Inspired By | Queen Elizabeth II
There aren't many things I have in common with the Queen of England. I am not British, I am not royal (though apparently I'm related to the bastard offspring of some past King of Denmark), and I cannot rock a skirt suit with matching hat combo.
However, we do share one thing: a love of Corgis! I grew up with Corgis, and Izzy is part Corgi. Unlike the Queen, I've never had more than two Corgis at a time, but here's hoping I'll get there! (Also, how does one get hired as the Queen's Corgi Wrangler, because that's the dream.)
This post isn't just about Corgis, however. It is also the inauguration of a new category in the Costume Parade experiment: Inspired By! The name says it's all. Inspired By posts will have me experimenting around the parameters of someone (or something, or someplace, etc.) else! Broken rules won't be a guiding factor, but it's likely that I'll still be breaking rules, regardless.
In honor of tonight's premier of The Crown, I chose to channel the monarch herself, Queen Elizabeth II.
Let's do this:
THE EVENT: A workday, then dinner with friends.
INSPIRED BY: Queen Elizabeth II
The Inspiration. Photo By Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.
Our Take. Unfortunately, Izzy and I do not, at present, have a flowering rosebush or a lovely garden bench. Or three more Corgis.
THE OUTFIT: Before the outfit came the grooming. I knew the Queen would not approve of my excessive roots, so I got off my lazy behind and dyed my hair. Next, I shaved my legs, trimmed my nails, and used eye cream. (It seems likely that royalty isn't allowed to look tired.) Then came sensible underwear, simple makeup, and nylons. Finally, the outfit.
I wanted to channel my look from the Vanity Fair shoot celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday. In the photos with her corgis, she wore an all-blue ensemble. I didn't have the exact pieces she wore, so I settled on a blue polka dot midi skirt (previously seen on this post!), and a light blue button-up underneath a blue and white sweater. While I know the Queen has probably never worn any baseball jersey-inspired sweaters, the button-up/sweater/longer skirt combo still made me feel rather prim.
BROKEN RULE: Black is always best.
THE EXPERIENCE: The grooming process for this day really felt like an experience in itself. Once I was presentable, I coerced Izzy onto the couch to recreate the Vanity Fair photo and discovered that my camera remote had run out of battery. (Unfortunately, I do not have Annie Leibovitz on retainer, and must often take my own photos. How very civilian.) I walked to the drug store, bought the battery, and back I came. No one at the store bowed to me, or seemed surprised I was there. Perhaps, that's because I didn't bother with Queen-appropriate footwear. I find it doubtful that Queen does her own drugstore runs, so I kept my own shoes. At home again, I took the photo, and then Izzy and I headed out to run work errands.
Unfortunately, unlike the Queen, I drove myself. We zig-zagged around town, and upon return, I felt a bit sluggish. 'Aha!' I thought, 'Time for afternoon tea!' While we do not keep finger sandwiches and scones on hand, we do have tea. I brewed the most British type I could find (Earl Grey) and settled down with my cup and a bit of chocolate and dried mango. Not the traditional British afternoon tea, but it did the trick. I worked for awhile longer, and then came my next challenge: dinner attire.
Our Halloween costumes from a few years ago. Christian is Carl from Up, and I am, of course, Queen Elizabeth II. :)
I find it hard to believe that the Queen would leave Buckingham Palace for an evening out in her "day" outfit. So, I too, would need to come up with an evening ensemble. Here's where it got tricky. The Queen's uniform is, typically, just-past-the-knee-length dresses with a matching coat and matching hat. These ensembles are typically monochromatic, brightly colored, and rarely patterned. Being a millennial, I have nothing like that. The only hats I own are beanies, and the majority of my no-pattern dresses are black.
And then, just as I was really getting flummoxed about my dinner look, our plans changed. My evening outfit became sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, accessorized with a can of sparkling rosé. I bet even the Queen wears sweatpants, sometimes....
THE CONCLUSION: My day wasn't quite as regal as I was hoping. I still had to work. No one cooked my meals. My face isn't on any money. However, I did learn one thing: Queen Elizabeth's style isn't for me. I don't think collared shirts under cardigans, or all monochromatic dress suits are quite my style. (At least, not yet!) But I certainly don't mind feeling a little bit royal. So, which royal should I be inspired by next? Princess Diana? Khaleesi? Let me know what you think!
Now, I'm off to watch The Crown! Happy Friday!
