DRESSING for success

You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it,’ said Hollywood costume designer Edith Head, whose designs catapulted actresses such as Mae West and Marlene Dietrich from the B-list to global stardom.

From the mood-altering properties of colour to the confidence a great outfit gives, clothes are a way for public figures to semaphore key messages without having to speak.

Here, we trace the upward trajectory of famous icons, from their first steps onto the public stage in less than perfectly polished looks, to the evolution of each of their signature ‘power’ styles.

The Queen

MAJESTIC VISIBILITY

The dress the newly engaged Princess Elizabeth wore in 1947 was suitably feminine – soft pink with pretty bow embellishments. However, the hallmarks of her future style were there too – solid colour and a sleek silhouette.

The Queen developed a way of dressing that would ensure maximum visibility – a palette of plain colours,