Grace Kelly’s style secrets

Few people have had as lasting an impact on the fashion world as Grace Kelly, the Philadelphia-born actress who became a real-life princess in 1956. After four decades in the limelight, she remains a timeless style icon to this day. Ahead of the release of the Grace Of Monaco biopic, which stars Nicole Kidman, at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, Kristina Haugland looks back at the Hollywood princess’s fashion highs and reveals some of her style secrets

Those white gloves

Grace Kelly’s tasteful look was perfectly epitomised by her favourite accessory – prim white gloves. Time magazine put her on their January 1955 cover, hailing her good breeding and ladylike wardrobe in an article entitled The Girl In White Gloves. No longer required by propriety, gloves remain a great way to wear a super-stylish ensemble with panache. Discover the heritage of glove making in Millau, southern France, on a tour of the Causse Gantier glove factory.

Girl-next-door chic

In her early days as a Hollywood actress and the ultimate Hitchcock blonde, she was revered for her onscreen elegance, but Grace Kelly’s refined personal style was also much admired – her influence was so pervasive that it was said she made good taste glamorous. The classic shirtwaist dress, one of her favourites, is still popular in modern versions, but you can recreate an original 1950’s version with a Vintage Vogue pattern.

Wedding belle

On 19 April 1956, the world watched as Grace Kelly wed Prince Rainier of Monaco, dressed in a lace and silk faille gown that set the standard for bridal elegance – Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was said to have been inspired by it. The princess donated her famous gown to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it was on view for many years. Although the gown is now fragile and not often exhibited, some of the museum’s 30,000 costume and textile objects are showcased in rotating exhibitions.

Shady lady

They may be a holiday staple, but interest in sunglasses surged in the summer of 1956 thanks to photographs of the royal bride, who promoted dark glasses as a suitable fashion accessory for evening, indoors and in the rain – it was said she even wore them at a ball. She had an eyewear “wardrobe” that included over 40 pairs by the celebrated designer Oliver Goldsmith. Pick up a pair of the designer’s cat-eye ‘Grace’ frames to recreate a classic Kelly look.

Bump it up

She was famous for covering her baby bump from the lens of the prying press with her beloved Hermès bag (which was later renamed the Kelly), but even during pregnancy, Princess Grace remained a style exemplar. Her simple dark dresses and tailored suits by Dior, paired with bright accessories, were hailed as a great improvement on the period’s unflattering maternity smocks. Thanks to her royal lead, today’s fashion-conscious expectant mothers have more glamorous choices, such as Rosie Pope and Isabella Oliver.

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This article has been tagged Fashion + Style, Opinion