3 min readLong before there was the “Kate effect” or the “Meghan effect,” there was the “Jackie effect.” Just as the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex wield enormous economic impact with their clothing choices, so too, did Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. And as it turns out, the former first lady even inspired Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe in the 2000s.
Ahead of the opening of a landmark exhibit at Buckingham Palace showcasing the late Queen’s fashions in honor of the centenary of her birth, dressmaker Stewart Parvin is opening up about designing clothes for the British monarch.
In a wide-ranging interview with Bethan Holt in the Telegraph, Parvin spoke about working with the Queen, and her deft use of fashion. “It’s only my opinion, but I thought she was very interested in clothes on different levels, because one, it is how she’s perceived, two, they’re an intimate thing,” he said.
A look at the exhibit highlight Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe. The similarities between her style and Jackie Kennedys are clear.
“We would look at the garments in daylight and in electric light. It’s really important how they photograph in different lights,” Parvin told Holt. “You also have to make clothes in which the Queen could get out of a carriage or get out of a car without any mishaps. When the Queen arrives, she’s instantly on show. The clothes have to flow in a way that they look perfect all the time.”
“She knew that if she was going to certain places, she was going to be on the front page of every newspaper, certainly in this country, possibly around the world. And those are images that last,” he continued.
Holt also notes that when the Queen’s dresser and close confidant Angela Kelly initially approached Parvin in the early 2000s, she left Elizabeth II’s name out the conversation entirely, saying only that “she was searching for a ‘Jackie O’ look for her VIP client.”
“That was Angela’s terminology, which threw me off, because they were reported not to have got on, but whether that’s just The Crown, I’m not sure,” Parvin said.
It’s true that Jackie was less-than-impressed with her 1961 dinner at Buckingham Palace, but The Crown heavily fictionalized what happened during the meal—and the relationship between Jackie and Elizabeth.
In my forthcoming book, The Kennedys and the Windsors (out in June), I detail what really happened. Yes, Jackie had her critiques of both the royal residence and the royals themselves. As Cecil Beaton famously wrote, “About dinner with the Queen last night [Jackie] said they were all tremendously kind and nice, but she was not impressed by the flowers, or the furnishings of the apartments at Buckingham Palace, or by the Queen’s dark-blue tulle dress and shoulder straps, or her flat hairstyle.”
But beyond a snide remark about fashion, Jackie and the Queen were perfectly friendly, and had more in common than you might expect. They were two young mothers under the intense scrutiny of the public eye, two women with enormous influence and yet little real political power, and two passionate equestrians. When Jackie returned to the Palace the following year for a lunch with Queen, that was a primary topic of conversation: horses.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip greet the Kennedys during their 1961 visit to Buckingham Palace.
So it’s not entirely shocking that the Queen would be inspired by Jackie’s style. Famously, later in life, Elizabeth II favored wearing vivid colors, reportedly following the motto: “I have to be seen to be believed.”
And you can see Jackie’s influence in the royal’s wardrobe: the conservative, feminine silhouettes, the monochromatic looks, the ladylike accessories, and an awareness both that fashion can tell a story, and impact the success of an appearance.
Queen Elizabeth at one of her final public appearances in June 2022.
In the documentary The Queen at 90, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, explained her mother-in-law’s penchant for vibrant looks. “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say ‘I saw the Queen,’” Sophie said.
“Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.”
Biography Robert Hardman even quoted the Queen once as saying, “I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am.”
Caroline Hallemann is the Digital Director at Town & Country, where she covers culture, society, and entertainment, as well as the British royal family, among a variety of other topics. Caroline is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Kennedys and the Windsors, out in 2026. Prior to leading the digital team at T&C, she served as the brand’s Senior News Editor and Digital News Director, and has previously held positions at Travel + Leisure, DailyCandy, and Parenting Magazine. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and their son, Tommy. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @challemann and on TikTok at @carolinehallemann.