Prince Harry and the sartorial arts
Royal Anecdotes’ commenters have been posting a lot about wedding dresses, hats, shoes and other esoteric subjects of late. In our last thread the combined expertise was quite astonishing and could easily challenge Wikipedia on the issue.
So I thought it might be interesting to divert their gaze from the ladies, who are always impeccably turned out — despite a few faux pas — to the men of the Royal Family, who may struggle to match the elegance of their womenfolk.
Take Prince Harry for example. Now I know he’s an adventurer, soldier, sportsman and all round action man, so we can’t expect him to be Burlington Bertie all the time. The picture shows him picking up his informal fiancee, Chelsy Davy, at Heathrow airport at 7.30am yesterday.
Chelsy is to spend a week with him before heading off to the delights of an academic year at Leeds University. It seems our hero kept Chelsy waiting for over an hour. She was said to be fuming.
However, Harry’s clothes are something to be wondered at. He couldn’t have dressed down any lower or he’d be flat out on the floor. Is this the new chav chic? Would David Beckham be seen as a corpse in such clothing?
What sartorial advice should Royal Anecdotes give to our scruffy Prince?
I think Harry is trying too hard to blend in with crowds. He should avoid ripped jeans and go for just a worn look. But thank goodness he doesn’t dress like his father.
By Trudie on September 6th, 2007 at 10:12 am
He wouldn’t look good in a double-breasted suit, Trudie, that’s for sure. The trouble with dressing down, though, is when you do dress up, you look a bit of a Charlie (no pun intended).
By John on September 6th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Looking at the article in the Daily Mail, this photo was taken early in the morning, and it sounds like Prince Harry had to roll out of bed, throw on clothes, and get to the airport– he was late to pick up Chelsy. So this may be a poorer than usual example of Harry’s clothes style.
Chelsy looked pretty good after the long flight. I did notice that she was wearing black boots….
By Evelyn on September 6th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I don’t know. Stop watching reruns of Northern Exposure?
Seriously, this is basically just the uniform for young guys in their 20s. It’s not chav over here–just normal.
It’s more insulting that he made her wait.
By Marie on September 6th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Thanks for the tip Evelyn! Chelsy should have been mad. Can you imagine what it must have been like for her to dodge photographers for an hour without any assistance? I think I would have hidden in the ladies room!
It is sort of funny when you think about it that Chelsy and Kate are expected to “dress up” and be stylish while it is better for the princes to “dress down”.
By Cate on September 6th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Prince Harry needs to avoid things that are too “oversized.” The problem with young men’s clothing now is that is cut to be roomier, so a size 10 looks like a size 14. Not every line does this, however, and he needs to find the lines that favor a “relaxed” cut rather than the “oversize” cut. That same outfit he has on in the picture would look ten times better if the jeans were not so baggy and the jacket had a little more shape to it.
Of course, if it was early in the morning and he was late to pick up his girlfriend, looking like that makes more sense!!
By the way, Prince Harry is my favorite – I even have a British shorthair cat named Prince Harry (but I call him something else)!
By SadieBoo on September 6th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I admit, Prince Harry looks less than well turned out. However, my guess is that he overslept and was awakened by a cell phone call from Chelsy when she arrived at the airport. I doubt she was delighted that he was not there to greet her, so I imagine he threw on the first thing he found in the closet and raced to meet her. Of course, he should have been there on time, but to be honest, I would have just taken a taxi instead of asking anyone to get up so early to come get me at the airport. Chelsy has the money to employ private security if she wanted to do so, and she has the money to employ a hired car, so I do not feel sorry for her. Actually, I think the fact that she made a scene takes her down a peg in my estimation. If she is going to marry into the Royal Family, she must be able to behave appropriately in public no matter what the situation. On this examination paper, I grade her a D, which means unsatisfactory.
By Gigi on September 6th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I once dated a guy who *insisted* on doing things like meeting me at the airport, picking me up from places, taking me to appointments, etc. And you know what? Usually, he was either late or totally forgot. His heart was in the right place, he just didn’t possess the organizational skills to date me.
If Chelsy was a crankypants after a long flight, before which she might have partied a little as a goodbye to friends, I can give her the benefit of the doubt. I agree that she has the resources to find her own way home, but still – they are young and they are going to do dumb things sometimes.
*DISCLAIMER* Again, let me say that Prince Harry is my favorite and therefore, I will probably not find much fault with him or his girlfriend.
By SadieBoo on September 6th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Doesn’t the Prince have an assisitant or something like that? How in the world does he oversleep and miss picking up his girlfriend at the airport? You’d think, with all that he’s been “caught” doing, that the palace would at least make sure he showed up for stuff like this, if not looking polished, at least on time. I actually think he looks like any other twenty-something boy would look at 7:30 to pick up his girlfriend at the airport… but you KNOW Chelsey’s “people” told Harry’s “people” the schedule.
I just don’t get their lives.
And, for the record – I get what the word chav means, but as an american I have no idea how the word is pronounced. Help a girl out?
By Dodi on September 6th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Dodi, chav is pronounced exactly as it looks. There’s no posh way of saying it.
Harry would either be coming from Windsor barracks or Clarence House. Both routes are a nightmare in the morning, especially when there’s a Tube strike on. I can actually understand him being late. The only way he could have got there on time that morning was by helicopter.
By John on September 6th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
So are you saying that Harry could have planned to be on time for Chelsy, but traffic slowed him down? That means he may have gotten up and on the road very early!
By Evelyn on September 6th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
By Gigi on September 6th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I think that’s the obvious answer, Evelyn. I’m sure there was a Tube strike that morning so the roads would have been choc-a-bloc very early on. Even the smartest officer can’t plan for a train strike or London’s traffic.
By John on September 6th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Gigi, he probably did start out at 5.30 but no-one was going to get there in an hour that morning. — or any other, for that matter. I reckon he would had to start out at 4am to make it comfortably.
By John on September 6th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Well, he could have flown over in a chopper and dropped her a rope, or attached cab fare to a lead weight and dropped it to her. He could have borrowed a policeman’s horse. He could have ridden a rickshaw. Honestly, has he never heard the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”?
What about a motorcade?
*heeheehee*
By SadieBoo on September 6th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
“Dodi, chav is pronounced exactly as it looks. There’s no posh way of saying it.”
I’m with Dodi. I don’t get the pronunciation.
Long a? Little a? Is it ch like choo choo or like shoo shoo? Or is there room for sloppiness?
By Marie on September 6th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
My favorite royal. Since he is not going to be king, he can relax.
By Marilyn on September 6th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
It looks to me like he had been on the beer the previous night and slept it out. The clothes are fine even trendy but they are dirty so i reckon he just pulled on what he had the previous night.
Chelsy is obviously high maintenance and wants her guy to pick her up and to be fair to him he did even if he was a bit late
By Eliza on September 6th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
It is “ch” like “chair.” I do not know, however, if in Britain the “a” is pronounced like “Aw” or like “A” in the word “chav.” John? Will you enlighten us?
By Gigi on September 6th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
If Harry didn’t want to get up extra early to meet her, he could have at the least sent a car to meet her that would have been on time. She doesn’t have any protection and I suspect those photographers were terrible! I think for the rest of us this situation would be reasonable, but for her there should have been better planning.
By Cate on September 6th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I’m sure he meant to be there on time; he just slept it out. if he had sent a car and not come himself Chelsy would have gone wild, the poor guy had to come even if it looked to the world that he was under the thumb. My guess is that she’ll rue the day she made those irate calls, nobody likes to look the fool, can you imagine what the boys will say to him.
As for chav, the ‘a’ is as in ‘at’.
By Eliza on September 6th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Late or no, I think Harry is a sweetheart for picking up his girlfriend, and Chelsy had better realize this. Lots of guys would simply say “get a cab” if they were cads.
He’s my favorite royal too!
By On The Outside on September 6th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
The cutest thing about all the photos is that HE is lugging her suitcase.
I love that.
By Marie on September 6th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Gigi, Chelsey is Harry’s unofficial fiancee and therefore a “princess in training.” A “princess in training” does not take public transportation!
As far as Harry’s outfit is concerned, he always looks unkept, whether he is dressed in a suit or in jeans. I can’t figure it out except to say most men are not interested in fashion so they get a pass on how they look. Cate is correct about Chelsey and Kate. There would be 150 comments to this post if either one of them went out in public looking so “casual.”
By Arthur on September 6th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I assume the word chav rhymes with Have. As in the “haves/chavs” and the “chav-nots.”
Anyway, I think Harry looks quite sporty. I don’t find anything wrong with what he has on. He’ll still end up like his Uncle Andrew anyway, puffy, and middle-aged, hopefully not divorced and showing up on the doorstep of starlets at 2am ready to party. Sad really. I remember at one time when “Randy Andy” was the hot younger brother all the girls liked.
By Positive on September 7th, 2007 at 1:27 am
One of the few roles the royalty could still play is to demonstrate correctness and tasteful innovation in formal and semi-formal wear. Charles at least tries to look decent, but I’m waiting for the next Duke of Windsor.
By ClassyCanuck on September 7th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Okay, chav is pronounced like a Spanish person would say it — apart from the “c” sound, Spanish pronounces letters in a very pure way.
So, “ch” is as in cheap, “a” as in trash, and “v” as in vulgar. Note the comparison words, they tell their own story.
By John on September 7th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Thank you, John.
By Positive on September 7th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
An article about this in the Daily Mail said that Prince Harry was waiting for her at the wrong terminal. That type of thing can happen to anyone.
I was pleased to see that in some photos of them leaving the airport in Prince Harry’s car they were both smiling; I think that means Prince Harry was able to charm a smile out of Chelsy. The photos were from a photo site like Rexfe@tures or Is!fa or one of those other photo websites.
By mapleleaf on September 7th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Well, I know that I couldn’t stay angry at Prince Harry for five seconds!
By SadieBoo on September 7th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
That you all for the linguistics lesson! I’d hate to actually call someone chav and mispronounce it – how embarrassing!
Now, I’m wondering how bad can “chav” actually be? Harry and Posh have now both been described as such – - so is it like being UPPER class trailer trash? Or LOWER class urban hip? Because, it seems that you have to have a lot of money to pull it off, or is it just so awful when the wealthy turn out so poorly that it has it’s own word?
Anyway – Harry? Cute as hell. Chelsey? More patient and forgiving (in all respects, not just this incident) than I would ever be. I suppose its in her breeding?
By Dodi on September 7th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Definitely lower class urban hip, Dodi. That rules me out.
By John on September 7th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I suspect that we all dress in jeans and scruffy looking jackets and boots on SOME occasions. That is the way my husband and I dress when we go to football games in cold weather. Since Prince Harry almost surely was on the road before 5:30 in the morning, I think we ought to give him a “pass” on this appearance. No one looks especially well at that ungodly hour.
By Gigi on September 7th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Gigi – FOOTBALL! I hope you mean the American kind – since you live in TX, maybe you do. I’m in hog heaven now that college FB has started – who’s your team? I’m an Auburn Tiger!
By SadieBoo on September 7th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
It looks to me like Harry and Chelsy may have a lot of time together, depending on Harry’s army schedule. Harry’s birthday will be Sept 15. Chelsy’s classes at Leeds won’t begin until Sept 24.
By Evelyn on September 7th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Sadieboo, my husband and I are huge fans of both American football and European football. Our favorite American teams are The University of Texas Longhorns and PITT for college teams and the Pittsburgh Steelers for professional football. For European football, we are Tottenham Hotspur fans although we watch as many games of all the teams as possible, on TV of course. We have joined you in hog heaven because football season is here once more!
We are such huge UT fans that we schedule our lives around their games. 
HOOK ‘EM HORNS!!
By Gigi on September 7th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
OMG, you’re worse than we are over here.
By John on September 7th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
My dear John, you have no idea!
Fall weekends are totally scheduled around UT games. We are on campus, in the stands for home games, or in front of the TV for away games and meals are scheduled accordingly. The same is true for Steeler games and since they are not often broadcast in our area except on satellite, we go to a sports bar to watch those games, wearing, of course, all our Steeler fan gear. Right now, a huge UT banner is hanging in front of our home and will remain there all football season. Another, larger Longhorn banner hangs from our back porch. On the way to campus for the Longhorn games, we play the CD of the Longhorn Marching Band so we can hear “The Eyes of Texas” and of course we and everyone else going to the game is dressed in UT gear. Both our children are UT grads so the entire family gets into the act! 
By Gigi on September 7th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Wow, our local team, Exeter City (soccer), is usually bottom of the four divisions of the league — and bankrupt to boot. However, if you turn the newspaper upside down, they can appear top. But don’t tell a psychiatrist you do this.
By John on September 7th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
LOL John, you are hilarious!
By the way, our son, who lives and works in DC, flies home for as many UT home games as he can manage. We expect him tonight and we’ll all be at the UT-TCU game tomorrow. Should be a whale of a game–everyone is always ‘gunning’ for Texas! 
By Gigi on September 7th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Gigi – WAR DAMN EAGLE! My aunt is a UT alum, and she married into my family which is predominately U of Arkansas alums. She has a hard time during football season. I attended Auburn U, so I am the only Tigers fan in the family.
I love to tailgate! I don’t get back to Auburn to see as many games as I would like – I envy you that you can be on campus for the UT games. And yes, I too have a flag out in front of my house and I hang a tiger tail out of the trunk of my car during the season. My dog’s mother’s name was Aubie (the Auburn mascot’s name) and that is one reason I chose her! I named my dog after her mother – Aubie’s Sadie Boo!
I don’t follow professional football as closely, but I am a fan of the Saints (New Orleans) just like everyone else around here. They are never that good but we love ‘em anyway!
I am about to spend the weekend with a bunch of Mississippi State and Ole Miss (U of Mississippi) fans – so pray for me!
By SadieBoo on September 7th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Oh the college football thing is very important here! I live in Colorado, and it’s all about the Buffs, Cornhuskers, and the Rams. Yikes!
PLUS, UT fans are HARDCORE! They gather in alumni groups for the games. Everybody knows about UT fans!
By Dodi on September 7th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Um, fashion week has started in New York. We are all dressing up more as a result.
Also, the new plays will open soon.
By Marie on September 8th, 2007 at 3:25 am
John, I know this has nothing to do with Harry and Chelsey’s sartorial splendor, but there is a picture in Saturday’s “Daily Mail” (9/8/07) of Fergie, Bea and Eugenie attending a wedding. Are these three women visually impaired? I’m not trying to be cruel, but they look like my Grandmother did back in the 1940’s. Is this what we have to look forward to seeing at William and Kate’s wedding? Please, someone from British Vogue, help these damsels in distress!
By Arthur on September 8th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
I saw that photo, Arthur. And once again I thought that Eugenie is so pretty . . . but doesn’t know it!
And I agree about the dresses. The outfit on Eugenie in particular looks like bad Chanel for a 50 year old. At least the hats weren’t gargantuan.
A stylist would do wonders for these ladies. *Sigh*
“WAR DAMN EAGLE!”
Is that meant to be an imperative?
By Marie on September 8th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Marie, perhaps the outfits were bequeathed to Fergie, Bea and Eugenie from the late Queen Mum? I just can’t figure out why they get it wrong so often. I’m sure the same people who say to their face “I love your outfit” are snickering at them behind their backs. To be fair, Beatrice and Eugenie haven’t had great role models in the fashion arena. The Queen, Princess Anne and the late Queen Mum are/were nothing to write home about. Diana was the exception and look at the grief she caught from the establishment for being a “clothes horse.” This is why someone from Vogue should do their royal duty and help these girls out!
As far as royal bonnets are concerned, they seem to run the gammit from Sophie Wessex’s satellite dish, to the gargantun blue creation Princess Michael wore to Diana’s Memorial. Even the feathery ones Fergie and Eugenie are wearing in the Daily Mail picture look like they are ready to launch into space.
Oh well, we probably should be thankful for bad taste. It gives us something to write about!
By Arthur on September 8th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Arthur, your amusing posts are an absolute delight!
By Gigi on September 8th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Thanks Gigi, but it’s a beautiful day here in Massachusetts and I’m sitting inside critiquing the outfits worn by three British ladies. What does that tell you?? Too much time on my hands, I guess.
By Arthur on September 8th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Well, Arthur, that’s a good point. No one in the British Royal family really had/has any style, except for Diana, who developed it late in her life.
Other than that, they seem to favor the slightly rumpled, unpretentious look, which is all very English, ie trying not to stand out too much. It’s probably my modern American mind that wants something other than:
1. Frump
2. Overly precious bourgeouis fantasies of what a royal is supposed to look like *shudder*
3. the lacquered pagent look
But the thing about fashion and style is that they can be creative forms of self-expression. And it’d be fun if one of the royals developed a personal sense that worked.
By Marie on September 8th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Although, I should add that Wallis Simpson always looked very fly in her suits. And, yes, I realize she wasn’t technically a member of the family.
By Marie on September 8th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Marie, in all honesty, I have to say Her Majesty is looking pretty nifty lately. Her current designers are doing a great job making her look stylish and age appropriate. During her recent state visit to the US, one outfit after another was “spot on” as John would say. Even her hats were great. The only negative comment I have is HM should stay away from white. For the state dinner at the White House she wore white (maybe that’s why, LOL), and with her pale complexion and white hair, she looked like a ghost. Pastels are the order of the day for QEII.
As for Wallace Simpson, she was no great beauty, but her classic clothes and beautiful jewels gave one something else to focus on besides her looks. Didn’t she coin the phrase: “One can never be too rich or too thin?” I guess she should know!
By Arthur on September 8th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
It seems we’re becoming the most vogueish Royal site around.
Arthur, the dinner in the White House was a white tie affair. I believe the Queen always wears white to such occasions. At least she stood out.
As for the fash chat, I’ll leave all that to the rest of you. You are sooo spot on.
By John on September 9th, 2007 at 11:00 am
John, that’s very interesting – white tie affair white dress. I never thought about that.
As far as Gigi’s menu is concerned, did you mean to say fat or phat? We’re such a groovy group here at RA, it must be the latter!
By Arthur on September 9th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I think Harry looks great. He looks like a GUY. He doesn’t look like a FOP. I’m so sick of males who are so preoccupied with their hair, skin and clothes—-makes me think they’re all closet homos.
Harry is CUTE and looks like a normal young MAN. He looked very handsome at the memorial service, by the way.
By AnnRG on September 13th, 2007 at 10:03 am
AnnRG, you’re right, of course.
By John on September 13th, 2007 at 11:41 am