Celebrating Jubilee: More Sparkle

When my dear friend P and I went to England to celebrate our 30th birthdays, we trekked around London to cathedrals, evensong services, museums and all of the Royal Palaces. We happened to be in London for three major exhibits of royal dresses and spent several afternoons unabashedly gushing over the frocks of  Queen Maud of Norway,  Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth. P mentioned on the phone the other day that while our feet were sore, we were gloriously happy. It was such a great trip.

The exhibition that surprised me the most was one of  the Queen's ballgowns from the early years of her reign. 1950s couture is something to behold and these gowns were just spectacular. Until this exhibition, I thought that the Queen's ballgowns were more function and less style, but I was wrong. Looking through the Queen's evening dresses over the past 60 years provides an amazing view of how both she and fashion have changed... and a reminder why the 80s are best left in the past.

Photos are courtesy of The Daily Mail, London Telegraph, Getty Images, Corbis, Zimbio, Press Association and the Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor blog.