We rarely see Camilla in the country attire we all know she loves, but we do occasionally get a glimpse of how she dresses away from prying cameras – kicking off her shoes and walking along Derrynane Beach in Co Kerry with Prince Charles, or laughing uproariously on the back of a horse in riding gear.
But the fashion industry has, by and large, been surprised by how at ease Camilla is with formal dressing. Fiona Clare is her longtime couturier and has worked happily with the Duchess for well over two decades, dressing her for state dinners but also more casual daytime engagements. Camilla is, the designer tells me, the only client she is happy to visit at home, rather than Clare’s studio in Battersea, and together, they have created some of Camilla’s most stand-out looks, including the white shift dress she wore to entertain Donald Trump, which resulted in that iconic “wink to camera” photograph that sums up much of the Duchess’ approach to public life.
“You need to get to know someone when you make clothes for them. It’s a bit like a hairdresser – you need to click with someone and they need to feel really comfortable and trust you,” says Clare. “Camilla and I have found our rhythm. She has really found her style and I think she’s looking amazing. She suddenly looks so confident – it just happened from one day to the next, a bit like it did for the Duchess of Cambridge – and I think if you find a shape that works for you, it’s like finding a recipe you love: you just keep making it.”
In the Duchess of Cornwall’s case, the right recipe was lots of longer cotton and chiffon dresses, as well as her customary shift numbers with occasion coats on top. “I think they really work for her,” says Clare. “It’s all about getting the length right. Everything is about balance in midlife, particularly when it comes to your height – the Duchess is quite tall [she’s 5ft 7in], so a couple of inches here and there can make all the difference.”
Camilla’s height plays in her favour when it comes to evening dressing – she looks fabulous in ornate Dior or Bruce Oldfield evening coats, or in the streamlined cream or mint-coloured evening dresses Clare has made her.
“The key to not looking frumpy for a smart occasion is pulling out somebody’s good points,” says Clare. “Start with the shoulders and keep details up at the top and then move on to the waist or the hips or whatever part of your body you like the best. Then I think about fabric. I work with silk and wool the most, but for more casual occasions I love the Liberty prints – I used a few on Camilla last year and we got some really lovely dresses out of them.”
Much like that other future Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall regularly re-wears her favourite pieces. “Oh, Camilla isn’t the type to buy lots of dresses she only plans on wearing once,” says Clare. “Because they’re tailored to her body, they hold their shape for years. Although I can’t take all the credit for how good Camilla looks these days – if you are confident in what you wear, like she is, you will always look great.”
