Kate's three style commandments
Accessible, sustainable, elegant
Poised, polished and perennially fashionable, the Duchess of Cambridge never puts a foot wrong. So what’s her secret? Royal expert Claudia Joseph explains how it’s all down to three simple rules mid the recent chaos weathered by the Royal Family, there is one member of the Firm who outshines the rest: Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge. Throughout it all, Kate has remained poised and professional while inspiring millions with her enviable sense of style.
So much so that she has just been voted Britain’s most fashionable Royal by the Fashion Retail Academy. Some fashionistas have suggested that a rivalry between Kate and her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, had sparked her new look, but I believe that she has finally found the confidence to be herself.
Kate has become a modern icon.her carefully honed style can be explained by the three Cambridge commandments…
ACCESSIBLE
Perhaps Kate has taken notes from her grandmother-in-law for her first commandment. The Queen is known for her thrift, and the Duchess echoes this with her penchant for affordable labels. The 2019 Cambridge Christmas card featured her wearing a teal dress by Boden. In the sale for £60, it promptly sold out. Last month, the black and white check Zara dress she wore on a visit to Bradford, reduced to £15.99, sold out in three hours, with some shoppers posting it on Ebay for £125. And recently she’s set social media alight by rewearing a pair of £1.50 Accessorise earrings.
SUSTAINABLE
The Duchess wears her clothes again and again, and the second of her commandments was on show during October’s tour of Pakistan. Repeats included an Emmy London clutch and pumps, plus a leather vest from British label Really Wild, last worn in 2016. But it was her star turn at the Baftas, where she wore a gown recycled from 2012, that exemplified how Kate refreshes a piece: the sleeves were tweaked for a more structured shape. Reworking is a typical Kate tactic: for example, taking up necklines, and on the Pakistan tour she even turned a dress into a top.
ELEGANT
The Pakistan trip was the perfect showcase for Kate’s third commandment. With help from her stylist Natasha Archer, the Duchess’s wardrobe championed British designers and respected the host country in modest but stylish outfits. She wore dresses by Jenny Packham and Catherine Walker in varying shades of green and white, the Pakistani national colours, as well as a dazzling array of traditional costumes.
Claudia Joseph is author of How to Dress Like a Princess: The Secrets of Kate’s Wardrobe (Splendid Publications, £12.99)