Yesterday the papers were full of pictures of Princess Anne, who, aged 58, wore the same dress to a wedding at the weekend that she wore to Lady Diana Spencer & Prince Charles Wedding 27 years ago in 1981.
This has caused quite a stir because, quite apart from the fact that there aren't many women who can still fit into their own 27 year old size 10 dresses, it is so uncommon to see people in the public eye repeating outfits to high profile events.
The dress is question is a beautiful yellow and white Maureen Barker wrap dress with a yellow and white floral print which she wore with a yellow floral hat and pearls.
Princess Anne has hit the headlines in the past for repeating outfits, and when questioned on her reasons (which, lets face it, are unlikely to be financial constraints) she replied "A good suit goes on forever. If it is properly made and has a classic look, you can go on wearing it ad infinitum. Economy is bred into me. My parents believe that things are not to be wasted. That lesson does last."
If only that was a lesson that more public figures would learn. When everyday we see celebrities wearing high price designer as if it were cheap and cheerful high street it only fuels the market for low cost, low quality "disposable" fashion, with it's associated environmental and ethical dilemmas.
The Royals may not be the first place we look for our style icons, but there is certainly a lesson here that the world could do with re learning. A quality piece, purchased with care and properly stored could last you a life time, and, considering the cyclical nature of fashion, just because something goes out of style doesn't mean it should be out of your wardrobe.
So next time you shop, rather than buying 5 poorly made £12 acrylic jumpers, spend that £60 on a Cashmere cardigan from John Lewis care for it properly and in 30 years time it could still be doing you a service. Or even better, spend that money on vintage cashmere and earn yourself some recycling brownie points before you've even worn it once.
This has caused quite a stir because, quite apart from the fact that there aren't many women who can still fit into their own 27 year old size 10 dresses, it is so uncommon to see people in the public eye repeating outfits to high profile events.
The dress is question is a beautiful yellow and white Maureen Barker wrap dress with a yellow and white floral print which she wore with a yellow floral hat and pearls.
Princess Anne has hit the headlines in the past for repeating outfits, and when questioned on her reasons (which, lets face it, are unlikely to be financial constraints) she replied "A good suit goes on forever. If it is properly made and has a classic look, you can go on wearing it ad infinitum. Economy is bred into me. My parents believe that things are not to be wasted. That lesson does last."
If only that was a lesson that more public figures would learn. When everyday we see celebrities wearing high price designer as if it were cheap and cheerful high street it only fuels the market for low cost, low quality "disposable" fashion, with it's associated environmental and ethical dilemmas.
The Royals may not be the first place we look for our style icons, but there is certainly a lesson here that the world could do with re learning. A quality piece, purchased with care and properly stored could last you a life time, and, considering the cyclical nature of fashion, just because something goes out of style doesn't mean it should be out of your wardrobe.
So next time you shop, rather than buying 5 poorly made £12 acrylic jumpers, spend that £60 on a Cashmere cardigan from John Lewis care for it properly and in 30 years time it could still be doing you a service. Or even better, spend that money on vintage cashmere and earn yourself some recycling brownie points before you've even worn it once.
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