The 1960s were a decade of color: mod style, psychedelic hippie counterculture and even the widespread adoption of color television. Those changing times (and styles) eventually infiltrated even the most formal of institutions, the British royal family, and can be seen in Season 3 of The Crown. Costume designer Amy Roberts explains how a multitude of hues made their way to the royals in this behind-the-scenes video detailing the costumes in the third season of the series, which begins in the swinging ’60s.

It all starts with a bolt of fabric — and that goes not only for Queen Elizabeth’s costumes (Olivia Colman) but also for Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) and other members of the royal family. (Prince Charles, for example, played by Josh O’Connor, wears his traditional Prince of Wales check, a specific type of plaid.)

“The queen’s fabrics and Margaret’s fabrics, you could tell at a glance who was who. The queen, she just felt more settled, so we kept her pretty much in a palate of sugared almond colors. Margaret is slightly darker — bruised if you like, a bit like her,” says Roberts.

Principal cutter Sue Crenshaw, who’s head of The Crown’s workroom, says they made nearly 80 costumes for the queen and more than 40 for Margaret. “We’ve done blouses, skirts, coats, jackets — a real cross section of outfits. We can have a week or less to turn around a costume from start to finish, and we can do up to 10 at a time,” she explains. 

Watch the video above to see more about the costume-making process for Season 3 of The Crown, and tune in Nov. 9 for the debut of Season 5 on Netflix.