HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style

by Elizabeth Holmes

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Elizabeth Holmes' tour through the style and styling of these four most iconic women of modern British royalty is sparkling, conversational, a little dishy, sometimes sweet and tender—and completely addictive. Be it a hat, a purse, a heel, the fit or color of a dress, Holmes convinces us that these are not whims of taste, but considered choices, uniquely revealing. This teasing semiotics of dress leaves us with the pleasures of having discovered a valuable hidden message and an admiring respect for the subtle and incendiary intent of fashion.

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**

Veteran style journalist Elizabeth Holmes expands her popular Instagram series, So Many Thoughts, into a nuanced look at the fashion and branding of the four most influential members of the British Royal Family: Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.


Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are global style icons, their every fashion choice chronicled and celebrated. With all eyes on them, the duchesses select clothes that send a message about their values, interests, and priorities. Their thoughtful sartorial strategies follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, two towering figures known for using their personal style to great acclaim.


With one section devoted to each woman, HRH is a celebration of their stories and their style, pairing hundreds of gorgeous photographs with extensive research. A picture emerges of the British monarchy’s evolution and the power of royal fashion, showing there’s always more than what meets the eye.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250625083
Publisher:	Celadon Books
Publication date:	11/17/2020
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	123,511
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth Holmes spent more than a decade on staff at The Wall Street Journal covering the business and messaging of fashion. Since leaving the paper in 2017, she has written for a variety of national outlets, including The New York Times, InStyle, Real Simple, Business of Fashion, and Vogue International. Elizabeth is a contributing editor at Town & Country magazine and has gained acclaim for her popular, Webby-honored Instagram Stories series, “So Many Thoughts.” She lives outside of San Francisco with her husband and three young children. You can find her on Instagram @EHolmes and read more of her work at ByElizabethHolmes.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/21/2020

Fashion journalist Holmes debuts with a flattering and thoroughly enjoyable assessment of style choices made by Queen Elizabeth II, Diana Spencer, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle. In Holmes’s view, Elizabeth, typically seen as the fustiest of the bunch, is a “strategic genius” for her decision to dress head-to-toe in a single, sensational hue. Princess Diana’s clothing choices changed drastically during her 16 years in the spotlight, Holmes notes, from “demure and romantic” to “bold colors and big shapes that seemed to scream: Look at me!” Kate Middleton’s commoner status has influenced her style, according to Holmes, who lauds the Duchess of Cambridge’s habit of wearing “off-the-rack pieces” that burnish her “every-girl appeal.” Meghan Markle’s breezy, California-girl style took the requisite conservative turn when she married Prince Harry, though the scrutiny of the British tabloid press never let up, eventually contributing to the couple’s decision to distance themselves from the royal family and relocate to America. Holmes makes a strong case, in enthusiastic prose along with lavish photographs of all four women, that her subjects’ sartorial choices say as much about their positions in the royal family as they do about their individual identities. Royal watchers will delight in this breezy survey of Windsor family fashions. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

A Town & Country "Must-Read Book of Fall 2020"
One of Cosmopolitan's "Best Nonfiction Books of 2020"

"The photos are stunning, but the best parts are the behind-the-scenes fashion tidbits sprinkled throughout the text... author Holmes' narrative effortlessly pulls us through the sweep of history, from WWII to Megxit, outfit by outfit. This is a visual feast suitable for fashionistas and royal watchers alike."
- Booklist, starred review

"Fans of the British royal family will enjoy this spirited retrospective, which should prove popular with a range of readers."
- Library Journal, starred review

"...dives deep into royal style with humor, wit, and heart, into this gorgeous and photo-driven 300-plus-page tome on what Britain's royal women wear and the secret messages those clothes send. Read it once and you'll never look at getting dressed the same way again."
- Town & Country

"A flattering and thoroughly enjoyable assessment of style choices made by Queen Elizabeth II, Diana Spencer, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle...Holmes makes a strong case, in enthusiastic prose along with lavish photographs of all four women, that her subjects' sartorial choices say as much about their positions in the royal family as they do about their individual identities."
- Publishers Weekly

"A smooth, entertaining read fizzing with insight."
- Financial Times

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2020

The British royal family and their fashions have been the focus of much interest and discussion in the media for four women in particular: Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Journalist Holmes was introduced to the House of Windsor when she covered the wedding of William and Catherine in 2011. In this book, based on her popular "Instagram Stories" series So Many Thoughts, she offers biographical sketches of these women, along with commentary on what they wore at key events. Included are photographs of the queen's iconic gowns, riding outfits, and tiaras. The approachable style of Diana, Princess of Wales, is depicted by the colors she wore throughout the years. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, or Kate as she is widely known, started out her royal life focusing on dresses with "every-girl appeal;" her style is indicated by both her gowns and her casual wear. Holmes describes the influence of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, especially her wedding gown and outfits she wore on royal tours. The author concludes, "One thing is certain: Meghan's mark on royal fashion is indelible." VERDICT Fans of the British royal family will enjoy this spirited retrospective, which should prove popular with a range of readers.—Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens Village, NY

Library Journal