5 Elegant Basics Princesses and Queens Wear to Look Fashionable
I, like everyone else, am enamored with royal style. If Meghan Markle wears something, I perk up. Kate Middleton? Yep, I'll stop what I'm doing to catch a glimpse of her latest fit as well. To that point, I recently spent a morning scrolling through a range of princess images for a little story research and realized that while the royalty across the globe clearly all have their own distinct personal styles, many actually share sartorial similarities when it comes to the basic clothing items they wear.
But I'm not talking about just any old basics here—the simple items in question are particularly elegant, acting as the foundational pieces for those polished, regal looks. To give you a better sense of the elevated basics princesses, viscountesses, and queens often wear to build their chic ensembles, I rounded up a bit of visual and shopping inspiration for you below. Keep scrolling to elevate your basics offering like a royal.
Camel Coats
Royals clearly know the power of a camel coat to bring classic sophistication to any ensemble. You can literally toss one over any ensemble and appear impossibly posh.
On Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex: Sentaler Long Coat ($1495); P.A.R.O.S.H. dress; Montunas bag; Manolo Blahnik BB Pointy-Toe Pumps ($665)
A camel maxi coat ads the perfect contrast to Markle's striking green dress and suede pumps.
Who: Queen Letizia of Spain
Like I mentioned above, the true beauty of a camel coat is that it can be paired with legit anything—like this printed top and color-blocked pencil skirt.
Skinny Jeans
Yes, royals (like many of us) also live in skinny jeans when they're opting for more toned-down, casual fits.
On Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge: Barbour jacket; J.Crew sweater; Scout U.K. scarf
Black skinny jeans are casual yet sophisticated with more low-key staples like Middleton's turtleneck-and-utility jacket ensemble here.
On Charlotte Casiraghi: Saint Laurent
Dark skinnies with a playful top are ideal for a night out.
Pointed Pumps
If there's one basic shoe silhouette basically every royal has in her arsenal, it's a pair of pointed pumps. While standard silhouettes in black and nude are hits, slightly more colorful picks also make it into the rotations of many style setters.
On Sirivannavari Nariratana, Princess of Thailand: Dior
While just about any shoe silhouette would work with this luxurious ensemble, the pointed pumps bring just the right amount of polish to the look.
Who: Emma Thynn, Viscountess Weymouth
Nude pumps (complete with embellished accents) act as a flawless finishing touch to any going-out ensemble like this one.
Neutral Knits
One fall and winter staple that will never go out of style is a crewneck or turtleneck sweater in a solid, natural hue. Royals are 100% on board with this versatile basic, and they love pairing various iterations with trousers and skirts.
Who: Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland
A pastel sweater teamed with wide-leg trousers is an easy yet elegant silhouette.
Who: Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
There's no denying that a white turtleneck—especially one with frill accents—is one of the most versatile winter basics anyone can own. Wear one with a skirt like Princess Mary is here, jeans, leather trousers, and so on.
Leather Jacket
A black leather jacket is not only timeless but also has the ability to make any outfit feel cool and current.
Who: Princess Charlene of Monaco
Need a simple yet cool fit? Don't underestimate the power of a moto jacket, white tee, black skinny jeans, and sneakers. Perfection.
On Queen Rania of Jordan: Ermanno Scervino jacket and skirt
Dress up an architectural leather jacket with a black midi skirt for a captivating vibe.
Next, check out all the things the royal family members never wear.
Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.
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