Princess Margaret and the 1960s and 70s

A ‘royal rebel’ in the fashion stakes, Princess Margaret was at the forefront of fashion and style in the 1960s and 70s. The differing roles of Margaret and her sister The Queen were reflected in their fashion choices.

(Pictured right: Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon on the way to the Canadian Universities Ball, London, England 1962. Photo: Popperfoto / Getty Images)

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon on the way to the Canadian Universities Ball, London, England 1962. Photo: Popperfoto / Getty

Breaking the rules

Short day dress worn by Princess Margaret, Marc Bohan for Christian Dior, c.1979 In the 1960s British fashion and pop music took the world by storm, fuelled by a powerful youth culture with more disposable income and leisure time than ever before. At the heart of this movement was Swinging London, with quirky boutiques on Carnaby Street and the Kings Road selling fashions which broke the rules - born on the streets and in clubs rather than in couture houses.

'One hip chick'

With her marriage to fashion photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, the ever-fashionable Princess Margaret secured her position as part of the chic London set and was often seen with music and film stars of the time. ‘One hip chick’ was how Louis Armstrong described her.

Eastern influences in the 70s

By the 1970s a hippy counter-culture emerged which looked towards eastern religions. Ethnic garments became popular and were worn, amid widespread media attention, by the Beatles during their stay at an Ashram in India. The look was popularised by designers such as Zandra Rhodes and Ossie Clark.

Above: Short day dress, Marc Bohan for Christian Dior, c.1979

Differing roles

The differing roles of The Queen and her younger sister Margaret were reflected in their clothing choices. Princess Margaret had greater freedom to wear changing fashions and was under less pressure to patronise British designers.

Marc Bohan for Christian Dior dress. Photo: Historic Royal Palaces / Robin Forster The Princess fully embraced the rule-breaking fashions of the more liberal 1960s and 70s and wore short dresses inspired by Mary Quant’s designs and bold bright colours. She was loyal to Marc Bohan at Christian Dior and like Jackie Kennedy wore his elegant ‘slim look’ evening dresses. Carl Toms kaftan worn by Princess Margaret, 1976

In the 1970s Princess Margaret spent a lot of time at her Caribbean residence on the island of Mustique and favoured Eastern-inspired caftan designs for the hotter climate.

Top: Evening dress, Marc Bohan for Christian Dior, 1977. Worn by Princess Margaret at the Silver Jubilee

Bottom: Kaftan, Carl Toms, 1976. Worn by Princess Margaret in Mustique, 1976.