The Royal Wardrobe Hardcover – October 24, 2023

I have not finished this book yet but I'm truly impressed by all the info she gives about how fashion affected royal standing. Wish there had been more pics but her descriptions are spot on. Very enjoyable.

The author weaves many generations of royal fashion seamlessly telling each story with the overarching thread of the meaning of royal fashion through time from the fifteenth century to modern times. Each period is made relatable and fresh, illustrating the meaning of royal fashion. Reading this is like listening to a good friend tell a story that has a lot of pieces to it, yet comes together beautifully.

"The Royal Wardrobe: Peek into the Wardrobes of History's Most Fashionable Royals" offers a captivating exploration of royal fashion spanning several centuries. As someone who thought I had a decent knowledge of royal attire, I was pleasantly surprised by how much new information this book contained.The author expertly navigates through different eras, from medieval monarchs to modern-day royalty, providing fascinating context about how fashion reflected power, politics, and personality throughout history. The research is impressive, offering details on fabrics, designers, and the cultural significance behind iconic royal ensembles.What makes this book particularly engaging is how it connects the evolution of royal fashion to broader historical events and social changes. I especially enjoyed learning about lesser-known fashion icons among royalty and the influence they had on civilian dress codes of their time.The writing style is accessible and engaging, making complex fashion history approachable for both casual readers and serious fashion enthusiasts. The author strikes a good balance between scholarly information and entertaining anecdotes.My only significant criticism - and the reason for four stars rather than five - is the limited number of illustrations and photographs. Given the visual nature of fashion, more images would have greatly enhanced the reading experience. Some descriptions of elaborate gowns and accessories left me wishing I could see what they actually looked like.Despite this shortcoming, "The Royal Wardrobe" is a worthwhile addition to any collection of books on fashion history or royal studies. Just be prepared to search online for visual references as you read to fully appreciate the magnificent garments being described.

I was unfamiliar with Ms Harte before reading this book. She is extremely knowledgeable, without being stuffy, or boring. I would love my hair in the hurluberlu hairstyle! Absolutely elegant ! I was particularly interested in the Stuart monarchy; the Tudors don't really need to be explained, and the current Windsors are still evolving. An excellent book. Very highly recommended.

Disappointing!! The cover is very pixelated

Good writing but no one drawing or photograph. Very dissappointed.No

Most enjoyable read! Certainly explains how and why certain styles resonate and how male and female styles dictated fashion. Wish there had been images that correlates to the style of the times.

The build up for this book and then delay had me awaiting its arrival with great anticipation. What it delivered was very disappointing. There are a few historical paintings and illustrations, only five pictures of extant gowns, quite a few historical black and white photos, and only four color photos. All of the modern photos are very familiar to anyone who has glanced at the internet or a newspaper in the last 35 years."The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a Designated collection of national and international importance, cared for by Historic Royal Palaces. It contains 10,000 items of historic dress from the 16th century to the present day, providing information about the history of fashion, life at court, British ceremonial traditions, and the lives of key historical figures. Our collection contains items of clothing worn by royalty including George III, Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret, Diana, Princess of Wales and The Queen." This collection is open by appointment for research. I am surprised given this type of repository available to researchers that Ms. Harte did not avail herself of it in order to provide a richer illustration of the subject about which she was writing.We live in a very visual world, and a book about fashion with few illustrations of the topic is a big miss.