By Christos Zampounis 

Although the rumour was immediately denied, one of the urban legends that returned to London salons after the coronation of Charles III was the handwritten note sewn inside a coat of the then Prince of Wales by an assistant tailor of Turnbull & Asser. His name? Alexander McQueen. Of course not, the male members of the Windsor dynasty would not have been allowed to dress in “ready-to-wear”, even if it was a marque de luxe. Dior’s announcement that it had dressed Harry, Duke of Sussex, for the Coronation can only cause reverie among gentlemen everywhere. Whether or not the ‘reserve’ was paid for the above sartorial choice is of little importance when compared to the bespoke jaquette worn by his father at his weddings to Meghan Markle.

This time the rumour that he has worn it before 34 years ago has been confirmed. “Sustainability”, sustainability, that’s Charles’ philosophy. He throws nothing away, and every year the famous Barbour coats travel all the way to the Southfields factory to be waxed. The same goes for John Lobb’s ‘immortal’ shoes, where apart from their regular polishing, only the soles are changed. Unlike his uncle, King Edward VIII, who, after his dethronement, was criticised for ‘checks and balances’, i.e. bold colour combinations, the nephew is a champion of a conservative harmony, far from eccentricities. Crossed blaser with eight-button pochette, solid-coloured Anderson & Steppard undershirts, a kilt discreetly when in Scotland, and most recently, in the official portrait, a single-breasted suit, with the right hand in the jacket pocket, behold the Charles III style.