Fashion Sketch

This design by the British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) is for HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and shows a design for a pale blue coat dress. It is accessorised with a matching hat, gloves and fur stole.

Fashion sketches were sent to customers for approval and comment, designs for members of the royal family had to be suitable for royal protocol and use for royal duties. Due to animal welfare considerations today the use of real fur is widely deemed unacceptable. However, at the time real fur was a common sight and was often used to adorn clothing as a trim detail, stole or coat.

Sir Norman Hartnell is famous for dressing two generations of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, her sister Princess Margaret and their mother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. In 1977 he became the first person to receive a knighthood for services to fashion. Hartnell's success as a designer significantly raised the profile of British fashion in the mid-twentieth century. His wearable and feminine designs often feature beautiful, embroidered embellishment, and he has been credited with shaping and creating a style for royalty in the twentieth century.