Page 4: Author: Andrew Bates

Thought you were stylish? Think again! A new wave of fashionistas has emerged in recent years: the mini me! Following in the footsteps of their fashion-forward parents, these little ones are paving the way and putting us grown-ups to shame.

When it comes to child style icons, Prince George and Princess Charlotte obviously make the cut with their traditional yet super-cute dress. And, while it’s rare to see Kate and William dressing like their little ones, there are some A-list mums and dads who aren’t afraid to wear the same clothes as their children.

Two high-profile mini-me’s spring to mind: daughter of Beyoncé and Jay Z, Blue Ivy, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s little one, North. They’re regularly spotted across their parents’ social media donning the same designer clothing as their parents — notable posts include Beyoncé and Blue’s matching Gucci denim jackets and Kim and North’s super-elegant silver sequinned dresses.

The likes of Blue and North have become style icons within their own right, influencing the style of many children — and adults. It is trend figureheads like Blue and North that can largely be attributed to the rise of mini-me fashion on UK high streets.

In 2011, department store Selfridges witnessed an 80 percent growth in children’s versions of adult clothes, including Hunter wellingtons and children’s quilted Barbour jackets. According to Google Trends data, search interest in ‘mini me clothing’ and ‘mother and daughter matching outfits’ has grown significantly between 2012 and now. In fact, there are 810 searches per month on average across these two phrases in the UK — showing the trend’s increasing popularity over the years.

Many high street stores now offer capsule collections of their grown-up clothing range for children. Not only does this mean their little ones can stay ahead of the latest trends, it has given rise to the mini-me fashion trend in the UK, with many parents and children dressing the same.

At Fulton Umbrellas, our collection of children’s umbrellas has plenty of choice for your little mini me. Take your pick from the clear birdcage umbrellas in our ladies range and find a matching one in our range of kids Funbrellas. Even when the weather’s wet, our umbrellas will help you keep your matching look perfect — order yours today!

Everyone knows the right accessories can make an outfit — and nobody knows this better than Queen Elizabeth II. From head-to-toe, her majesty’s carefully chosen hats, handbags, shoes and umbrellas complete her perfectly polished look. Here, Fulton Umbrellas takes a look at her most iconic accessories in more detail.

Umbrella

Of course, because the British weather is ever-changing, the Queen is often spotted with umbrella in hand. She favours our clear, birdcage-style umbrellas, as they allow her to stay dry while still remaining visible to her public.

Each of the umbrellas we create for her majesty is completely bespoke. Ahead of an event, her Senior Dresser will send us a colour swatch of the outfit she’ll be wearing. We are then able to create an umbrella with a trim, handle and tip that perfectly matches her outfit, leaving nothing to chance.

To order your own slice of royal style, visit our collection of ladies umbrellas.

Handbag

Another of the Queen’s most iconic accessories is her handbag. With its distinctive long-handled shape, her Royale and Traviata Launer handbags are her preferred style, as the longer handles make handshaking easier. It is reported that her majesty has some 200 Launer handbags — an impressive collection in anyone’s eyes!

Some reports have suggested that her handbag is more than just an accessory — it’s a way of communicating with her staff. For example, one Telegraph article suggests that if her majesty places her handbag on the table, she is ready to leave an event.

Of course, these secret signals are unconfirmed. What we do know is that the Queen’s Launer handbags will go down in history as one of the most iconic accessories.

Hat

Over the years, her majesty has donned a number of hats and is rarely seen without one. Her milliner of choice, Rachel Trevor-Morgan, creates bespoke hats with carefully considered measurements to allow for ease of getting into – and out – of vehicles.

Just like her umbrella is designed not to obscure her face, the Queen is very rarely seen in wide-brimmed hats, as these can make her difficult to see.

Shoes

The Queen’s go-to shoe of choice is a pair of simple black shoes created by Anello & Davide with a 2.25-inch heel to ensure her comfort throughout every event she attends.

Although the shoes are specifically created for her feet, a member of staff will wear her shoes prior to an event to break them in. Reportedly, the staff member wears socks and only walks on carpet. However, the shoes are trialled outside once to ensure they have sufficient grip for her majesty.

Want to learn more about the Queen’s style secrets? Check out our blog post.

The Glastonbury 2017 line-up has been announced in full and we can’t contain our excitement! We’re counting down the days until music royalty Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters and Radiohead descend on Worthy Farm — and we’re already contemplating our outfit.

As with many British days out, our outfits are usually dependent on the ever-changing British weather — but is it possible to predict the weather at Glastonbury 2017? Fulton Umbrellas takes a look at the (often wet) history of the festival to establish the chances of rain at this year’s event.

Now in its 47^th year, it’s difficult to believe that just eight Glastonbury Festivals have been dry! However, back in 1970 — the festival’s first year — it was a very different story. Revellers enjoyed dry, sunny weather — a far cry from what was awaiting them in years to come.

Any recount of Glastonbury’s weather has to mention 1997, or the ‘Year of Mud’ as it’s affectionately named. Before the festival had even began, rain had been falling for eight out of nine days. Fields were transformed into blogs and by the Sunday, stages were fully waterlogged and the Other Stage had even started to sink!

Surely, 1997 was rain at its worst—or was it? In 2016, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis reported that the mud was the worst it had ever been. It was knee-deep in places, although it didn’t seem to put the thousands of festival-goers off. The region’s entire woodchip supply was used over the duration of the festival in an effort to make the mud more manageable.

Mud aside, the largest amount of rain fell in 2005, although the Thursday of the festival was fine and dry. However, by the Friday, the heaven’s had opened and nearly a month’s worth of rain fell in only a few hours. Fields became flooded, washing away tents and even completely submerging some.

But it doesn’t always rain at Glastonbury — the sun is known to make an appearance every now and again. In 2013, a rainy Thursday made way for mid-twenties temperatures that left many revellers suffering from heat exhaustion.

2010 was the hottest Glastonbury Festival in 40 years, with temperatures reaching 30°C. By Friday, over 1,000 people had been treated for heat-related conditions like sunstroke and dehydration.

So what does this mean for 2017? Well, the statistics show that historically, 83% of all Glastonbury festivals have been wet, so we definitely can’t rule out the chance of rain. However, the Met Office’s early predictions suggest that 2017 will be one of the warmest years on record, creating that ever-difficult scenario: how do you dress for warm, wet weather?

Want our advice? We’ll be packing our shorts and t-shirts, as well as our wellies, rain coats and of course, umbrellas. We’re hoping for sun but with rain almost certain, we’re taking no chances!

Prepare for Glastonbury 2017 and shop our fantastic range of clear umbrellas, available in our range of men’s and ladies umbrellas — they’ll keep you dry and you won’t miss any of the action!

Leading with duty, grace and dignity, Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest-serving monarch, recently celebrating 65 years on the throne.

As well as her outstanding leadership skills, her impeccable fashion has remained ever-present throughout her reign, leaving many of us wondering just how she does it. Here, Fulton Umbrellas lift the lid on Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion secrets, showing you just how she achieves her polished to perfection look.

The ever-changeable British weather

The Queen’s royal engagements can take her anywhere, so it’s important that she’s dressed for every eventuality. After all, the British weather has never been known for its predictability.

Her majesty is regularly spotted with our birdcage-style clear umbrellas, which can be found in our range of ladies umbrellas. Not only do these allow her to be seen by her public, they’re completely bespoke and are made to match her outfit. The Queen’s senior dresser sends us a colour swatch of the outfit she’ll be wearing in advance of an engagement and we’ll create an umbrella with a perfectly matched trim.

It’s not just the rain the Queen has to deal with; wind can also be an issue. Before she wears a dress or coat, her team use electrical fans to test the fabrics movement. If it moves too freely, small curtain weights are then sewn into the hem to give it more structure.

Practical perfection

Royal engagements can be lengthy, so it’s important that her majesty’s outfits are practical to keep her comfortable. Each aspect of her outfit is carefully considered to ensure that flawless, polished look she has become synonymous with.

The Queen often travels by car and as such, lightweight fabrics are unsuitable as they crease too easily. Rather, each outfit must be made from wrinkle-proof fabric to keep her clothes looking perfectly pressed throughout lengthy car journeys.

Likewise, to keep her feet comfortable, her majesty wears shoes with a 2.25-inch heel and insoles. Her handbags are similarly well thought-out. As she shakes many hands during her engagements, she prefers a handbag with a long handle — namely Launer’s Royale and Traviata bags. Because the strap is longer, it doesn’t interfere with handshakes or her preferred three-quarter sleeves.

But what’s inside the Queen’s handbag? Unfortunately, that remains a mystery. However, rumour has it she carries reading glasses, a compact mirror, mints and a fountain pen. Only on Sundays does she carry cash — a neatly folded £5 or £10 note to be exact.

We’ve had the shoes and bag—but what about the hat? As you’d expect, the Queen’s headwear is carefully considered too. The Queen’s preferred milliner, Rachel Trevor-Morgan creates specially bespoke hats that do not obscure her face and are the right height for getting into and out of vehicles with ease.

The colour spectrum

Over the years, the Queen has been seen in a rainbow of colours — but have you ever noticed that you never see her in the same colour at consecutive events? That’s because behind each of her majesty’s outfits is a team who select the colour based on the nature of the event and when she last wore a similar shade.

For example, if her royal engagements took her to a park or leafy area, the Queen would stay away from shades of green, as they would make her blend in. Instead, she wears colours to stand out from her surroundings, making her easier to see for crowds.

Her team of dressers keep handwritten diaries of the outfits she wears so they can keep track of what she wears and what for. As she’ll sometimes wear an outfit more than once, this process helps ensure they’re worn on a strict rotational basis.

Want to steal her majesty’s style? Shop our range of iconic birdcage umbrellas today.