When it comes to modern fairytales, few could match Grace Kelly's. In the space of a
decade, she transformed from Hollywood Golden Girl to Monegasque princess. To this day, her marriage to Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in April 1956 remains one of the most vivid in modern memory— the new royal, kneeling in prayer, dressed in silk taffeta. Her gown, designed by Academy Award-winning costume expert Helen Rose, was scattered with hand-sewn pearls; the veil, appliquéd with two miniature love-birds around its edges.
Though Princess Grace swapped the silver screen for a Mediterranean palace, her inimitable sense of style remained very much the same. You could, in fact, argue that her elegance—something she possessed in spades in her films and on the red carpet—had destined her for the court. It was a rare self-assurance that could easily be termed ‘regal’. A plethora of goddess-like gowns in films like Hitchcock’s Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, polished button-ups tucked into cigarette pants and midi skirts, French Alençon lace, and enough florals to fill a rose garden. Grace’s aesthetic wasn’t just distinctive, but genuine. It spoke, at all chapters of her life, to her myriad identities—a fair-haired ingénue, a white-gloved scene-stealer, an idol and diplomat.
The timelessness of Princess Grace’s style finds its proof in modern-day dress. Whether consciously or subconsciously, our contemporary royals have paid seeming reference to the princess’ sartorial legacy. From Lady Kitty Spencer and the Duchess of Cambridge, to Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, we’ve observed many an outfit that have reminded us of Princess Grace’s own fashion.
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