No one in the world is expected to keep it classy quite like the Royal family. But the world doesn’t make it easy – especially when there’s a camera waiting at every turn to catch any mishaps.
So what do the Royals do in order to avoid disaster plastered to every paper and magazine cover?
They hack their clothes to ensure full decency, full-time. And the rest of us might want to give these hacks a try, too.
1. Princess Diana used clutch purses to hide her cleavage
Getting out of the car can be a scandalous affair if the camera is looking at you from the wrong angle. But Princess Diana had a solution to protect her flesh: cover her bosom with the purse in her hands. Her personal handbag designer Anya Hindmarch even famously called them “cleavage clutches.”
2. Kate Middleton wears pantyhose with sticky heels.
All the ladies in the Royal Family are required to wear pantyhose as part of their protocol, and that can get a bit slippery when it comes to walking around in sleek shoes. But lo and behold, some pantyhose put sticky adhesive on the heel to prevent this from happening, so they stay in those high heels.
3. Princess Diana hid combs in her hat.
A fashion protocol of all hats, all the time can be a recipe for disaster – but somehow, we rarely see photos of hats flying off the Royals’ heads. Princess Di’s secret was to attach a comb to her hat that would latch it into place.
4. Kate uses hairnets to manage her hairdos.
To keep her beautiful buns all intact, Kate puts a discreet hair net around her ‘dos.
5. Royals sew weights into the hems of their dresses.
When you wear skirts and dresses all the time, it’s hard to avoid a Marilyn Monroe moment here or there – especially in temperate London. But a few weights around the hems of these smart outfits will hold them down, no matter the weather.
6. Royals also usually opt for heavier materials and tighter fits. Another way to avoid those breezy, intimate moments with the camera is to wear outfits made of thicker fabrics built into tighter-fitting silhouettes.