Kate Middleton’s outfit choices often cause fashion brands to instantly sell
out of the items she wears, but what’s her best fashion moment? From sleek
royal wedding looks to chic school run ensembles, keep watching to find out.
When royal wedding bells rang on April 29, 2011, everyone waited with bated breath to see what the
bride would wear. When Kate Middleton stepped out in a stunning Sarah Burton for Alexander
McQueen wedding gown, it drew instant comparisons to Grace Kelly's lace wedding dress with its high
lace neck, long sleeves, and full skirt. Clarence House released a statement sharing Middleton's
desire to combine elements of royal tradition with modern style in her wedding day look,
and she managed to do this beautifully. Speaking of tradition, for her "something
old," the bride wore the Cartier Halo tiara, previously owned by the Queen Mother.
What many people don't know is that the lace pattern on Kate's wedding dress
includes patriotic designs close to her heart.
The lace was made by the Royal School of Needlework and features, per Royal Central,​
"The national flowers of all four nations in the United Kingdom:
the English rose, the Scottish thistle, the Irish Shamrock, and the Welsh daffodil."
Ever since the announcement of her engagement to Prince William in 2010,
Kate Middleton has been a fashion icon, and her classic blue wrap dress started it all.
When stepping out in front of the press for the first time as an engaged couple,
Kate chose a simple but striking blue wrap dress by Issa London, which reportedly sold
out in an astounding five minutes. Women around the world wanted the Issa dress,
but plenty of others copied the look with lower-priced options being made available.
However, all of this attention actually came at a cost. Sadly, Kate's popularity helped, in part,
to drive Issa out of business. The brand was unable to keep up with the skyrocketing demand,
and wasn't able to finance the production of the Issa dress at the rate people were ordering it.
The label, unfortunately, closed its doors in 2015,
but the blue wrap dress lives on as a classic Kate Middleton look.
One of Kate Middleton's strongest looks is the knockout gold gown she wore to the September 2021
premiere of the James Bond movie "No Time to Die." Wearing a sequin-and-bead encrusted Jenny Packham
dress with a cape detail, Kate sent jaws dropping on the red carpet at London's Royal Albert Hall.
As usual, the "Kate Effect" went into full force after the event.
Shoppers were so eager to copy Kate's look that retailer Pretty Little Thing reportedly saw a 550%
increase in searches for gold sequin dresses. The good news, if you have $5,488 to spare,
is that you can buy Kate's outfit for yourself, as Jenny Packham's 007 collection
features a slightly different version of the Duchess of Cambridge's stunning gown.
Kate Middleton manages to be a fashion icon even when she wears jeans and sneakers,
as she proved on a June 2021 visit to the Natural History Museum in London.
Sporting a $2,550 salmon-colored Chloé blazer and white Ralph Lauren top,
Kate learned more about the museum's Urban Nature Project on her day out in London.
She sat on the ground and walked through a wooded garden with local school children taking part in
the project, so it was natural she wanted to choose something comfortable for the trip.
Her outfit included a pair of high-waisted, cropped jeans and a pair of sneakers.
For her relaxed look, Kate chose simple accessories, pairing a gold Daniella Draper
necklace with small gold hoop earrings. Once again, Kate showed that casual doesn't have
to be basic or boring, and that a blazer can elevate an everyday pair of jeans.
Royal fans look forward to seeing the whole family turn up to church on Christmas Day each year, and,
of course, what Kate Middleton is going to wear is always a source of conversation. In 2019,
Kate pulled out all the fashion stops when she brought Prince George and Princess Charlotte along
for the traditional church walk for the very first time. Looking warm and incredibly chic,
Kate wore a gray Catherine Walker coat with fur trim at the cuffs and collar. The belted coat
features two rows of military-inspired buttons at the top and a full skirt,
ideal for keeping cozy on a cold Christmas morning.
She paired it with a festive green hat, green Emmy London heels, and a matching clutch,
coordinating perfectly with her daughter Charlotte's green coat. Underneath her coat,
Kate wore a repeat Michael Kors peacock-pattern dress, first worn to a day of engagements in
Blackpool, England. This fancy, vintage-style coat and hat might be hard for the average woman to
pull off on Christmas day, but it certainly gave us some great holiday inspiration.
"She always looks fierce. She always wins Spring Fling Queen." "Who cares?" "I care!"
One of Kate Middleton's most memorable evening wear looks came early in her role
as the Duchess of Cambridge when she attended a 2012 London Olympics gala.
Walking the red carpet in a gorgeous turquoise gown by Jenny Packham,
Kate looked every part the glamorous royal. Featuring lace cap sleeves and
a crystal-detailed belted waist, the gown was a stand-out choice for an elegant event.
The dress was a modified version of a runway style from Packham, including a slightly more
modest bustline. Kate teamed the gown with Jimmy Choo heels and a handbag that matched her dress.
The look was such a hit that Kate wore it again,
donning the gown for the Tusk Conservation Awards in 2018, giving women around the
world an excuse to not spend money on a new evening dress for every event.
The second time around, she kept her shoes and clutch the same, but mixed things up by choosing
a different hairstyle, leaving her hair down versus the updo she sported for the 2012 event.
Most parents agree that dropping the kids off at school is a fairly mundane task,
but Kate Middleton amped up the glamorous mum factor for Princess Charlotte's first day of
school in September 2019. The Cambridge family arrived hand-in-hand at Thomas's Battersea school
with Kate choosing a belted floral shirt dress by Michael Kors. The magazine noted
that Kate first wore the dress to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding rehearsal in 2018,
but the frock was only spied in a photo of her driving to the event.
Featuring a red, white, and blue floral print, Kate cleverly matched George and Charlotte's navy
and red school uniforms, proving she always thinks to dress for the perfect photo op.
Although we're pretty sure she doesn't turn up to school looking like this every day,
Kate showed that throwing on a pretty dress once in a while
can make a mundane task like the school drop-off feel a little bit more special.
One of Kate Middleton's prettiest coat moments happened during an overseas visit in 2017,
paying a trip to Luxembourg as a "Brexit ambassador." Kate wore a pastel blue Emilia
Wickstead coat dress for the solo visit, during which she met the prime minister of Luxembourg,
along with members of the country's royal family. With its blazer-like top and swingy bottom,
the coat struck just the right balance of dressy and business-like for meeting VIPs.
Although the coat gave off a bit of a vintage 1950s feel with its twirly skirt, the duchess
kept it modern with her signature bouncy hair, beige pumps, and sparkling accessories.
When Princess Eugenie got married in October 2018,
fashion fans were excited about what all of the royal wedding guests were wearing.
Kate Middleton failed to disappoint with her outfit, choosing a berry-hued, long-sleeve
dress by Alexander McQueen. The rich color looked stunning for an autumnal wedding and certainly
made Kate stand out from the crowd. Surprisingly, the Alexander McQueen frock is a near clone of
the pink one Kate wore to Trooping the Colour in 2017, minus the slightly different puffed sleeves.
"On Wednesdays we wear pink."
Kate's matching fuschia headpiece designed by Philip Treacy featured
vintage-style netting and tonal flowers to match her dress. However, it was so windy,
Kate literally had to hold on to her hat while standing outside St. George's Chapel.
British retailer L.K. Bennett has been one of Kate Middleton's go-to brands since she first became a
member of the royal family. From her signature beige patent heels to various dresses and bags,
she's worn numerous L.K. Bennett pieces over the years. One of her best L.K.
Bennett moments happened in 2014 when she wore the brand's white-and-blue poppy-print dress,
and it was so good, she wore it twice.
The summery, floral knee-length dress made its first appearance when the Cambridges visited
Brisbane, Australia, on their 2014 tour of the continent. In 2016, the dress made a
repeat showing when William and Kate headed to Luton, England, for a day of appearances.
While Kate Middleton often favors British designers, she delighted fashion fans by
expanding her fashion horizons during a trip to London's Victoria and Albert Museum in June 2017.
Wearing a short, retro-style Gucci dress, Kate stopped by the V&A ["V and A"] to officially open
the museum's new spaces. Featuring a chic tweed fabric with bright ribbon trim and button accents,
Kate's look was ideal for visiting an institution with the largest fashion collection in the world.
As she often does, Kate carried a clutch,
matching it perfectly to the red trim of her dress, pairing it with a chunky black heel.
One of Kate Middleton's prettiest day dresses
is the pink tie-neck style she wore for World Mental Health Day in 2016.
"William, Harry, and I, feel it is our duty to do what we can,
with your help, to shine a spotlight on emotional wellbeing."
And it was also the first time she ever wore Kate Spade. The brand spoke to People
about their delight over Kate choosing their style, telling the publication,
"[The duchess] embodies all of the qualities of the Kate Spade
New York girl — she is quick, curious, playful and strong."
Joining Prince William, Kate looked fresh and feminine in the chiffon rose-print dress,
which retailed for $498. For her beige clutch, she opted for one of her go-to brands, L.K. Bennett.
Royal Ascot is always a feast for the eyes in terms of style, and each year the royal family
arrives to cheer on their favorite horses. The event was described by Town & Country as,
"A cross between a royal wedding and the Kentucky Derby, except boozier."
The event always draws memorable and elegant fashion from the royals, with Kate Middleton being
no exception. In 2019, the duchess wore one of her most striking Ascot looks when she chose a powder
blue Elie Saab dress and an oversized Philip Treacy floral hat. By wearing the hat at an angle,
Kate was able to show off her chic braided hairstyle, which was twisted off to the side.
The dress features Kate's signature pussybow neck tie, a full chiffon skirt, and gorgeous
sheer detailing on the sleeves and bodice while still remaining modest. Pairing it with metallic
silver heels and a matching silver clutch made the outfit extra elegant for a day at the races.
Festive holiday plaid
The holiday season is a fabulous time to bring out the festive red tartans, and, in 2018,
Kate Middleton showed her affinity for plaid by bringing out one of her cheeriest Christmas looks
ever. Debuting a new Emilia Wickstead skirt at a Royal Air Force Christmas
party at Kensington Palace, Kate looked extra Christmassy without wearing a tacky sweater.
She wore the long, red plaid skirt with a pair of black high-heeled boots and a buttoned-up,
cropped, black cashmere cardigan. Kate added some extra holiday sparkle to the look with a stunning
pair of Mappin & Webb diamond earrings. Walking through a storm of fake snow,
Kate and William spread Christmas cheer to everyone around them. Wearing bright plaid
made her stand out in the fun photos, too. She may have even been inspired by Queen Elizabeth II,
herself, who's known for wearing bright colors. The colorful holiday season look
also likely brightened the spirits of the Air Force families attending the party,
which was for loved ones of British military serving in Cyprus at the time.
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