If ever anyone exemplified “appropriate dressing” it was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.

On tour in the tropics; bright print dresses, reviewing the troops; a scarlet and gold sharply tailored uniform, off to open a municipal pool; a bold coloured coat and matching dress with a proper hat.

Of course she could also pull off a floor length, solidly beaded, silver dress to open Parliament or sharp lapis blue to visit Viennese palaces.

The Queen wore exactly what was appropriate to the occasion, the job, and was always the centre of attention, the focus of all eyes. It was a demonstration of fashion dexterity unmatched across all the years of her reign.

In the early years as a princess, not only was war having a serious effect on fashion, but her mother's influence was clear - even her wedding dress was lovely but unexciting. However, by the time she became Queen and was crowned in 1953 she had arrived at a state of grandeur and sparkle, as well as an understanding of “I have to be seen to be believed”. Confidence in her own mode of dress grew, she invented a public persona through clothes, and outside fashion, and at times even the seasons or the time of day.

When in 2015, the Buckingham Palace summer exhibition displayed eighty of the Queens dresses, she was heard remarking about the amount of embroidery and how heavy it was. Indeed, in gilded salons with vast chandeliers, outfits worn with military sash’s, encrusted decorations, fabulous jewels and heritage tiaras, the dresses for evening needed to be pretty strong. However, this was only one aspect of the Queens working wardrobe.

To many the solid colour coats and suits, with matching millinery are the epitome, and the definition of her public style. Across the years every strong shade of blue, violet, green, yellow, red and pink has been used, displaying an intention that the colour is never muddy, discreet or wishy washy. It’s a brilliant solution to being seen, the look is neither morning, afternoon or cocktail - it’s simply “The Queen” and is both attractive and functions. Fashion may be discernible in a slight flare here or a variation in length there, but only the true connoisseur can identify the subtle changes. The hats were always created to still allow her face to be seen, and at times verged on the dramatic, with feathers, flowers, pom-poms, braid and ribbons.

Yet there are so many other looks that are required: African Desert, Tribal Ceremony, Unveiling’s, wall mounted plaques, receptions for visiting politicians and even other royals. The looks to encompass this range from fluid floor length dresses to lace printed jacket and short straight skirt, the simple neat one colour dress or the printed chiffon cocktail dress, the bold printed summer dress or the rustling taffeta gown or on occasions, the fluid floating georgette dinner gown.

There’s the comfy knit and pleated skirt, the huge stout raincoat with capelet, the perfectly cut riding jacket and jodhpurs, and many other pieces for the country life she adored. Clothes to walk across the moors, discuss land with her landsmen, and clothes to ride in. Her life with horses, racing and the people who frequent; when it’s obvious she was relaxed, as private as it’s possible for a monarch to be, and with people who care more about their work than the fact she was The Queen.

Her clothes generally follow the same silhouette, with the waist emphasised and movement in the skirt but little clutter and fuss, no outlandish collar or sleeve designs; on their rare outings they always cause comment. The silhouette The Queen favoured for so many years was clearly that of Christian Dior’s New Look. However, it is important to remember that legend had it that the Queen's own mother was a partial inspiration to this Paris couturier. When in 1939 the then Queen was about to visit Paris, a close family death decreed royal mourning. Norman Hartnell, already inspired by Winterhalter portraits in the royal collection, simply waved a white magic wand over the collection and stunned the French with sweeping skirts, lace parasols and fragile sheer picture hats.

This silhouette was used for the Queens Coronation dress, again Hartnell, and embroidered and constructed in such a way that nearly 70 years later, it still works as a piece of royal fashion, in direct descent from the first Elizabeth. Grand, ceremonial, beyond fashion, simply timeless. Something the Queen wisely knew would strengthen her presence and her role.

In 1968 Nova magazine proposed a total makeover for the Queen, “A Line” skirts, and a touch of Courreges. Thank goodness she never followed the advice. The Queen's Wardrobe, be it by Hardy Amies or Angela Kelly worked and works. It’s not about fashion, it’s possibly not about style, but what it is about is The Monarch with her own style, her own voice, and her own confidence.

At her grandest, most glittering, most colourful and most “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second” she really didn’t need fashion; she was beyond, and above, it.

by Tony Glenville