Fans Tell The List Which Royal Fashion Rule Would Be The Hardest To Follow - Exclusive Survey
It's no secret that the royal lifestyle is difficult to keep up with — it's not all "Princess Diaries" makeovers, keeping your ankles crossed, and balancing books on your head. You may be a fan of "The Crown" or have watched biopics about Princess Diana wilting in the pressure cooker that is the British monarchy. "Harry and Megan" on Netflix also provided a closer look into what drove the couple to renounce their position in the monarchical succession, and the British tabloids' brutal and racist treatment of Megan Markle gave deeper insight into the meticulously crafted royal aesthetic.
Though there's been no shortage of 'inappropriate' royal outfits over the years, royal looks may hold more meaning than we realize. The List asked fans what outrageous lengths they'd go to in order to attain the royal look, and where they would draw the line when it comes to their physical expression. With 22,000 survey responses on record, the results are in, and it looks like fans would be willing to make at least some concessions to their personal freedoms to be a proper royal.
This rule is particularly stifling
First up is the lowest scoring royal fashion rule: wearing natural makeup looks. Only 3% of voters saw this as the hardest standard to meet, a stat that might represent the most hardcore makeup enthusiasts and experimenters. Natural makeup may seem like a vague description, but if you review images of royals in the last few decades, you'll see them wearing a lip color that nearly matches their natural shade, very subtle eyeshadow if any, dainty eyeliner, and soft contouring and blush.
Avoiding bright nail polish was the hardest rule for 5% of survey respondents, and we might also infer that this means no nail art embellishments or luxury-length acrylics. Since the 1950s, royal guidelines have loosened around wearing hats in public, but wearing a hat to formal events would still be toughest for 20% of voters. This makes sense, because unless we're going to the Kentucky Derby or trying out an old-school church or wedding look, not many of us have formal hats sitting in our closets.
The royals' strict dress code was the biggest hang-up for 26% of voters, which includes, but is not limited to, rigid A-line dresses, hidden cleavage, knee-length skirts and dresses, a strong bias against paint suits, a preference for pantyhose, and heels under 6 inches. However, the big winner of the survey — coming in at 46% — was wearing your coat for entire days at a time. Meant to keep royal women looking 'ladylike,' fans rated this practice as the most unbearable part of monarchical dress.