Does Kate Middleton really shop on the high street?
Has Prince William's wife always been such a snappy dresser?
And how does the duchess make casual clothing look so chic?
Keep watching to find out.
The quest for the perfect casual summer sundress has eluded many women, but in June 2018, inspiration
came from an unlikely source when Kate Middleton wore an affordable look you could find at
your local mall.
Photographed playing with her children at a charity polo match, Kate wore a breezy,
light blue-and-white striped dress from Zara.
The button-front, midi-length style with a tie-waist was ideal for lounging in the grass
to watch Prince William play for the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy.
Kate paired the $69.90 dress with tan espadrilles and sunglasses, for a laid-back summer outfit
any woman could recreate at home.
"I don't look like I'm trying hard enough."
We've seen Kate Middleton in many a boat shoe and denim combination through the years, and
her beloved Sebago "Bala" style costs under $100.
She's worn the shoes off-duty to polo matches and even on official overseas visits.
But Kate wore one of her best outfits with the casual shoes while on tour in India.
Prince William and Kate were visiting the country's Kaziranga National Park, where they
embarked on a safari to view endangered wildlife.
The royal chose a laid-back look for the occasion, which included her trusty Sebago boat shoes,
Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a pair of moto-style skinny jeans from Zara.
She also wore a white polka dot blouse which coordinated perfectly with the traditional
pink-and-white Indian scarf she was gifted on the visit.
Of course, a duchess has to add at least a little bit of royal sparkle, and Kate wore
a pair of gemstone earrings.
This casual outfit is one any woman can replicate at home, even if the only wildlife you're
viewing is in your backyard.
Shopping at the Gap is something most of us wouldn't think twice about, but it's not exactly
a store that comes to mind when thinking of members of the royal family.
In 2016, Kate Middleton sent women around the world flying to their local Gap stores
when she stepped out in a pair of printed trousers from the brand.
Coordinating with her husband, Prince William, in a navy Smythe blazer, the duchess arrived
for a visit to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the bold pants.
The store's skinny ankle pants retailed at just $25 at the time, showing that the duchess
can be pretty thrifty.
She chose a pair of neutral wedges and a ribbed ivory top to finish off her look, perfect
for meeting the locals.
It was nice to see an actual duchess shopping for a bargain from a typical store you'd find
at the mall.
And who doesn't want to feel like a royal once in a while, even when wearing $25 pants
to run errands?
"I think it was quite an adventure, really."
It seems as if Kate Middleton has never met a stripe she didn't like, and we could hardly
count the number of times she's appeared wearing a stripy top over the years.
One of her stand-out stripes moments happened during the 2017 London Marathon when she invited
participants of the upcoming race to Kensington Palace for a meet-and-greet.
Dressed in a comfy sweater, along with her trademark skinny jeans, gemstone drop earrings,
and Superga sneakers, the duchess chatted with runners taking part in the annual race.
Visible underneath a black jacket, the red, white, and blue stripes were a patriotic and
sporty look to welcome those taking part.
During the event she unveiled one of 70 very special postboxes adorned with headbands from
Heads Together, the charity launched by Kate, Prince William, and Prince Harry.
The mental health charity was the marathon's charity of the year for 2017, which Harry
dubbed a "mental health marathon" in a video featuring the royal trio.
During the video clip, Kate talked about mental health struggles along with Harry and William.
"We have seen that two heads are better than one when dealing with a mental health problem."
When it comes time for the holidays, who doesn't love some festive sweater vibes?
Kate Middleton took holiday dressing up a notch by wearing a Christmassy green sweater
to a children's event in 2019, along with a puffy red parka jacket.
Visiting the Peterley Manor Farm, Kate sweetly interacted with children involved with the
charity Family Action while wearing the cheery red-and-green combo.
The duchess sported the "mini duvet" jacket from the brand Perfect Moment.
She added dark-wash skinny jeans and a pair of sturdy hiking boots, perfect for walking
through muddy grounds, to help children pick out Christmas trees.
The event was a milestone for Kate, who took over as royal patron of Family Action from
the queen, a post she'd held for an impressive 65 years.
Finding just the right day dress for an event can be tough, let alone when you have to choose
something that's appropriate for feeding baby elephants and rhinos.
However, Kate Middleton struck just the right balance on an April 2016 tour of India.
Wearing a gorgeous and affordable long-sleeved pink floral dress with black embroidery by
Topshop, Kate joined Prince William for a day out meeting animals at the Kaziranga National
Park.
Unsurprisingly, the dress, which originally retailed for $140, quickly sold out.
Kate paired her outfit with an even more thrifty buy, choosing dangly gold-tone beaded earrings
from British high-street retailer Accessorize that cost a mere $10.
The 2012 Olympic Summer Games were a huge event for London, and the entire royal family
made sure to roll out the red carpet for athletes from around the world.
In fact, one of their own even participated and medaled in the games, with Princess Anne's
daughter, Zara Phillips, winning silver as part of Great Britain's equestrian team.
Kate Middleton also got into the Olympic spirit ahead of the Games when she met up with British
athletes for a game of hockey in March 2012.
Dressed in white Adidas sneakers and a casual gray Olympic Games hoodie, Kate played with
members of the Great Britain women's team and even scored a goal.
But it was her trendy jeans that scored fashion points.
Kate sported a $169 pair of bright coral J Brand jeans.
The springy pants were such a hit that sales of coral jeans at U.K. retailer Asda reportedly
shot up by an astounding 88% after Kate made her hockey-playing appearance.
COVID-19 presented all of us with challenges, and, in September 2020, Kate Middleton met
with parents for a socially distanced visit in London's Battersea Park to talk about life
with children during the pandemic.
During the meetup, she chose to give an entirely new look to an older pair of pants, restyling
her mauve-colored Marks & Spencer suit trousers with a puffed-sleeved white tee by Ralph Lauren.
Interestingly, back in March 2020, Kate wore the same pants with a matching suit jacket
for a visit to the London Ambulance Center.
She accessorized the suit with a clean white tee, white sneakers, a gold bangle, gold hoops,
and a dainty two-strand, gold beaded chain necklace.
A blazer can be a tricky piece to work into a casual wardrobe, but Kate Middleton always
excels at dressing down a good blazer.
In August 2013, the duchess made an appearance wearing an old favorite piece from her wardrobe.
Kate repeated a muted-green tweed jacket by Ralph Lauren, stepping out for her first public
event since the birth of Prince George.
Kate joined Prince William for the kickoff of an ultramarathon which took place in their
then-hometown of Anglesey, Wales.
With a roughly 5-week-old baby George back at home with grandma, Kate enjoyed the day
out in her classic tweed ensemble, pairing it with black jeans and L.K.
Bennett wedges.
The then-first-time mom chose a loose white patterned blouse from Zara that she'd worn
previously, giving new moms everywhere some postpartum wardrobe inspiration.
"Those first few weeks were…"
"A steep learning curve."
"A steep learning curve massively."
In September 2016, Prince William and Kate Middleton headed out on a royal tour of Canada,
and although Kate wore plenty of eye-catching looks on the trip, one of them stood out the
most.
On Day 5 of the trip, William and Kate visited Whitehorse, Yukon, with the duchess flying
the flag for Canada in a stunning gray belted coat by Canadian designer Sentaler.
The brand's distinctive ribbed sleeves gave the coat an extra fashion-forward twist, and
Kate paired it with jeans and the same cowboy boots she wore in Calgary back in 2011.
Despite the coat retailing for a whopping $1,195, it was an instant sell-out.
Later, Kate's future sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, would wear a coat from the same brand,
giving the designer an additional royal stamp of approval.
Kate Middleton has always enjoyed the outdoors and gardening, even helping to design a special
garden for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019.
She continued to show her love for plants and working with families when she pitched
in on a June 2020 gardening session at a children's hospice.
The royal chose a cheerful purple floral day dress for the occasion, meeting families in
her role as royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices.
The puff-sleeved dress, by ethical designer Faithfull the Brand, sold out in classic Kate
fashion.
Wearing a pair of comfy tan wedges, Kate bent down, sticking her ungloved hands right into
the dirt as she chatted with staff and families planting a garden.
Finishing off the look, the down-to-earth royal chose a pair of gold Accessorize drop
earrings that cost just $7.
A cozy knit sweater is always a classic winter staple, but in the U.K., chilly temperatures
can continue far into spring.
In April 2021, Kate Middleton stayed warm, showing her fondness for Fair Isle patterns
when she joined Prince William for a day at Manor Farm in Darlington, England.
Her cream-colored sweater featured a cheerful red-and-navy pattern, and she added extra
interest with a lace "pie crust collar" blouse by the French label Sézane layered underneath.
Kate coordinated with her husband, adding a green utility jacket over her sweater for
their day out, part of their 10th wedding anniversary celebrations.
In June 2021, Kate Middleton arrived at London's Natural History Museum in a pair of on-trend,
high-waisted mom jeans.
The duchess visited the museum's gardens to take part in their Urban Nature Project, sitting
on the ground to tell stories and engage in nature with local children.
Her ensemble of a coral-colored blazer, & Other Stories jeans, and sneakers proved to be the
ideal outfit for an outdoor event requiring lots of interaction in nature.
Even though her Chloé jacket cost an eye-watering $2,400, its casual cargo-style pockets and
ribbed cuffs fit right in with the natural setting and her laid-back look.
The color also coordinated with the rose gold detail on her white sneakers.
She brought back a familiar top, choosing the same Ralph Lauren ribbed white shirt she
wore to meet parents at another garden event back in September 2020.
In terms of accessories, the royal added simple gold jewelry for her casual day at the museum,
wearing a Daniella Draper necklace and gold hoop earrings.
When most people decide to play a game of volleyball, they grab shorts, t-shirts, and,
most importantly, sneakers, but most people aren't members of the royal family.
Kate Middleton chose a decidedly different pair of footwear when taking part in an October
2013 volleyball match as part of a SportsAid workshop.
The duchess, who serves as patron of the sports charity, got right into the thick of things,
playing volleyball in navy cork-heeled wedges by Stuart Weitzman, which she wore frequently
during the 2012 Olympic Games.
The 4.5-inch high wedges might have raised some eyebrows on the volleyball court, but
Kate drew the line at taking part in one particular sport.
The duchess reportedly told participants that she wouldn't be fencing as she wasn't wearing
the right shoes.
The event was Kate's first solo public royal duty since the birth of Prince George, and
her look was strikingly similar to a casual outfit she repeated several times during the
Olympics, wearing dark skinny jeans, a navy blazer, and striped top with her tall navy
wedges.
As usual, Kate's iconic style is instantly recognizable.
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