When you think of trendsetting royals, admittedly you might not immediately think of King Charles III. But you really should. Honestly, we're not even joking.
He is the father-in-law to fashion savvy Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, and he was once married to the ever chic Princess Diana (who's style is still being mimicked 23 years later), but his fashion credentials have long been overlooked. Until now.
Back in the day Charles really served some lewks as he jetted all around the world being boujie and royal.
There are images below that you might well think have been edited, because he looks so freakin' cool. Forget about those East London hipsters, cycling around on their fixed wheel bikes with their Amish-style beards blowing in the wind. We declare King Charles the OG hipster.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - The slogan sweatshirt
We would pay good money for this canary yellow sweater of joy. And we'd probably have to, as this isn't any old sweater picked up from a local second hand shop, this is a totally luxury but casual 'Happy Hermès' sweater. We said it before; he's a baller. Does anyone have his number so we can ask if he's up for sharesies?
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Topless at the top
Sweet mother of God. This makes us feel weird in so many ways. We're trying to equate this with the same man who is the purveyor of overly expensive organic vegetables and exceptionally nice biscuits but it's making our brain hurt. If this version was lounging at Victoria Park with a couple of cans of cider we would 100% be asking him for his digits. Sorry we need to go now, to splash ourselves with some cold water.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Casual kaftan
This is a picture of someone called Quentin who scrapes by working as a poet, and lives in a vast loft off the Kingsland Road. He's just back from a sabbatical where he learnt to make friendship bracelets out of old straws. Jks, it's actually not, it's the original hipster P.C. just being nonchalant AF on tour in Ghana in 1977. Totally rad.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Khaki dreams
So many hipster boxes to tick, we don't even know where to start. Snake hips. Tick. Chunky god signet ring. Tick. Tonal dressing. Tick. Rucksack full of hipster gubbins. Tick. Sleeves rolled up 'just so'. Tick. Totally casual stance that still manages to scream confidence. Oh Charlie, you really killed it with this one.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Khaki dreams
So many hipster boxes to tick, we don't even know where to start. Snake hips. Tick. Chunky god signet ring. Tick. Tonal dressing. Tick. Rucksack full of hipster gubbins. Tick. Sleeves rolled up 'just so'. Tick. Totally casual stance that still manages to scream confidence. Oh Charlie, you really killed it with this one.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Wet and wild
Mens swimwear is a quagmire of sartorial pitfalls. especially for a royal out in the wild, and unpredictable seas. You definitely cannot have anything with remotely loose elastic, that's for sure. Charles opts for a daring detail of the double stripe up front. A total hipster manoeuvre, if ever we saw one.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Accessory king
Wow. Just wow. There really are no words. Charles is managing to wear super rad neon sunglasses with a roll neck and a bandana, all at once. We really have no idea how he does it. And all the while maintaining the expression of 'you can't sit with us'. Well you can, but only if you're a hipster too, obvs.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - It's all in the pose
Every hipster likes a tight tee and (then Prince) Charles is no exception, this may well be a polo outfit but we are still majorly feeling the white jodhpurs and sexy knee-high boots.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Beach babe
PC looks like he's just stepped of a Milan runway on to the beach, this sky blue safari shirt is Fashion-Forward with a capital 'F'. We're wondering if he swapped out the grey slacks for a pair of denim cut offs for the sunset cocktail cruise.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Did go to Specsavers
Charles is a man who LOVES eyewear. Whether they're some kind of tinted shades or some bold opticals like these. He's on a building site and not, in fact, adding plastic white helmets in to his excellent accessory repertoire, although we wouldn't put it past HRH.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Flower power
Charles was even ahead of the curve when it came to the world's obsession with coconut water, he gets his straight from the tree though, OBVS. He's not out here to follow trends, he's out here to set them. Which is why he's wearing another excellent safari shirt with double floral garlands. Such an unexpected combo, but 100% hipster.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Hipster hair
Hipsters spend an inordinate amount of time on their hair (if they have it). If they don't, they wear a beanie whatever time of year it is. Note: the perfect side-parting and the waves accentuated by the sweat he's worked up cycling through Dalston? Just kidding, he's probs just been playing polo again.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Tonal Heaven
It is clear there was some serious outfit planning going on precluding this fashion moment. Charles has even managed to get the Pantone of his socks so on point that they actually merge together with his shoes and trousers. It's the glasses that make this whole thing turn total hipster, and the fact that he's wearing almost exactly the same ones as Diana.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Why hello there
Whether he's taking it off or putting it on, the 'inappropriate crush alarm' is clanging loudly in our heads. The messy hair is really adding something to this whole situ, and don't even get us started on how that T-shirt makes his blue eyes pop.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Optical illusion
We imagine this one is heavily influenced by the ultimate style icon: Grace Jones. These glasses are exceptional and elevate his suit out of 'office attire' in to 'total hipster territory'. Think what these glasses could do to the rest of his royal wardrobe, we can totally see them with his hunting tweeds or a tuxedo.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Tie-dye hippy
This summer tie-dye has taken over: Instagram is full of it and you can't scroll for two seconds online without falling over the '60s favourite. Proving Charles is the OG hipster, here he is wearing it on the dance floor, looking like he's about to bust some moves. We love that he's paired it with some dad slacks and some totally mismatched loafers, it's a fashion masterpiece.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Safari so good
Could this or could this not be the cover of a men's magazine? Charles is in his favourite holiday outfit, the safari suit. Excellently accessorised, as always, with trainers (wow!) and some Chloè -esque glasses. What does a hipster keep in such a myriad of pockets? Concert tickets, artists phone numbers and spare accessories, probs.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Seeing red
Another day, another casual AF stance from the royal hipster. PC loves a roll-neck, the way he's layered white under this red sweater is genius. It's layering at it's finest. Topped off with a wax jacket that we could totally see David Beckham wearing.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Weekend wear
This is Charles doing casual, in the hipster way, obvs. A #FreeTheNipple displaying shirt, and ultra relaxed 1950s style chinos that would have Brad Pitt green with envy. He's topping it off with a hipster favorite: a deck shoe. Normally worn with bare feet, when they're in their natural habitat.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Shades 4 lyf
Another day, another royal duty, and another pair of extra sunglasses for Big Charlie. These get extra points for being Cancer Research frames and he's also proudly wearing a pink ribbon on his lapel. These are the kind of specs a modern day hipster would wear to the local shop, if too hungover for daylight. 100 hipster points for these.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Beanie baby
What is a hipster without a beanie? Not a hipster. A key wardrobe ingredient for any alternative folk worth their salt, we are deducting some points for what looks like an old fur coat borrowed from the Queen.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - The classics
A good style icon knows how to work in traditional and classic items while managing to make them look cool AF. This is the type of outfit worn to Columbia Road on a Sunday to forage for flowers and organic flat whites, dress it down with some Adidas Gazelle's and a hoodie.
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Accessory king
This one is extra alternative because while he may be wearing every single accessory at once, like a chic game of bucking bronco, he doesn't actually have shoes on. We don't imagine there was a panic when HRH was asked to remove his shoes, Charles is defo a mani/pedi kind of guy, is that Essie Ballet Slippers we spy...?
Getty ImagesKing Charles young style - Wild West
This is like getting an American Ken Doll version of Charles and we are in to it in a major way. There's no holding back, he's gone all-out. Cowboy boots, bolo tie, slightly cropped trousers, plaid shirt, big buckle belt and a white Stetson. If this doesn't make him a hipster, we're not sure what does.
*This story originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com.uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
