As some who famously said there’s no such thing as "bad weather, only inappropriate clothing", should we really be surprised that the Princess Royal’s go-to style tends to favour practicality? She’s totally at home in her best wellies, waxed jackets and, of course, her Adidas sunglasses.
When she’s out and about at engagements Princess Anne favours the best British clothing brands and steers clear of trends and certain silhouettes. So her foray into wrap dresses marked a rather big change for her when she attended the Household Division Musical Spectacular event at Horse Guards Parade on 16th July.
For a night celebrating the musical talent of the British Army, the King’s sister wore a long-sleeved midnight blue wrap dress with a matching clutch, heels and gloves. Whilst the colour is very much in the Royal Family’s comfort zone, this design isn’t so much for her.
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With it's cobalt blue tone, wrap silhouette and ruffled hemline this reminds me strongly of Princess Anne's outfit. It also comes in a huge array of other jewel tones and ties at the side. The sleeves are 3/4 length which works for spring/summer and autumn/winter.
The Julissa silhouette comes in different shades and this electric blue one is not only reminiscent of Princess Anne's dress, but it's not tied to any particular season more than others. The hemline is asymmetric with a subtle frill and you can pair with matching blue accessories or neutral ones.
Currently reduced in the sale, this affordable wrap dress is a lighter blue colour compared to the Princess Royal's and is more of a day-dress thanks to the soft jersey material, though you could easily dress it up with heels too. The built-in wrap front bodice means you don't have to worry about securing it at the side.
As with most wrap dresses, the neckline was a sweeping V-shape which the Princess highlighted with her choice of necklace - a magnificent three-string pearl piece. The Princess Royal tends to gravitate towards higher necklines, particularly those with collars.
When she does wear more scoop-neck dresses, Princess Anne often wears them with a coat over the top to create a modest, layered look. Coat dresses also feature heavily in her wardrobe and she wouldn’t be without them in her summer capsule wardrobe, even though you might think of them as more autumnal or wintery.
Although she’s partial to a pattern, the designs worn by the Princess Royal are usually quite straight-forward and unfussy. So the addition of the feminine flounce running up the front of this midnight blue wrap dress is yet another reason why it stands out to me.
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This gorgeous blue and white floral wrap dress is reduced in the sale and I suspect it will sell out fast. It has a self-tie design with a sweeping V-neckline and an asymmetric hemline with a gentle flounce. The white base colour means you can easily wear this with white accessories and shoes.
The texture of this V-neck wrap dress makes it stand out from the crowd - as does the rich olive green shade. When autumn arrives I can imagine this with both brown suede and black leather boots, but in summer espadrilles and sandals would be perfect too.
Available in petite and regular sizes, this polka dot wrap dress has cap sleeves and a collared neckline. It's crafted from 100% cotton with handy pockets and the waistbelt is detachable. The fit-and-flare silhouette is ageless and it falls to mid-calf length.
The wrap bodice looks to be sewn in rather than being secured at the side, which ensured that she didn’t have to worry about it coming undone during the Musical Spectacular. If the self-tie design of wrap dresses puts you off them, then I’d suggest looking for something like Princess Anne’s where it has the appearance of a wrap but is fixed in place.
If you look closely at the senior royal’s dress you will also be able to make out the paisley pattern running through the jacquard-esque fabric. There’s a sheen to it and this again is something quite different for the King’s sister and is very far removed from the tweed and wool fabrics she loves.
During her interview with Vanity Fair in 2020 she admitted having a weakness for Harris Tweed which she loves because “it looks exactly the same at the end of the day as it did at the beginning”.
This probably wouldn’t be the case with this elegant wrap dress but she eased into this departure from her usual style by picking classic *her* accessories.
Princess Anne wore the dress with deep blue low court shoes and carried a roomy clutch. Her blue gloves won’t be for everyone, though she frequently wears gloves to engagements all year round. Coordination is a key part of her approach to fashion and that’s going nowhere.
A wrap frock like hers would easily work as a wedding guest dress and I’d advise either taking the matching route like Anne, or else staying very neutral with the rest of your look. To jazz things up slightly, choose metallic accessories which can also work with any outfit shade.
