KATE’S GUIDE TO WAIST-UP DRESSING

BY LAURA ANTONIA JORDAN

Two months into ‘the new normal’ and with the novelty well and truly worn off, many of us are teetering on the brink of feral by now. Not so the Duchess of Cambridge, however, who is navigating lockdown with her signature gloss intact.

In our new virtual-reality reality, Kate is proving to be the queen of Zoom call style and nailing the art of waist-up dressing. Hits include a zippy yellow Zara sweater, a sherbet Raey dress and Tabitha Webb’s baby blue and white chevron-striped Jessie knit. Last week, on a call to celebrate International Nurses Day, she opted for a spotty Altuzarra dress.

Each look has been a smart choice: polished enough to chime with the respectable poise her position requires, but in keeping with the ease her wardrobe has developed over the last year and the more relaxed sartorial mood we crave at the moment. Happy, spring colours are her current go-tos, a much-needed mood boost, sure, but also they look better than dour neutrals on those notoriously unforgiving video calls.

Ever the diplomatic dresser, she’s been opting for affordable pieces (that Zara sweater, now sold out, was £29.99) and a smattering of repeat wears (she debuted that Altuzarra dress back in 2016). It’s a savvy move – nobody wants to see eye-watering price tags right now. Nor do we want ferocious, intimidating glamour, which is why pieces like the fluid, throw-on-andgo Ghost Avery dress sold out within hours of her wearing it.

When so many of us are living in scrunchies and track pants it’s easy to scoff at gloss, but Kate’s lockdown wardrobe is a reminder about the joy of making an effort – and how the right clothes can help put one in the right state of mind. Just one question, however: how does she keep her hair looking so bouncy? Answers on a postcard please.