She has carefully honed a silhouette that works for her—narrow tailored shoulders, cinched at the waist, fitted through the torso—but there is a common denominator in all of these looks: the hemline is now longer; always falling demurely below the knee, hitting midi-length or more. In fact, she hasn’t worn girlish knee-length hemline (or just above) for at least a year, and that’s a big statement.
Let’s face it, the simple task of getting dressed—even with all the help and advice imaginable—can’t be easy when you’re the Princess of Wales. First and foremost, and yes, it’s a boring one, but what she wears has to be practical. Working royals endure long days and so the clothes have to work, from being comfortable, to weather-appropriate, to magically immune to wrinkling. Nothing can be too fussy, so forget a slit that’s tricky to navigate, or a collar that needs tending to. Then there is the sheer impossibility of pleasing absolutely everyone. Because, you know, being the wife of the future king—and mother to his heir—means the entire world is watching; scrutinizing. Meanwhile, the not-so-insignificant pressure of living up to the fashion legacy of her late mother-in-law, whose title she has inherited, looms large. If Kate feels any of that, you certainly wouldn’t know it.
She has embraced bolder colors: cue the Alexander McQueen red power suit she wore to unveil her “Shaping Us” campaign; the cobalt-blue Catherine Walker coat dress for Easter this year, and the vivid blue 1995 vintage Chanel boucle blazer she wore to Coach Core’s 10th-anniversary celebrations. Her choices are modern but she respects traditions. I don’t know too many details surrounding Easter’s nail varnish furor—nitpickers seemed livid—but I applaud a moment of boundary pushing, especially one that involves a chic red manicure.
The Erdem skirt suit she stepped out in last month for the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey was another triumph. It isn’t the first time she has worn Erdem, but this was by far the most avant-garde version. The navy jacquard two-piece comprised a pleated peplum jacket nipped at the waist and a midi-skirt with a hemline that flipped up to reveal a contrast lining. That’s pretty daring. And it won’t be available to buy until later this summer, in August 2023.
But that’s not to say she hasn’t made more democratic choices. She manages to make high-street clothes look elegant and expensive. A yellow Karen Millen dress was a recent success. And there is a skill in that. It comes from confidence and composure, yes, but also from brilliant tailoring (seamstresses will often tweak her high street selections for a perfect fit).
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