Prince Charles' Style: Like or Dis-Like?

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Marc Chevalier said:
I completely agree with Lokar.

And even though Matteo Marzotto is the head of a fashion house, he still doesn't dress better than Prince Charles IMO.

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........I'm one of the POW greatest fans and I personally try to use him as my style ref but I'm afraid I have to disagree with you.....Marzotto always looks outstanding....it helps that he looks like a movie star of course......and naturally since he's in the fashion business he can be more adventurous than the heir to the British throne but while he doesn't dress "better" than Charles he's certainly his equal I'd say and a bit more cutting edge

Lokar · Nov 30, 2009

My comments weren't directed at you, as you said you just answered Marc's question - it was more of a response to cptjeff and earlier posts in the thread.

Well no one was suggesting Prince Charles should wear exactly the same suits or look as Marzotto

Now that's the kind of suit Charles should be wearing.

(i.e. yes, they did suggest it).

As for a thousand times, you can't really quantify appearance, saying "twice as good" or "eleven point three times as good" makes just as little sense - I just intended it to mean "a lot".

Djupis · Nov 30, 2009

To me it looks like the clothes wear Matteo Marzotto [huh]

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Lokar said:
My comments weren't directed at you, as you said you just answered Marc's question - it was more of a response to cptjeff and earlier posts in the thread.

(i.e. yes, they did suggest it).

As for a thousand times, you can't really quantify appearance, saying "twice as good" or "eleven point three times as good" makes just as little sense - I just intended it to mean "a lot".

.....I'm sure Charles would look fine in a suit made from the same fabric as Marzotto actually.....he'd probably want to skip the button down shirt but that's very much an Italian (ie. Agnelli) thing anyway.....and I'm afraid I have to disagree even with your "a lot".....in the context of where he was, a Milan fashion show, Mazzotto looked fine.....a picture of classical elegance with the odd Italianate touch thrown in

Marc Chevalier · Nov 30, 2009

Djupis said:
To me it looks like the clothes wears Matteo Marzotto [huh]

Yes, I see it that way too.

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Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Marc Chevalier said:
Yes, I see it that way too.

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......male envy?.....this guy would look great in a towel

Geesie · Nov 30, 2009

Brummagem Joe said:
......One of the the Italian guys came to me.....Matteo Marzotto....this guy is definitely up there with Prince Charles.....he always looks great.....classic but entirely 21st century

Something about the cut and fit of the suit in the first picture just doesn't look right to me.

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Geesie said:
Something about the cut and fit of the suit in the first picture just doesn't look right to me.

.......the fit is perfect and he doesn't look as if he's just walked out of tailors window.....perhaps you're unfamiliar with Fred Astaire's custom of throwing his new suits a the wall a few times.....or how about the Duke of Devonshire who got his gardener to wear his new suits for a couple of days......Mazzotto defines Sprezzatura.......trying too hard in dress can be just as inappropriate as trying too little

Marc Chevalier · Nov 30, 2009

Brummagem Joe said:
......male envy?.....this guy would look great in a towel.

Actually, you raise a good point. Some men do look better in towels (or swim trunks, shorts, etc.) than in suits.

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Geesie · Nov 30, 2009

Brummagem Joe said:
.......the fit is perfect and he doesn't look as if he's just walked out of tailors window.....perhaps you're unfamiliar with Fred Astaire's custom of throwing his new suits a the wall a few times.....or how about the Duke of Devonshire who got his gardener to wear his new suits for a couple of days......Mazzotto defines Sprezzatura.......trying too hard in dress can be just as inappropriate as trying too little

You think that having someone pre-wear your suit or throwing it against the wall isn't trying too hard?

Marc Chevalier · Nov 30, 2009

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Ah, but 'sprezzatura' is about not appearing to try too hard. In truth, achieving 'sprezzatura' is very difficult work. Ironic, eh?

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avedwards · Nov 30, 2009

Brummagem Joe said:
.......I don't think you'll get many takers.....there are a couple of Italian guys whose names elude me as I'm having a senior moment, Clooney perhaps although he's in a slightly different part of the style chart....

Marc asked whether there was a living man who dresses better than His Royal Highness. While I agree that he is by no means badly dressed, I still think there would be takers. For example Thunder whom I mentioned earlier, or a number of members on this site. Metropd being another example as some of his suits are more modern, so I'm not just comparing him to people who dress in vintage styles. I'm not saying he is badly dressed, however I think there are people who dress better than he does.

GallatinHatMan · Nov 30, 2009

For what it is worth, I'm not a Charles fan, but have always found him to be well dressed. I'm curious as to what people who disagree think he "ought" to be wearing. Based upon his position, he isn't going to be at the cutting edge of sartorial splendor but, frankly, who is?

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Marc Chevalier said:
Actually, you raise a good point. Some men do look better in towels (or swim trunks, shorts, etc.) than in suits.

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......I think Mr Matteo would better than either of us in suit or towel

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Marc Chevalier said:
.

Ah, but 'sprezzatura' is about not appearing to try too hard. In truth, achieving 'sprezzatura' is very difficult work. Ironic, eh?

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.......Too true.......doing anything, from playing golf to dressing, really well so that it looks easy is fairly difficult for most people.......personally I think it behooves anyone before they go out to look in the mirror and ask themselves have I crossed the line into caricature......it's very easy to do

cptjeff · Nov 30, 2009

Lokar said:
First (and this is speaking as a Brit), most people I know that don't despise Prince Charles would, at best, disapprove of those suits from the Sartorialist website on Charles.

Secondly, he could be interesting, but he's not supposed to be. He's supposed to be traditional, and not out of bounds of normality. I think he'd look silly in both the examples on the Sartorialist link - especially the ties (being too long, or tucked over half of the coat). He'd be criticised for it, and considering how much of his life consists of criticism, I understand that he wants to avoid it.

He's not a politician, he's not a fashion icon, he's a prince, and unfortunately, fashion is not really something Charles can play around with.

(Also: I think some of the photos of him in this thread look a thousand times better than Mr. Matteo Marzotto - including Charles in the cream double breasted suit, although I think it looks fantastic regardless of what it's compared against.)

Not being a brit, I don't really know the dynamic over there. But there are lots of traditional patterns he could wear that aren't solid gray, solid charcoal, solid navy and pinstripe navy. Traditional does not have to mean bland- browse a few of the stickied threads at the top of this forum for thousands of wonderful examples. Would it kill him to wear a traditional tweed jacket, or heaven forbid, full suit? A prince of wales check would surely be quite appropriate being worn by the prince of wales, or perhaps even something 'radical' like a subtle sharkskin?

These days, light colored linen suits are a very unconventional choice. Yet Charles looks splendid in his, and people here are going nuts over that suit. Doesn't seem to be taking much heat over the look either.

Tradition doesn't need to mean solids in navy, gray, and black. he doesn't need to switch to an italian style with all of it's 'quirks' like poorly worn ties, but he could stand to take a little inspiration from the fabric selection.

Lokar · Nov 30, 2009

Tweed would be fine.. when he's hunting. Tweed isn't for towns.

Checks are informal. Charles is essentially in a constant state of formality, except when he's out hunting or similar (when you will see him in fabrics with patterns, including tweed).

If he were anybody except a monarch, things would be different, but there are thousands of unwritten rules and traditions he has to follow, including dress. Every time he (or any monarch) breaks any, the infamous British tabloids have a field day.

(

)

Lokar · Nov 30, 2009

Oh, and regarding the prince only wearing solid colour ties, a quick image search revealed:

It's only one, I admit, but I find it unlikely he's only worn that tie once and no other patterned ties.

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

cptjeff said:
Not being a brit, I don't really know the dynamic over there. But there are lots of traditional patterns he could wear that aren't solid gray, solid charcoal, solid navy and pinstripe navy. Traditional does not have to mean bland- browse a few of the stickied threads at the top of this forum for thousands of wonderful examples. Would it kill him to wear a traditional tweed jacket, or heaven forbid, full suit? A prince of wales check would surely be quite appropriate being worn by the prince of wales, or perhaps even something 'radical' like a subtle sharkskin?

These days, light colored linen suits are a very unconventional choice. Yet Charles looks splendid in his, and people here are going nuts over that suit. Doesn't seem to be taking much heat over the look either.

Tradition doesn't need to mean solids in navy, gray, and black. he doesn't need to switch to an italian style with all of it's 'quirks' like poorly worn ties, but he could stand to take a little inspiration from the fabric selection.

......I was in the UK a few weeks ago and Prince Charles popped up on their antiques roadshow at some house and furniture collection he'd been instrumental in saving......he was dressed "casually" in way that would bring cheer to your heart.....double breasted sportcoat in brown and cream largish houndstooth and what looked like cream linen pants......can't remember the shirt and tie although unusually with a sportcoat they had french cuffs.....as ever he looked great and actually every bit as cutting edge as Matteo

Brummagem Joe · Nov 30, 2009

Lokar said:
Oh, and regarding the prince only wearing solid colour ties, a quick image search revealed:

It's only one, I admit, but I find it unlikely he's only worn that tie once and no other patterned ties.

......Charles usually wears patterned ties........generally he seems to prefer stripes and these are often regimental or service ties.....I don't recognize this one but it looks like it's made of poplin.....the suit looks as if it's a cotton/wool mix gaberdine

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