The Queen of Fashion

by Taryn Davies | 15 May 2012

Queen Elizabeth is a surprising style icon

Forget bejewelled lobster hats, dresses made of meat or Jean-Paul Gaultier corsets, when it comes to a mixture of regal pomp and dressing to impress over the past decades, Brits believe the so-called Queens of Pop can’t match our Monarch.

New research of 2,000 Britons, conducted by leading online shopping retailer Littlewoods.com, revealed the Queen, 86, finished third in a poll of the most influential celebrities on how women dress in the UK - higher than her granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Katie Price. Only Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham came higher in the poll:

1. Kate Moss (28%) 2. Victoria Beckham (19%)
3. Queen Elizabeth II (17%) 4. Kate Middleton (14%)
5. Katie Price (7%) 6. Madonna (6%)
7. Lady Gaga (5%) 8. Lauren Goodger (2%)
9. Kelly Brook (1%) 10. Abbey Clancey (1%)

1966 World Cup Final: the Queen’s finest fashion hour

From being photographed in portrait by Cecil Beaton as a teenage Princess wearing military uniform in 1942, to her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in 1953, to William and Kate’s wedding last year, the Queen’s changing styles have always been front-page news. However, the outfit Britons voted as their favourite was at another patriotic and historic occasion during the swinging ‘60s: the World Cup Final in 1966.

Britain’s Top Five Favourite Queen Outfits

1) World Cup 1966 (29%) – World Cup Final
Wearing a yellow swing-coat and hat combination with white gloves, The Queen proudly presented the Jules Rimet trophy to England Captain Bobby Moore, in what is widely regarded as England’s greatest ever sporting moment.

2) 1956 (22%) – Royal Occasion
A young Elizabeth II drew many admirers after an evening outing in 1956 when she was photographed wearing all of her royal finery in a traditional sleeveless gown and crown combination.

3) 1953 (12%) – Tour of Australia and New Zealand
At the age of just 27 and dressed in a Hardy Amies white lace ensemble, The Queen became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

4) 2010 (9%) – The Queen on royal duty in Canada
The Queen made the headlines when she visited the Canadian combined forces base wearing a contemporary long sleeve black dress with white bow print. To complete the fashionable look she chose a reversal in colour, with a white bow on black companion hat.

5) 1961 (8%) – The Queen in India
In 1961 The Queen carried out a six-week tour of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Iran, visiting the Taj Mahal and laying a wreath on Mahatma Gandhi's monument. On the trip, The Queen wowed the crowds when she stepped out in in a stunning gold dress in India.

Gary Kibble from Littlewoods.com said: “The Queen has been posing for portraits and had her fashion choices discussed, imitated and admired before most of us were even born. Her look is classic, understated and timeless, but when it comes to really making a statement with an outfit, even pretenders to the crown like Gaga simply can’t keep up with the real thing. Now Brits can get their own life-size version so they and their friends and neighbours can pose with a true fashion icon in their own home”