1. History:

Setting aside historical and political stories, Queen of England is also known for her successful marriage with Prince Philip, her love for animals, humor, and iconic fashion style. Let's learn more about the iconic outfits as well as fashion brands associated with her name.

Being a princess born and raised during World War II, Elizabeth has been closely associated with military uniforms. In 1945, at the age of 18, Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and became the first female member of the British royal family to join the armed forces. Four years later, she became an honorary member of the Women's Royal Army Corps of the British Army. At that time, the House of Coates and Coates was chosen to provide khaki shirts and ties for Princess Elizabeth's uniform. This tailor, established in 1913, specializes in providing high-quality bespoke tailoring services and holds up to 4 Royal Warrants, including one from her father, King George VI. Royal Warrants are granted to brands that supply goods and services to the Royal Family and certain royal figures, requiring strict adherence to quality, ethics, and contributions to culture and society. Royal Warrants are not permanent; after the queen's death, the warrants from the queen will expire within 2 years. Today, House is still a premium shirt brand favored by the British people.

When it comes to the image of the Queen in military uniform, we cannot forget the image of her in a bright red uniform, riding a horse in the Trooping the Colour annual royal procession. This procession has a history of over 360 years, starting with honoring the royal army with many changes over the periods and officially becoming the procession to celebrate the King and Queen's birthdays since the early 20th century.

2. Uniforms:

When mentioning the distinctive black and red uniforms of the UK, the name that still exists today is Gieves & Hawkes, established from the merger of two oldest brands, Gieves and Hawkes.

In 2006, Ferming House leveraged nearly 400 years of history to become the exclusive brand providing uniforms for the royal family, as well as a supplier of uniforms for many countries worldwide. While Feramin is responsible for insignia, medals, and swords, House is responsible for tailoring and costumes for the Trooping the Colour parade. After the Queen's death, many things had to be replaced, such as currency, stamps, and templates. Of course, the "ER" badge, short for Elizabeth Regina on military and ceremonial uniforms, also had to be replaced.

Official designers being the Queen herself, wearing unique outfits is entirely natural. Therefore, a large part of the Queen's wardrobe consists of bespoke items. Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth has awarded many people the title of official designer, such as Hardy Amies and most recently Angela Kelly. One of the names associated with her since the early days of her reign is designer Norman Hartnell. After years of working in the fashion industry, Hardy opened his own high-end fashion store on the famous Savile Row in 1945 with elegant and modern designs.

Five years later, Hardy began designing clothes for Elizabeth when she was a princess on her tour of Canada, and by 1955, he officially became one of the three official designers for the Queen. Over 35 years of collaboration, Hardy created many outstanding designs, such as the silk organza evening gown in blue, embroidered with pink flowers, symbolizing the Nova Scotia region during the 1959 visit to Canada. While Hardy was associated with the Queen through royal tours, Norman Hartnell was honored to create historic dresses such as the Queen's wedding dress in 1947 and the coronation gown in 1953. Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip was one of the grandest royal events after World War II. The silk wedding dress with star patterns and a 4-meter-long train symbolized rebirth and prosperity, inspired by Botticelli's painting Primavera.

In addition to the dazzling diamond tiara, the wedding dress was adorned with over 10,000 pearls imported from the United States. Norman Hartnell, a royal designer since 1938, said it was the most beautiful dress he had ever made. For a historic event like the coronation, Norman proposed 8 design sketches. After consulting with the Queen, Norman completed the design with symbols representing the four nations of the United Kingdom: the Tudor rose of England, the leek of Wales, the thistle of Scotland, and the shamrock of Northern Ireland, along with symbols of Commonwealth countries like the maple leaf of Canada, the silver fern of New Zealand, and the lotus flower of India. Additionally, Norman secretly embroidered a four-leaf clover in the left corner of the dress as a sign of good luck.

3. Style:

Famous late-life style

Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth frequently met with royalty and politicians worldwide. Alongside 15 British Prime Ministers, the Queen also met 13 US Presidents and visited over 110 countries across 6 continents. Designer Hardy Amies once said that clothing the Queen is not an easy task. Besides formality, the outfits must be comfortable and highly functional. The elegant and colorful dresses associated with her name began with Hardy's designs during royal tours. However, it wasn't until over a decade ago that Angela Kelly elevated this style to an icon.

Angela Kelly is the personal advisor to the Queen, managing and overseeing her wardrobe. One of the outfits that brought Angela Kelly's name to everyone is the lovely yellow dress that the Queen wore at Prince William and Kate's wedding in 2011. Angela is also the mastermind behind the light blue outfit the Queen wore at the recent Platinum Jubilee, as well as the silver dress at the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Known for her consistent fashion style, the Queen often appears in standard outfits, accompanied by exquisite hats and a Launer handbag. The handbag is not only where the Queen keeps her personal belongings but also a way for her to communicate secretly with her attendants. The Queen usually carries the bag on her left side, but when she switches it to her right hand while talking to someone, it means she wants to end the conversation.

Originating from a small manufacturing workshop in the 1940s, Launer London has gradually gained a place on the international luxury handbag map thanks to its association with the Queen, especially with two bag models, "The Traviata" and "The Royale." Behind the scenes driving this style is none other than Angela Kelly. Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen has worn thousands of outfits and to harmonize these outfits, she has used around 5,000 hats.

One of the Queen's favorite milliners is Philip Somerville. Not everyone is fortunate enough to receive a letter from the Queen like Philip Somerville, who received two thank-you letters from her. In one of them, the 2007 letter reads: "I am delighted to hear that you can still work for me. I know how difficult business can be nowadays, especially finding suitable fabrics for someone like me, who almost always has to wear a hat."

This is just a short excerpt, but we can see the dry British humor deeply ingrained in the Queen. You can learn more about Angela Kelly and her experiences working with the Queen through two books, "The Other Side of the Coin" and "Dressing The Queen."

4. The Queen:

The Queen of everyday life

British culture is not confined to London, and the Queen's fashion is not limited to ceremonial attire. If you open the map, you will see that the UK is a country with many hills and a lot of greenery. On weekends, people often walk their dogs in the countryside or hilly areas. The Queen is no different; you will see her in her most ordinary form when riding horses or walking her beloved Corgi dogs at Balmoral Castle, Scotland.

When it comes to the Queen's country attire, we cannot forget the famous Barbour jackets. Barbour is a brand with over 130 years of history, closely associated with the British military as well as everyday clothing. Barbour is best known for its waxed waterproof jackets. There is a rumor that the Queen wore a Barbour jacket for 25 years. Whether the rumor is true or not, only those working in the royal household know, but the quality and durability of Barbour jackets are indisputable. Perhaps that's why Barbour is one of the few British fashion brands favored with two royal warrants.

With nearly a century intertwined with world history in general and fashion history in particular, Queen Elizabeth has left an immensely large legacy and will always be a fashion icon that future generations will remember.