One celebration, two approaches – The battlefield of style

In our previous article we examined the essence of "sophistication" – that confident state that stems from inner harmony and self-identity.

But what sparks might fly when this inner self meets strict external rules?

Further reading:

The ultimate secret of style: Why do we admire Diana's elegance, yet Meghan, who copies her, leaves us cold? – An in-depth, thought-provoking reflection on sophistication.

Let's jump back in time a few years, to the British queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

This world-famous event not only celebrated the queen's glorious reign, but unexpectedly provided a unique stage for observing the clash of royal styles.

Prince Harry, who split from the royal family, and Meghan, the Duchess, have returned to England, and their delicate interaction with Princess Catherine — which involved virtually no communication — along with the British public's completely different reactions, have both become the focus of media attention.

By wearing a dress by a British designer and jewelry inherited from the queen, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, earned recognition for "promoting local products and continuing the family legacy".

While Meghan, wearing a Dior haute couture suit and expensive jewelry, was labeled „cosmopolitan and well-to-do”.

This scene raises a deeper question than "who is better dressed?": 

When the act of dressing itself becomes a statement weighed down by countless 'unwritten rules', how would you respond?

This is not just the concern of members of the royal family.

There are various unwritten rules about dress at work, in our family, and in our social life.

Today, through the magnifying glass of the royal family, let’s delve into the "power play" of style, rules and individuality, and see why, in this test, some people get by easily while others struggle at every step, and why only Diana was ultimately able to rise above the task and become the sole victor.

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First chapter: „Royal Attire” — have you interpreted its purpose yet? – The Handbook of Unwritten Rules

Before we evaluate any player's performance, we must first carefully read the game's rulebook. Imagine you're about to marry into the royal family and will meet the queen for the first time.

This meeting determines the first impression.

Your wardrobe is full of beautiful clothes, but you must now follow these unwritten rules:

• Dignity is the foundation, sexuality is taboo: Avoid any clothing that shows too much cleavage or shoulders. Pants are generally not recommended for formal events, a skirt is a safer choice.

• The law of skirt length: The length of the skirt may never be more than three to four centimeters above the knee. This means that mini-skirts that show long thighs are completely out of the question.

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• The wisdom of "no-showing-off": To prevent the skirt from billowing in the wind, special lead weights or other weights are often sewn into the hem of royal women's skirts to ensure the proper drape.

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Color taboos: In the royal vocabulary, black is almost synonymous with mourning attire. Unless attending a funeral or a special commemoration, full black outfits should be avoided at official events.

Elegance for your fingers: Nail polish should be either nude or a very pale pink shade. It is said that the queen's own favorite Essie shade, "Ballet Slippers," became the royal family's unofficial color.

• The dignity of posture: Keeping the body straight, or the legs together in a slight side-leaning "princess slant" (The Duchess Slant) is the standard pose. Crossing the ankle is the maximum allowed; crossing the legs is considered inappropriate.

Physical distance: Physical contact between members of the royal family is usually limited to handshakes. A handbag is not only an accessory but also a tool to prevent hands from hanging awkwardly.

These seemingly meticulous rules form the foundation of royal style. They are not only dress guidelines, but also expressions of respect for tradition, the monarchy, and loyalty.

Every choice conveys a message to the outside world: I understand and respect the rules of this system.

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Chapter Two: Two kinds of response – Catherine's "fitting in" and Meghan's "challenge"

Faced with this test form, Katalin and Meghan gave two completely different answers.

Katalin's answer: The development story of a 'good student'

Looking back at the Duchess of Cambridge's early wardrobe choices, her style actually wasn't consistent.

She also liked large patterns, the intricate laces that easily „absorb” one's personality, and she vacillated between „old-fashioned” and „elegant”.

However, in recent years their style of dress has undergone a significant upgrade.

We can see that it gradually abandoned excessive embellishments, and instead the materials and the cut lines She placed the emphasis. Her style became more elegant and more assertive, full of the confidence and dignity of a future queen.

Even smarter because it deeply understood the „task” sub-question as well:

• Support for local brands: She often wears creations by Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and other British designers, skillfully playing the role of a 'British fashion ambassador'.

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• Combining popularity and quality: They wear ZARA, Reiss and other fast-fashion brands too, making them more relatable, while always managing to wear cheaper pieces in a refined way.

• Respect for heritage: She often wears jewelry inherited from the Queen or Princess Diana, which is not only a tribute but also a quiet expression of royal history and heritage.

Katalin's strategy: First, fully understand and follow the rules, then gradually develop your own style within the framework provided by those rules, and finally perfectly incorporate the foundational idea of "fulfilling royal duties" into every single appearance.

Meghan's response: The struggle of a „new student”

In contrast, Meghan, who came from Hollywood, already had a strong, modern feminine style.

Pairs well with monochrome sets and clean, body-hugging silhouettes that create a confident, elegant image.

You could say they really know what looks good on them.

However, as a sharp observation puts it: „Smart students' biggest mistake is that, out of pride, they don't deign to read the assignment.”

Many of Meghan's choices seemed, whether intentional or not, to have challenged the deeply rooted unwritten rules:

• The "sheer" dress worn in the official engagement photo: The bodice of the chosen Ralph & Russo haute couture dress was sheer, which clearly contradicted the royal expectation of "dignity".

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• The second marriage and the long veil: At her wedding to Harry, her 5-meter veil was stunning, but by tradition, brides marrying for a second time generally do not wear a veil.

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• The "off-the-shoulder" dress for your first appearance after the wedding: A pink, off-the-shoulder dress was considered too daring for a daytime royal event.

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• The series of short skirts and the crossed leg: The length of her skirt repeatedly pushed the „three to four centimeters above the knee” limit, and when sitting she developed a habit of crossing her legs.

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• A fondness for the color black: Both for clothing and for nail polish, they repeatedly chose black — a color regarded as a royal taboo.

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Their supporters interpreted these actions as bringing new vitality to the rigid royal family; in the eyes of critics, however, they represented disrespect for tradition, as a sign of "disregard for duty".

As a result, every single outfit of theirs changed from an „easy way to score points” into a controversial, „life-threatening task”.

Chapter Three: The Rebels Who Break the System – The B-Side of Style

Naturally, the history of the royal family has never been short of "rebels" who boldly defied the rules. Their presence, like a mirror, reflects the eternal tension between the individual and the system.

• Princess Margaret: The queen's only sister, the Roman HolidayInspired by the princess portrayed by Hepburn.

• She was Dior's muse, and in an era when expectations of the royal family were even stricter, she not only became a fashion icon but, with her daring acts, also landed on the front pages of the tabloids — she was the royal family's very first 'It Girl'.

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• Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, Saudi princess: In that Middle Eastern world where most women wear black cloaks, she became the most distinctive figure with her short hair and ultra-modern style. She introduced international fashion to the Middle East and became the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue's Arabic edition.

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• Charlène, Princess of Monaco: The former Olympic swimmer's style had long matched the image of fairytale princesses. In recent years, however, her fashion consciousness has fully awakened, and from a short bob to a side-shaved punk haircut, exploiting the royal „regulatory loophole”, she has executed the most complete visual rebellion.

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These „rebels” in their own way made room for individuality amid strict rules. Their story teaches us that the rules seem to exist so that brave souls can challenge them.

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Chapter Four: The Only Winner – How Did Diana Rise to the Challenge?

Of all the players, only Diana was able to give such a perfect answer that no one could surpass.

His genius lay in the fact that: At first they clung tightly to the task, then forgot about it, and finally rose above it.

Phase One: Imitating the Good Girl

Diana, newly entered into the royal family, like every little girl, liked ruffles, puffed sleeves, floral patterns.

Her style was the era's typical "fairy-tale princess", sweet, but lacking a personal touch.

She strictly followed all the rules and tried to play the role of the princess well.

Second Section: Experimentation at the Boundaries of the Rules

After the complicated marriage and internal struggles, their thinking gradually became independent, and their style also became harsher.

They began experimenting at the boundaries of the rules:

• He appeared in a tailcoat at an official event in 1984.`, openly breaking the rule requiring women to wear skirts, which caused a great outcry in the media.`

• At the state dinner held at the White House in 1985 She danced with John Travolta in a midnight-blue velvet dress with a plunging neckline. This "unconventional" yet exceptionally elegant dress instantly made the covers.

• They've started to like black.`, both in evening gowns and in suits, which he wore more boldly than the princes, which for a while also drew the disapproval of the Queen and Charles.`

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Third stage: Shaking off the shackles, the style in full bloom

After the divorce, her dressing style carried a taste of 'freedom'. The most iconic moment undoubtedly came in 1994, when Charles admitted his infidelity, and she appeared that evening at a party in the famous 'revenge dress'.

This form-fitting, deeply plunging dress that was deemed too daring three years ago has now become the most powerful battle adornment proclaiming independence and transformation.

From "I don't dare to wear it" to "I wear it boldly," this dress bore witness to her inner growth.

But her freedom was not only evident in her choice of clothes.

What was perhaps most impressive was their astonishing creativity with accessories. They used beads in a particularly bold and innovative way.

They boldly mixed real and faux pearls, showing that style isn't about money but about confidence.

She wore necklaces of different lengths at the same time, layering them, and even sometimes loosely knotted the long strings of pearls, or, by changing the position of the ornate clasps, adorned her long, slender neck. 

This playful yet elegant approach to pearls perfectly demonstrated that classic pieces can also be tools of personal expression.

Diana even had the emerald bracelet she received from the Queen altered into a choker, and she even wore it on her forehead as an ornament.

Dressing had long ceased to be a matter of duty for them; it had become one of the few ways they could express themselves amid the oppressive royal life.

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Closing words: The Commendable Rebellion

When, in retrospect, we compare Meghan's and Diana's "rebellions" against the rules, we can uncover a fundamental difference.

Diana's rebellion was moving and worthy of admiration because „conscious” was. He strictly adhered to every rule, so he understood it deeply, What is a value worthy of respect and preservation, and what is empty and a boundary worthy of being overturned. 

Every "outburst" was not naive thoughtlessness, but a deeply considered, mature self-expression.

This offers the deepest lesson for us, ordinary people as well: both at work and in life, true growth isn't about blindly resisting every rule, nor about fully identifying with them.

Rather, it's that we first understand the logic behind the rules, then with wisdom and courage decide when to follow them, when to reshape them, and when to break them.

This path leads to the "free spirit".

At Dollcini, we believe that every woman writes her own unique story.

Every single one of our products isn’t meant to define or limit you. They’re faithful companions that accompany you so you can experience, feel, follow the rules you deem worthy, and shake off the shackles that keep you from being yourself.

Because the most refined style is always the unique freedom that springs from the depths of your soul.

Now we're curious about you! In your opinion, what does stylish self-expression really mean?

Share your opinion with us in the comments section!