Statement sweaters, millennial pink, and western wear? Unlikely fashion icon King Charles beat us all to the trends decades ago

King Charles might always cut a familiar figure in his style today – opting for well-tailored suits and the occasional kilt – but these old photos caught our eye based on how notably on trend the royal looked decades ago. Proving that he wasn’t afraid of a strong ensemble, Charles was a pioneer in the bold layering and colorful outerwear which has dominated the red carpet and runways today.

• King Charles might not be the archetypal fashion icon, but these legacy looks from the monarch could be plucked right from the 2023 runways
• Designers for Gucci and Dior have recently sent down colorful sweaters and preppy looking cardigans, something Charles perfected decades ago
• In other royal news, Queen Camilla receives very special note with important invitation for Princess Charlotte

Everyone from Adidas to Gucci, Ralph Lauren to Burberry sent cozy but colorful layers down the runways in Autumn-Winter 2022. The trend was quickly picked up by fashion’s favorite men, like Spider-Man’s Tom Holland, David Beckham and pop singer Harry Styles.

But we cannot get enough of these decades old photos that prove one man beat them all to the trend – King Charles.

Back when the now monarch was just a young and spritely Prince of Wales, he wasn’t afraid of experimenting with more vibrant and fashion-forward ensembles.

In one shot, which looks like it could’ve been taken from the Instagram profile of a trendy influencer today, a young Charles sports a yellow Happy Hermes sweater, worn over a complimentary pale blue shirt.

He finishes the look with a pair of white jeans – also a more modern aesthetic and one that might have been considered more daring back in the day.

This is the kind of look that you’d expect someone like Harry Styles to wear today – and in fact, with a slight change to the colors, he did wear a preppy looking statement sweater over a crisp shirt on the red carpet.

The photo was taken at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, Berkshire back in 1977.

Another example of a fashion-forward look from Charles includes a prominent logo sweater with a monochromatic finishing.

The navy blue logo sweater with a paler blue shirt underneath is a statement making style repeated by people on the high street and in high fashion today.

And when you think of the likes of Lil Nas and Diplo, you might not think King Charles shares much, if anything, in common with them. But way before they tried their hand at modernizing the western look, Charles proved he was the quickest draw in town.

For a tour of Canada, Charles wore a western suit (in a jazzy shade of millennial pink, no less!) with a check shirt, a bolo tie and a quartz-hued ten-gallon hat.

While he’s still effortlessly stylish – with his signature Prince of Wales check a firm favorite amongst the Saville Row crowd – seeing a young Charles wear these colorful, layered looks proves he wasn’t afraid of trying something different.

This isn’t the only time Charles has proven himself to be an unlikely fashion inspiration.

The Prince of Wales print, which he didn’t create but he helped re-popularize, has popped up on unexpected stars like James Bond’s Daniel Craig and even Julia Roberts.