For centuries, these head ornaments were worn by royalty to represent their authority and status. From ancient Egyptian times to the modern day, crowns and tiaras have been an indispensable part of royal attire. We often use the words tiara and crown interchangeably but there are very clear distinctions between the two. Remember when Freddie Mercury dressed in royal robes with a crown on his head? That was a crown, not a tiara. A crown can be worn by both kings and queens.
This resurgence of elaborate head ornamentation, displayed principally to denote status and affluence, was also associated with the emergence of a new class of wealthy individuals who were awarded titles and elevated into the aristocracy, as well as a renewed interest in Classical art.
Throughout the 20th century the wearing of tiaras has fluctuated in line with changes in prosperity and fashion. In the past 20 years there has been a renewed appreciation for this type of jewel, fuelled by various high-profile exhibitions and celebrity weddings. Wearing tiaras today is not a question of rank, but a matter of judging whether it is appropriate for the occasion.
Weddings, white-tie dinners and balls and occasions of state are all traditional events to which one might wear a tiara, however the boundaries are now increasingly blurred. Customarily, tiaras were only worn by married women and given to a bride on her wedding day, but rules are made to be broken — and they frequently are. Tiara: a more generic, overarching term for a number of different styles of head-dress, including diadems, circlets and bandeaux.
Diadem: there are differing opinions on the exact definition of this term. In ancient Greece the word diadem from the term diadein , meaning to bind around denoted several different types of head ornament. Later, the word diadem was used to describe a band worn over the head-dress of a king — it was the head-dress itself that was termed a tiara. Circlet: a tiara that extends all the way around or nearly all the way around the circumference of the head. Bandeau: a headband-style ornament of low profile, usually without a graduation in height from one side to the other, most often worn on the forehead, and prevalent during the early 20th century.
A superb Art Deco diamond bandeau, Cartier, cushion, old and baguette-cut diamonds, platinum French marks , detachable for wear as a choker, as two bracelets or as a brooch, circa Bandeau Kokoshnik: a style of embellished cloth-covered head ornament, often very broad and sitting high on the forehead, from the Russian national costume and folklore tradition.
Kokoshnik tiaras are often designed as a fringe of tapering diamond-set bars or a continuous chevron-shaped panel. Aigrette: a type of hair ornament worn centrally above the forehead that is designed to support a plume of feathers, or itself depicting a gem-set feather motif.
The word is derived from the egret, the feathers of which were often used with these pieces. Gloves were traditionally considered a fashion item but also had a practical purpose too - helping stop germs being spread from person to person. With the Queen shaking hands with hundreds of people every year, they serve as a fashion statement but also protect her from bacteria. In private, who knows whether the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lounge around in matching onesies.
But there is still a dress code to adhere to when dressing casually and being seen in public. For ladies, a smart day dress or trousers teamed with a jacket or cardigan is considered acceptable while for gentlemen it is a blazer with a collared shirt and chinos. Prince William and Catherine tend to follow these traditional rules but sometimes let their modern edge slip on a dress-down day - by wearing jeans.
Fans of the Royal Family will not have failed to notice that the Queen's wardrobe encompasses all the colours of the rainbow. She is reported to have once said: "If I wore beige, nobody would know who I am.
Mr Harrold credits the monarch's personal assistant Angela Kelly for the bold colours she often wears while on duty. It is said that the Queen wears bright colours to ensure members of the public stand the chance of seeing her through the crowds. Prince William and Prince Harry have both served in the armed forces and have been pictured wearing military uniforms. The royals often wear their uniforms when they represent their regiments at occasions which are military affairs, such as the Trooping the Colour or services to honour British troops.
One notable exception is weddings. As royal weddings are usually held at 11am or thereabouts , ladies are excused from that rule to wear one on their wedding days. Have you ever noticed that once one royal wears a tiara, another doesn't wear it after her? That's because tiaras are usually lifetime loans, that means once it's loaned to someone, it's theirs and theirs only for their entire life. Once it's loaned, the lady can choose to wear it or not wear it.
However, the Duchess clearly favours the last two as she hasn't worn the Scroll again since her wedding, despite having it at her disposal. When wearing a tiara, the last thing you want is for it to slip around—or worse, fall off. For this reason, women will often have a piece of hair braided across and then have the base of the tiara sewn into that. If you look very closely at the base of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway's tiara, you can see the braid.
0コメント