On His Royal Badness: The Life and Legacy of Prince’s Wardrobe

404 Inklings #2

by Casci Ritchie

On His Royal Badness explores how Prince’s distinctive style both on and beyond the screen disrupts hegemonic, heteronormative and Black masculinities to examine and celebrate the construction and impact of Prince upon contemporary fashion.

As a lifelong fan and academic specialising in the field, Casci Ritchie looks to highlight the importance of Prince as a cultural icon, and dive into the depths of his own personal reverence for fashion and self-expression, and what can be learned through that.

Taking core pieces from his wardrobe, she embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of how the simplest of pieces can tell the most incredible of stories. A must for fans of Prince, fashion, and discovering more about cultural icons and their lasting influence in unexpected ways.

This book is unaffiliated with the Prince estate.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

Paperback

Published July 29, 2021

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A passionate overview of Prince’s sartorial legacy, and the impact he had on Black heterosexual masculinity for almost half a century. For me as a music fan it was fun to read about his influences in style which I was unaware of, but love hearing his influence on contemporary artists.

For such a short piece I found this a little repetitive, and the typos, even some errors with dates, distracting. Some of the figures of speech and expressions used in this which come from LGBTQ and Black culture set me on edge a little, not because they don’t belong in non-fiction or print, but because Prince wasn’t a drag artist and the author is not Black.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit that I'm not exactly a fashionable person (and even when I am, it's way less risqué than anything Prince ever did), but I do like Prince as a musician and I've always been fascinated by the ways in which he used fashion to create his own unique image that was iconiquely (?) his. This book is a great summary of his iconic looks and how he used them to compliment his music and the narrative he was creating. Casci Ritchie is a great scholar: managed to be clear, concise, and entretaining, which is perfect for anyone dipping their toes in Prince's massive fashion legacy.

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

the coolest to ever do it. this book was so detailed, to the point where i was actually overwhelmed, but absolutely worth the read. the little cut-out paper doll sketches of prince and the relevant outfit included at the start of each chapter was a lovely touch. all in all, i had so much fun with this!!

[James Rozier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love you prince

[Lisa Wynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful set of essays analysing Prince’s aesthetic of dress through characteristics garments and different stages of his career. My only selfish wish is that it was longer and covered even more of the moments and styles and expressions we saw throughout his career! For what it lacks in photographs, the book more than makes up for in detailed, evocative descriptions and whimsical illustrations - though this perhaps marks it as more for the fan with the the visual references already in mind. I particularly liked the tracing of the development of key garments and looks and that insight into the aesthetic process of such a polished artist. We miss him so much. 💜

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these little Inklings books and wish they would get a North American publication. In the meantime, the couple I've managed to get a hold of will have to do! This was a fun and interesting read. I'm familiar with Prince but don't know a ton about him beyond the basics, so this was an interesting intro. I'm not sure if I would have liked it more if I were a bigger fan, though. There was a lot of detail about certain things, but it felt like other areas were lacking. I still enjoyed it and would read more.

[Ashley Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent & accessible read for both longtime fans of Prince and those who are just beginning to learn about him. Jam packed with fashion history, cultural references and the exploration of Prince’s personal style throughout the years - it was informative, fascinating & charismatic. And let’s not forget the adorable paper dolls! A joy to read & a must have for any Prince fan.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventure through Prince’s sartorial choices and the impact they’ve had on culture and fashion. I loved this - as a Prince fan and as someone who enjoys style and creativity.