The two first seasons of The Crown depicted Elizabeth II’s life through a gradual progress of from 1947 to 1963. As for the respect of the historical events and the shooting sets, the costumes in the shows were a crucial aspect as well. The task was entrusted to Michele Clapton, three-time Emmy-winning costume designer.

Surprisingly enough, costumes were often original creations rather than copy clothes from archives, or actual clothes borrowed from the forties to the sixties. Indeed, there was very little use of actual vintage fashion because of the rarity of it. As a result, eight y to ninety percent of Elizabeth wardrobe was created instead. Michele Clapton mainly took inspiration on historical facts to catch the essence of the characters’ personalities.

For example, the evolution in Elizabeth II’s clothes is based on her state of mind.  In the beginning of the series, the official costumes had to be a little unfit in order to illustrate the unease of the status which is imposed on her. But as the Queen gets older, the clothes eventually fit her completely, symbolically mirroring her state of mind about her role.

Michele Clapton would also ask the actors what they would imagine the character to wear for inspiration and minded to make the clothes match with the surroundings as complementary, to prevent the characters to blend with background.

The only times the clothes were recreated were for key events (such as Elizabeth II’s marriage or Margaret’s) and tours, when the clothes were heavily documented, thus allowing to be as accurate as possible in the reconstitution of the costumes.

Queen Elizabeth II's Presidential Dress, receiving J. Kennedy

Princess Elizabeth's suit in Kenya

One exception among the costumes was the coronation dress. It was neither created by the costume department or copied but was actually borrowed from an exhibition which faithfully reproduced the dress.

Sources:

• Grazia - Unpicking The Costumes On Netflix's The Crown With Michele Clapton
• Harper Bazaar - How The Costumes From ‘The Crown’ Measure Up To The Looks They’re Based On
• Vogue - The History Behind The Crown’s Most Incredible Looks
• Town & Country - The Crown's Costume Designer Reveals How She Re-Created the Royal Jewels