Throughout history, the royal family has been a source of fascination and influence – with the obsession not stopping at just how they live their lives, but the way they choose to dress, too. Let’s take a look at some notable members of the monarchy who not only popularized trends but also redefined lasting traditions in fashion:

This was the King who mandated that new textiles and accessories be designed and launched bi-annually. He ruled that visiting nobles should only arrive wearing the latest fashion.

The idea was to stimulate France’s economy using the clothing and textile industry. Prior to that, high-fashion was relatively unchanging, and black was the dominant color for clothing.

Queen Victoria started the tradition of wearing a white dress, and created the rule that guests should not wear white or long trains.

Black as formalwear

Although the Queen’s influence was not the only reason black became fashionable, her choice of wearing black throughout her life to mourn her husband inspired many to do the same.

Children’s sailor uniforms

At just four years old, the future king wore a scaled down version of a sailor uniform during a cruise off the channel islands, making it an on-trend choice for children’s clothing, and even influenced the uniforms of Japanese school girls.

Cuffed pants and travelers’ creases

It’s believed that the King’s pants were once ironed by a farm who accidentally put the crease at the front of the garment, rather than the side. Then, to avoid the mud, the King cuffed his trousers to walk outside. Spotted by the media, the look became another trend.

Last suit button left undone

As the King had a rather round body shape, he left the last button of his waistcoat and suit jacket undone for comfort. Out of respect, people followed his example and it soon became the common practice when wearing a suit.

While King Charles II was not the first man to wear a three-piece suit, he did turn it into the official formalwear for men. The King ordered that the long coast, waistcoat, cravat, breeches, and wigs must be worn in the court. Though the look is not exactly the same today, it was the predecessor of the modern three-piece suit.

It was said that Napoleon was angry at his soldiers for wiping their nose and mouth on their sleeves, so he had their uniforms sewn with brass buttons (without any openings or matching buttonholes to make wiping difficult.

After Prince Charles went public with his affair with Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Diana dazzled with a black off-shoulder, cleavage-baring mini dress.

The press named it a “revenge” dress as Diana’s actions were seen as a statement to look perfect and confident in the face of betrayal.