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Dress Codes – from Statement to Style Icon takes the reader to the Dutch court of the past, particularly the period 1880-1940, and of today, featuring clothes worn by Queen Wilhelmina, Queen Emma and Queen Máxima. What dress codes applied at the Dutch court, and who decided what they were? Low-cut or high-necked? A dress with or without a train? Dress codes provided clarity. A person’s position at court and in society was clear from the clothes they wore. Dress codes still exist today. Though they might not be so obvious, they are there nevertheless, and are certainly no less important, as celebrities adhere to royal dress codes and royals embrace modern fashions. Fashion journalist Cécile Narinx – who was editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar for many years – draws on her own experience in an essay about today’s dress codes. Royal dress codes still apply on the red carpet and at society events, while at the same time modern royals increasingly dress like the rest of us. This is a story that takes us from statement to style icon. Or, as Viktor & Rolf said of their Royals collection (2021), ‘Everybody can be a queen, and everybody is his or her own creation’.

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