‘The Crown’ celebrates young Prince William’s incredible university style
SCHOOL’S IN. With rugby shirts becoming the most searched-for sportswear style of 2023, last monthās reprinting of cult Ivy League bookĀ AmetoraĀ and this weekās release of Emerald FennellāsĀ Saltburn, the āposh mystery filmā praised byĀ EsquireĀ for nailing Noughties Oxbridge style, dressing like a louche toff lolling around your Halls of Residence has become quite the thing.
With great timingāpunctuality being the politeness of kings, after allācomes the sixth and final season ofĀ The Crown. Itās the one that ādoesā Di and Dodi, Charles and Camilla and Kate and William.
The latter relationship mines Williamās time as a geography student at St. Andrewās, between 2001-2005āAKA the Unicore Years, the zenith of his personal style where a bid for anonymity saw him adopt the alias ‘Steve’. (We’re not making this up.) Oxford shirts, crew-neck jumpers, boot-cut jeans and boxy trainers (when they were just ‘trainers’)… it was peak Y2K fashion.
To mark the launch of The Crown, hereās eight times our king-in-waiting has never looked greater.
The Crown Season Six Part One starts on Netflix on 17 November; Unicore William arrives in Part Two ā from 14 Dec
Ok, so itās utterly impossible toĀ compete with dadĀ in fullĀ For Your Eyes OnlyĀ get-upāturtleneckĀ andĀ neckerchief? It can be done!ābut top marks to Wills for giving it a bash. Seen here during a photocall in Klosters at the start of his annual skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps in 2002, the un-poppered orange jacket and turned-down collar projects a breezy ease with the Great Outdoors. On his wrist is theĀ Omega Seamaster 300m, a gift from his late mother ā famously also known as āthe Bond watchā. Some lookalike outerwear makes an appearance inĀ The Crown, with imitations already appearing online as āPrince William The Crown S06 Jacketā.
Attending a match at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire, July 2002. The flipped collar, the navy, orange and white club colours and the rakishly undone top button isĀ veryĀ chip-off-the-old-block. With a dash of Rupert Campbell-Black, for any Jilly Cooper fans reading this.
Posing in Salvatorās quad at St Andrewās University, 2004. Oxford bags, accessorised with a pop of orangeāa Young Wills signatureāon the belt. The fleece worn over a white shirt isĀ veryĀ Drakeās 2023.
The same as before but make itĀ The Color of Money.
Embracing the workwear trend before it became a thing, we may noddingly approve of Williamās gorpcore sandals-plus-socks combo, his indigo technical trousers and his off-white collegiate hoodie (JW Anderson for Uniqlo has oneĀ very similar right now). Bonus points for the rolled-and-tucked sleeves, impressive forearm muscles and gold wrap bracelet. Whatās he making? Weāre glad you asked. Itās a wooden rubbish bin for villagers in Southern Chile during his Raleigh International Expeditionāhis gap yah, if you will.
A young Val Kilmer.
Unlike his father, William favours simple, single-breasted suits in solid coloursāno DBs, please. The cross motif on the tie adds a touch of character, the young Prince bucking royal convention by using a simple knot, unlike the showier Windsor favoured by his dad (and named after his great-great-uncle). The light blue shirt is perfect for setting off his peachy complexion. And, for now, great hair.
How to look good naked. Possibly the first and last member of the royal family you’d ever want to see shirtless, HRH styled it out in pair of black Speedos to play water polo in a tournament against Ireland in 2004. Alright Ken, you’re on. Let’s beach off.
This story originally appeared on Esquire UK.
