How Royal Stylists Made Queen Elizabeth's Clothes, Despite Royal Rule She Couldn't Be Measured

Royal stylists had their work cut out for them when it came to making clothes for Queen Elizabeth II. 

Stewart Parvin was one of Elizabeth’s trusted stylists in her later life before she died in September 2022 at the age of 96. He specifically helped put together Her Majesty’s iconic neon green and purple ensemble that she wore to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding.

While Parvin took part in creating some iconic looks, it was even more of a triumph because of one particularly tricky royal protocol.

“I told them that I needed to have measurements, but you can’t measure the Queen. They sent me some garments that I then based my calicoes upon,” Parvin told The Telegraph about his process, which consisted of relying on the Queen’s existing items of clothing to figure out sizing instead of taking updated measurements. 

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In addition to Elizabeth’s busy schedule, which made it difficult to schedule appointments like fittings, she was also very private and preferred to avoid unnecessary physical contact. Her team was able to figure out the specifications for her clothing, but to make it fit for a monarch, extra care and consideration had to be taken for every item.

“We would look at the garments in daylight and in electric light. It’s really important how they photograph in different lights,” Parvin explained about the process of creating an outfit that looks just right. 

In addition to Elizabeth getting photographed from every angle, there was also a practicality element that was needed for her outfits. 

“You also have to make clothes in which the Queen could get out of a carriage or get out of a car without any mishaps,” Parvin continued. “When the Queen arrives, she’s instantly on show. The clothes have to flow in a way that they look perfect all the time.”

Elizabeth became known for her bright and colorful ensembles, which was an important wardrobe strategy. Elizabeth’s daughter-in-law, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, explained in the 2016 documentary The Queen at 90 that the monarch dressed so she could always be spotted.

“She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen,'” Sophie said, per Mental Floss. “Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, crowds are two-, three-, four-, 10-, 15-deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the queen’s hat as she went past.”

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Kate Middleton’s former stylist Natasha Archer also opened up about all the things a royal stylist must consider when putting together an outfit for a member of the royal family.

“It’s everything — what floor are you going to be walking on? How hot is it going to be? Is it going to be windy? Are you going to be sitting in a prominent position? Are you going to be up and down, saying hello to guests?” she told The Telegraph.

Archer “learned so much” during her time working for the Princess of Wales, adding it’s an all-encompassing job. 

“It’s planning, it’s being ready, it’s offering an unwavering level of support to who you are working with,” Archer said. “And my work has definitely evolved now, but my standards remain the same.”