Prince George is arguably second only to his mother when it comes to being the leading fashion icon for the Royal family. His posh combinations of shorts and knee socks still make a social media splash and compliment. His a cherub-cheeked smile in such a way that long pants and short socks never could.
As it turns out, the go-to ensemble of Prince George is more about tradition than about sartorial innovation. Historically, dressing up your young sons in shorts has helped to show you were a high-class English family.
“Trousers are for older boys and men while shorts are one of those silent class markers on young boys.
A pair of trousers is considered to be quite middle class on a young boy— quite suburban. And no aristo or royal self-respect would want to be seen as suburban. Even the Cambridge Duchess.”
Maintaining tradition is more about these days than highlighting class division. And the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are known for dressing their children in affordable clothing. Today.com notes that for example, a certain pair of red corduroy shorts Prince George wore in 2016 was the equivalent of only around $20.
The practice probably stemmed from “breeching,” a custom that began in the 16th century, when boys wore gowns for a couple of years before switching to shorts and then pants when they were about 8.
So soon enough we’ll see George looking dapper in full-length trousers — he’ll be turning 8 in July 2021. And he’s already wearing pants in public a few times, most notably to Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.