On His Royal Badness
The Life and Legacy of Prince's Fashion
Will be published approx. on 3. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-1-916637-32-0 (ISBN)
Description
A garment-by-garment exploration of Prince's singular style and continued influence on contemporary fashion.
Not only was Prince a musical genius and one of the greatest artists of all time, he was a fashion icon, a trailblazer devoted to the art of dressing. Lifelong fan and fashion historian Casci Ritchie assembles a greatest-hits compilation of the best pieces in Prince's wardrobe-from ornate ear cuff down to bespoke heel-telling each garment's incredible origin story and showing how his tastes disrupted hegemonic, heteronormative, and Black masculinities.
On His Royal Badness considers Prince as a visionary artist and fearless provocateur who revered fashion and self-expression, and whose sartorial brilliance continues to shape contemporary culture.
Unaffiliated with the Prince Estate.
Not only was Prince a musical genius and one of the greatest artists of all time, he was a fashion icon, a trailblazer devoted to the art of dressing. Lifelong fan and fashion historian Casci Ritchie assembles a greatest-hits compilation of the best pieces in Prince's wardrobe-from ornate ear cuff down to bespoke heel-telling each garment's incredible origin story and showing how his tastes disrupted hegemonic, heteronormative, and Black masculinities.
On His Royal Badness considers Prince as a visionary artist and fearless provocateur who revered fashion and self-expression, and whose sartorial brilliance continues to shape contemporary culture.
Unaffiliated with the Prince Estate.
Reviews / Votes
'Ritchie balances her fandom with a wider discussion of why the 'art of dressing' can be transgressive, and just what Prince was transgressing against. In doing she so offers fresh insight into the man and not simply the legend.' -- Alastair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae 'Ritchie [has] brilliantly merged her academic background-she has three fashion-related degrees-with her lifelong fandom of the so-called Purple One ... I couldn't have asked for a better crash course.' -- Sydney Urbanek, Mononym MythologyMore details
Series
Edition
Paperback original
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 111 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
82 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-916637-32-0 (9781916637320)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Dr Casci Ritchie is a fashion and culture historian, writer, and educator based in Scotland. Her doctoral research explored the origins, materiality and afterlives of Prince's dress. She has published widely in journals including Critical Studies in Men's Fashion and Queer Studies in Popular Culture and serves on the board of the International Centre 4 Prince Studies. Alongside her research, Casci is a public speaker and workshop facilitator, working at institutions including Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Paisley Book Festival, Glasgow Film Theatre, and a number of film festivals.
Content
Chapter 1: Leg Warmers
Chapter 2: Trench Coat
Chapter 3: Cloud Suit
Chapter 4: Heels
Chapter 5: Polka Dots
Chapter 6: Butt-Out
Chapter 7: Chain Hat
Chapter 8: Rave
Chapter 9: Super Bowl
Chapter 10: Third Eye
Appendix: Does This Come in Purple? Dress practices in the contemporary Prince fan community