A brush with my royal style crush

FASHION COLUMNIST AND INFLUENCER JOANNE HEGARTY

I’ve often wondered what on earth I’d say to a royal if I ever got the chance for a one-to-one chat. But when that pinch-me moment suddenly arrived, it wasn’t at all what I expected.

Over the coronation weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to a reception at Windsor Castle before the big concert. The highlight was undoubtedly a surreal conversation with Princess Anne, who, for many fashion fans – me included – is a true icon.

As she approached, wearing a knee-length floral skirt, her hair in that familiar bouffant, I found myself opening my mouth and telling her that her looks from the 1960s and 70s are a regular feature on my Pinterest board.

The moment my ‘I’ve been pinning your outfits’ confession tumbled out, I was pretty certain this most no-nonsense of royals was going to tell me to ‘naff orf!’ then turn her back. Instead she seemed rather pleased, and replied warmly: ‘Really? Well, if you stick around long enough I suppose that might happen!’

It was the third season of The Crown that alerted the world to how Princess Anne always had her finger on the fashion pulse. Turning 18 in the summer of 1968, she embraced the decade’s daring hemlines, following them up with the diaphanous florals the 70s were famous for. In recent years, her Balenciaga-like practical sunglasses have been popular Instagram fodder.

Long before sustainability was a thing, Anne was a big outfit repeater and has had many of her favourites on rotation for decades. ‘I’ve always been into sourcing good fabrics,’ she told me. ‘Good fabric is important because that way things last.’

Pinning photos on the much quieter and more relaxed social landscape of Pinterest has

Elevate your daytime look with a waistcoat – worn as a top

long been a little hobby of mine. I enjoy it because it’s a vast visual playground where you can create boards of beautiful looks and inspirations away from the ugliness of the rest of the world.

It can be useful, too. Often when people tell me that they’re struggling to find their own personal style, I encourage them to start a Pinterest board and add looks and outfits they like without stopping to think about it too much. After a while, a strong pattern will appear – voilà, your own personal style.

I have a special board for this spring/summer that is dominated by the beautiful tailored looks that are emerging. My favourite for elevated daytime dressing? Wearing a waistcoat as a top – or rather nothing underneath – with trousers and skirts. Hopefully Pinterest Anne would approve.