How the Queen's style changed down the decades

The Queen's style became associated with "everything that is quintessentially British"

A fashion expert has been reflecting on how the Queen's style changed during the decades of her reign.

Kaye Herriott, a senior lecturer in fashion marketing and promotion at De Montfort University in Leicester, described the monarch - who has died at the age of 96 - as "a style icon".

"She was everything that is quintessentially British," she said.

"She always stood out, so when she did her visits, the whole crowd could see her."

'Absolutely beautiful'

Mrs Herriott said the Queen had been "very brave in her use of colours and liked to try lots of different ones".

"The silhouettes of the clothes she wore altered slightly," she said.

"When she was younger, she had more of a fitted silhouette."

The Queen - pictured here with John and Jacqueline Kennedy - favoured a fitted silhouette in the late 50s to early 60s

Mrs Herriott said this decade had been her favourite, in terms of the Queen's style.

"I think the dresses then were just absolutely beautiful, the full Christian Dior-style, 'New Look' dresses that were very famous back then," she said.

"It was a full skirt with a nipped-in waist and it was really beautiful."

Down the decades, the Queen - pictured here with a young King Charles - adapted her style

She said the Queen had adapted her style to the shift dresses of the 1960s and the garish prints of the 1970s.

"I think she was a very strong-minded woman and knew her style and knew what she wanted to wear," she said.

"She didn't shy away from using pastel colours and prints, always going for the bag, the matching coats and a brooch. She always stuck with her style.

"In the 80s and 90s [she was] wearing those bold colours.

"She always had a consistent look, knew what suited her and didn't really waiver from that.

"She was a style icon."

The Queen's style reflected the choices of a "strong-minded woman", Mrs Herriott said

She told BBC Radio Leicester the Queen's casual style had also been picked up by the mainstream.

"She was iconic with her casual look," she said.

"She always wore some type of headscarf, a lot of the time from brands like Burberry - she always supported those British bands.

"You'd see her in her riding wear, the famous mackintosh, the kilt, the barber jackets, the wellies.

"All of that has moved on to the catwalk. In 2017, Gucci had a collection that was inspired by the Queen. It's very interesting to look back."

The Queen's casual look was also instantly recognisable

Mrs Herriott said the Queen's bold and consistent approach to her wardrobe was reflected in the choices made by younger members of the Royal family, such as the Princess of Wales and Camilla, the new Queen Consort.

"Everyone will be looking to the new Queen and seeing what she will be wearing as well," she said.

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