The Royalty Nerd

If you are active on Twitter/X and a fellow royal watcher, you’re probably familiar with the arguments that inevitably arise whenever the Princess of Wales has an engagement.

Pantsuits vs. no pantsuits. Ponytails vs. buns vs. hair down. Heels vs. no heels. Monochrome vs. mixed colours vs. mixed prints. Blouses vs. sweaters. The arguments are endless and can be about literally anything. I have seen people bicker about bangs. Yes, hair bangs.

I use the Princess of Wales in particular as an example because I see it the most with her. She has recently adopted a sort of ‘uniform’ for engagements consisting of a pantsuits, usually colour blocking, with her hair down, and with a sensible pair of heels. This is in contrast with the years pre-covid, when she wore mostly dresses or skirts for engagements.

She is not the only royal with a specific ‘uniform’ worn for engagements. In fact, if you take a look at royals outside of the United Kingdom (hard for some royal commentators, I know) you will find several royals that wear their own version of the Princess of Wales pantsuit.

For example, Crown Princess Victoria is actually a huge fan of pantsuits, and has worn one in I think just about every colour you can think of. She also wears her hair in a slicked back bun 99% of the time, which she often gets flack for. If you’re wondering, she feels most comfortable with a bun because she has dealt with body image issues and an eating disorder in the past. This is how she prefers to wear her hair.

Another example is Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who is often compared with the Princess of Wales. She can often be found in a skirt and blouse or a pantsuit.

Why are we policing what women wear? Why are some women allowed to have a uniform while others are not? And why don’t we hold royal men to the same standard? Because it’s a given that a suit and tie or a pair of slacks and a pullover sweater will be worn when a royal man steps out.

There are benefits to uniforms. For one, it makes things easier in the morning for us regular folks. Second, it makes shopping easier when you know what you are looking for. Again, this is mostly relevant to private citizens.

With royals, the benefit comes from the sole nature of a uniform. A uniform is standard. The focus can then be ideally shifted from the clothing to the engagement and organization at hand. If Victoria wears a pantsuit to a meeting with finalists for a social initiative, the focus is on what is being done for the community. If she wore a ball gown, well, that’s a different story.

I do feel hypocritical writing this. Are my favourite looks of the week posts not doing exactly what I’m critiquing here: focusing on the outfits rather than the engagement? I suppose so. I do try my best to provide an overview of the engagement though.

I guess what I’m rambling about here is that there is a bizarre disdain for women that maintain a consistent style rather than wearing the latest trends. I remember when the Princess of Wales was often described as dowdy and matronly because of the dresses she wore that now people want to see again! She can’t win. And when one woman doesn’t win, none of us do.