case she needs it when she is away from home.

As many outfits as the Queen has, she wears them more than once. She has worn some of her suits with matching hats up to eight times before retiring them.

Staffers keep a log of what the monarch wears to prevent her from wearing the same outfit or the same color so close together.

About the Queen's Clothes

Notice that most of the monarch's clothes look alike. They are made the same way with very large buttons. Some of the clothes are in the same colors as seen in the photo above.

Her clothes are handmade especially for her. They are made to match a mannequin of the queen's body. Her dressmaker Angela Kelly allows the monarch to pick the fabric and approve all sketches.

Matching Hats

Milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan designs hats to match the Queen's outfits. The brims must not be too wide to hide her face. They are not too tall to keep her from getting stuck when she gets in and out of a car. She has never been seen in a fascinator. The monarch wears each one of her hats only about 10 times.

Comfortable Shoes

Queen Elizabeth doesn't wear high heels. She wears a sturdy black leather practical heel that is only 2 and 1/4 inches. All of her black patent shoes have an added insole for comfort. She wears the same shoes over and over and gets them re-heeled when necessary. When she does get a new pair of shoes, one of her staffers wears them first to break them in for her.

Handbags with Long Straps

Her Majesty owns over 200 Launer bags that cost up to $2,346 each. Her favorites are the Royale and black patent Traviata because they have long straps to hang on her left arm. That leaves her right hand free to shake hands with those she greets. She carries items she might need, such as reading glasses, a purse hook, and a handkerchief.

While she has countless colorful ensembles, Queen Elizabeth wears some outfits more than once. The color she wears is symbolic of the occasion with a significant meaning behind it.

Gloves

The Queen is often seen wearing brushed cotton gloves that are 15cm long. The washable gloves are from Cornelia James Ltd, which has been providing the gloves since 1947.

She has gloves in different colors and she changes them several times a day. In the evenings, the gloves she wears are made of lighter nylon.

The Queen's Pearls

Queen Elizabeth is rarely seen without pearls around her neck because that is a royal family tradition dating back one thousand years. Leslie Field, the author of The Queen’s Jewels, told People magazine that Queen Elizabeth favors the three-strand style made from the family's heirloom. Sometimes the pearls cannot be seen beneath her coat, but she has them on.

Brooches

The Queen of England has hundreds of brooches. She is almost never seen in public without one on her left shoulder. The brooch she wears is not selected at random. The brooch she wears is not for decoration. Every brooch sends a special message.

The brooches have been given to her or are ones she has inherited. She wears her favorite ones more than once.

Matching Waterproof Umbrellas

The monarch has waterproof umbrellas with the trim and handle that match the outfit she is wearing. They are clear so she can see and be seen when she carries them. Each of the transparent Fulton umbrellas costs $21.

Queen Elizabeth's Fashion Secrets

Extra Shoulder Pad . Most people have probably never noticed that one of the Queen's shoulders is higher than the other. There is always an extra pad in her clothes on the lower shoulder to provide a balanced look.

Weights in Hems. The hems on the monarch's outfits always fall below her knees. Weights are sewn into the hem of her garments to keep them from moving when she walks or blowing in the wind.

For Additional Reading

Fun Facts About Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe

8 Surprising Things Queen Elizabeth Carries in Her Handbag