‘The Crown’ Series Wardrobe Inspiration

A Roundup of Some of the Best Outfits on the Series

The Crown, Netflix’s extravagant series tracking the semi-fictionalised personal dramas of the British royal family, has also taken the world by storm with its recreations of iconic outfits the family’s individual members have been seen wearing throughout the years. Undoubtedly one of the best parts of the show for many viewers, we’re excited to see what looks will be revealed in the upcoming final two seasons.

Let’s take a look back at some of the show’s best iconic outfit recreations and the looks that inspired them.

Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress

While most of the costumes on the show took inspiration from and call back to the iconic clothing the royals have worn throughout the years, some liberties were taken when it came to certain details. The queen’s ivory satin wedding dress had slightly different embroidery on the show and her lace-trimmed neckline was replaced with encrusted pearls, sequins, and diamonds. Despite these changes, it still took seven weeks to make and cost about $37,000.

The Queen’s First Christmas Speech

For the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, The Crown completely replicated her gold lamé tea dress, with the identical frock even featuring cap sleeves and a knotted bodice like the original.

Princess Margaret’s Butterfly Dress

In season 2, viewers see Princess Margaret posing for famous photographer Cecil Beaton in an off-the-shoulder tulle ball gown embroidered with sequin butterflies. While the photo was historically taken in 1944 and not in 1959 as the show’s timeline suggests, this recreation is absolutely stunning.

Princess Margaret’s Wedding Dress

Royal wedding dresses instantly become iconic pieces of clothing the moment they’re witnessed by the public, and so it’s no wonder The Crown takes to recreating them to near perfection. Princess Margaret’s Norman Hartnell wedding dress was basically a perfect recreation, with costume designer Jane Petrie sharing that the dress was rushed one week without even a fitting before shooting.

Jackie Kennedy’s Buckingham Palace Visit

Jackie Kennedy was and still is considered a fashion icon, and so her costume design for her appearance on The Crown was extremely important. The show opted to stray from the sleeveless taffeta column gown the First Lady wore in 1961, but kept with a similar vibe and long white gloves.

Queen Elizabeth’s Investiture Outfit

Definitely one of the Queen’s more memorable garbs for official events, the monarch donned a helmet-shaped fascinator, embellished with pearls and rhinestones for Prince Charles’s investiture in 1969. She paired the unusual topper with a matching pale yellow jacket, an outfit that was quite faithfully recreated on the show.

Princess Diana’s Balmoral Sweater

Princess Diana is probably the royal family’s most influential member when it comes to fashion. From the moment she was thrown into the public eye, her unique clothing choices were immediately noted. The colourful fair-isle sweater Princess Diana wore over a white turtleneck was known as the “Balmoral sweater,” after she was photographed on the grounds of the Scottish estate with her then-fiancé, Prince Charles, wearing it. It’s no surprise the show recreated the iconic pink sweater for season 4.

Princess Diana’s Engagement Outfit

Undoubtedly one of the most recognisable outfits on the show, it’s no surprise that The Crown couldn’t depict the “whatever love means” scene without a perfect recreation of Diana’s Harrods engagement outfit, from the patent leather clutch to the printed bow blouse.

Princess Anne’s Wedding Guest Outfit

While all eyes are mostly on the bride, everyone is still looking at every royal family member’s memorable outfits for such occasions. That could be why the show went into painstaking detail to replicate the look Princess Anne wore to her brother’s nuptials, from the orange netted fascinator to the ruffled sleeves.

Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress

Perhaps Princess Diana’s most iconic look, the taffeta wedding dress with its 25-foot train and 153-yard tulle veil was recreated faithfully for season 4. The costume designers kept it as similar to the original as possible, with Princess Diana’s actress, Emma Corrin, sharing, “The Emanuels, who designed the original, gave us the patterns, and then it was made for me.”

Princess Margaret’s Wedding Guest Outfit

We love the amount of attention and detail placed into the show’s costuming even when they aren’t calling attention to themselves during a scene. From the peach color to the diamond brooch pinned to her draped neck dress, the wardrobe department nailed their replication of Princess Margaret’s outfit at her nephew’s royal wedding.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana on the Australian Tour

The royal family is always under scrutiny, but especially so on international tours. The photo on the right was widely circulated, and as such The Crown sought to replicate Diana’s white belted sundress and Prince Charles’s tan button-down suit exactly during their visit to Australia’s Ayers Rock in 1983.

Princess Diana’s Spencer Tiara

Princess Diana regularly wore her family heirloom since it was first seen on her wedding day. By far the most important accessory to get right, The Crown has Diana wearing the Spencer tiara on several occasions in season 4 and recreated the design precisely.

Queen Elizabeth’s Off-Duty Look

Even when she isn’t in her gowns and sparkling jewellery, everyone still knows Queen Elizabeth’s off duty outfits, and it’s definitely something important to get right. The Crown managed to recreate her rain coat, headscarf, and plaid skirt look flawlessly in season 4, even including the Queen’s trusted binoculars.

Final Note

The Crown‘s depiction of the royal family has audiences all around the world gripped, and its recreations of some of their most memorable outfits are also constantly being talked about. With even more iconic outfits to come in the final two seasons, we can’t wait to see how the costume department stays loyal to or strays from the original looks.