Once upon a time, the whim of the royal family had the power to dictate the religion of commoners on pain of death. Thankfully, the modern royal family wields its influence in more benign ways: a swell in the popularity of baby names, the popularity of a certain LK Bennett wedge and now, a trend for dungarees.
Prince George has established himself as a thoroughly modern public figure by his impressive grasp of the need for clear, consistent visual messaging. Polo shirts and Peter Pan collars, traditional cardigans, romper suits and dungarees, frill-edged socks and leather T-bar shoes: one may be only one, but one is never off-brand. Never a plain T-shirt where you could rock a collared shirt. No to comic slogans or cartoon dinosaurs, yes to a smocked sailing-boat motif. Like the royal family's other shrewd style icon his great-grandmother, the Queen George knows that a recognisable silhouette and colour palette are key to a potent image. Where the Queen wears solid blocks of iced-gem pastels and tops a neat, boxy silhouette with a hat, her great-grandson sticks to the neutral, tasteful tones you might find in a seaside boutique hotel off-white, cream and grey accented with navy and brick red and never misses an opportunity to wear the short dungarees or romper suits that best flatter his perfectly butterball physique.
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