IF you see a photograph of the Queen or Prince William or one of the younger members of the Royal Family, you possibly don’t think too much about what they are wearing, but online, there are teams dedicated to tracking down every item.

 

By Royal decree?

By decree of Royal fans - and fashion admirers it seems. Various websites and social media pages are solely dedicated to determining what items of clothing are worn by the Royals, with fans of the monarchy and also fashion fans desperate to identify pieces first, beating others to the punchline in what has become an online trend.

 

It’s more than simply fashion fun?

It can mean big business for the designers of the clothing and accessories involved, leading to items selling out and websites crashing due to surging interest.

 

What are some of the sites?

Found by Bojana, on Twitter and Instagram, proudly declares it has been busy ‘identifying royals’ outfits since 2016’. In the last few days alone, an image - taken by a member of the public passing by - showing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children departing Windsor Castle after Easter Weekend, has led to a range of identifications, including a Smiggle ‘Shark’ backpack carried by Prince Louis, while the dress Princess Charlotte wore to Easter Mattins Service was identified as a Rachel Riley outfit.

 

Other sites?

The website ‘What Kate Wore’ details just that, with, for example, the latest article featuring a rundown of what the Duchess wore on Thursday on a visit to the London HQ of the Disasters Emergency Committee. As well as covering the event itself, it makes a self-confessed ‘difficult turn’ to detail her Reiss jacket, LK Bennett trousers, Ralph Lauren pumps and citrine earrings. Others do the same, including Kate Middleton Style and Duchess Kate Blog.

 

It’s not just Catherine?

Prince William’s clothes are also closely followed by fans, even identifying the shoes he wore to the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial last month, for example, while other Royals are also closely watched, from the Countess of Wessex to the Duchess of Cornwall.

 

And it’s not just clothes?

When the Duchess of Cambridge visited Galway in early 2020, wearing a necklace featuring the initials of her children, made by a local jeweller Aisling O'Brien, the 'Kate effect' saw her website crash with orders made from around the world.

 

It’s not a new phenomenon?

Going back to the 1980s, Princess Diana’s clothes were, of course, just as closely scrutinised, but now the internet has allowed it to become a global event, with fashion identified in mere moments. The web also allows for items popular then to still remain in the fashion eye. For example, a red sheep-patterned jumper sported by Princess Diana was a sell-out then and has been reissued to meet continued demand.

 

The biggest Royal style icon?

The Queen is known for her bold colours and preference for coat dresses and matching accessories and on her recent tour of Australia, Princess Anne revealed the royal approach to the subject, telling Australia Women’s Weekly: “The Queen and I had a discussion the other day about the difference between fashion and style and I think maybe that's relevant in the sense that she didn't do fashion but she certainly does style, and style tends to last longer.”