CATWALK TO KATE WALK

You’re a Duchess — so can’t afford to be too risque. The answer? Get the top designers to tweak their outfits just for you...

For Duchesses with royal budgets at their disposal, the fashion world is your dressing-up box. So when the Duchess of Cambridge graced an awards ceremony earlier this month, she inevitably looked stunning in a flowing Jenny Packham gown.

Yet eagle-eyed fashion insiders spotted something striking about her look. No, not the fact that she had worn the same teal chiffon six years ago to a concert at the royal Albert Hall.

rather, it was yet another example of the clever way that Kate’s dresses are adapted from the catwalk to make them suitable for a future queen.

The original Jenny Packham, for example, features chiffon panels that plunge from the shoulders to join at the waist, with a sexy lace bodice on show.

In Kate’s version, the chiffon panels meet much higher up for a primmer neckline, with only a hint of lace at the bust.

While Kate patronises some of Britain’s leading designers, edgy clothes that catch the eye on the catwalk rarely meet the exacting standards of the royal dress code.

The British royal Family is said to abide by a very specific style guide which rules out inappropriately short skirts, day dresses that are too long, anything too flashy or flamboyant, slits that gape if you bend or sit down, and fabrics that crease.

Clothes also need to stand up to scrutiny from every angle, so they need to look appropriate from the back and sides, as well as the front.

And adapting dresses is something the Duchess of Cambridge has done since soon after her marriage to Prince William in 2011.

SINCe 2014, her personal assistant/stylist Natasha Archer has made the sartorial decisions about Kate’s wardrobe. She has worked with the royal Family for years, first as a personal assistant, before she became style adviser to Kate. She knows the rules and what is suitable better than anyone.

She is the one who has to reconcile Kate’s position as the wife of the second-in-line to the throne, with her status as a style icon.

Perhaps because of Kate’s position, unlike Meghan’s team she doesn’t push fashion boundaries.

As catwalk shows work almost a year ahead of production, Natasha will look through the season ahead, choosing styles/prints/patterns that are suitable, then discuss with Kate before designers are contacted.

Small changes, such as sewing up a plunging neckline like the adjustment to Kate’s Jenny Packham, are likely to be made by Natasha.

More fundamental changes to a design happen at the design house that made the piece.

It’s a collaborative effort, to ensure the design is preserved but royal modesty met and will cost more than buying ready-to-wear off-thepeg outfits.

Here, we investigate how the frocks have transformed from catwalk to Kate . . .