Tag Archives: the Duchess of Cambridge

During the nine years that Kate Middleton has been in the public eye, she has gone from being known as “Waity Katie” to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and from dressing like the college co-ed she once was to becoming the style icon she was meant to be.  The refreshing thing about Kate’s fashion evolution is that during her transformation she has stayed true to herself.  She dares to wear off-the-rack High Street clothes one day and Couture the next and all the while seemingly never missing a beat.   She truly exemplifies how women in their twenties and thirties can develop a fashion sense that is both contemporary and classic without sacrificing their individual personalities.  As Anne Hathaway put it during an interview with USA Today, “I’m just very grateful to Kate Middleton for making looking appropriate really fun again”.

Kate has learned over the years the aesthetic value of clothes that are sleek and simple — they have a certain feeling of timelessness to them. Kate also realizes that the quality of a garment is not dependent upon the price. This has allowed her to skillfully maneuver between the two worlds of High Street and Couture in a way that no Royal has done before her.  The result is a  professional wardrobe for the working woman that is never dowdy or boring and always reflects a bit of  her own personality.

While visiting riot damaged Birmingham, Kate wore a wool-crepe skirt and a silk georgette blouse by Alexander McQueen. The entire ensemble with its military look and streamlined skirt exudes professionalism while the slit in the skirt adds personality.

On the day that she and Prince William announced their engagement, she wore an electric blue silk wrap dress by Issa.  Drawing subtle attention to her waistline, the dress with its fabulous drape, for which Issa is known, included a ruched neckline that kept the v-neckline from appearing too revealing.
For the official engagement picture, Kate wore a white dress by Reiss that featured a paneled waist band and side pockets with an overlay on the front skirt.  Interestingly, she bought the dress two years prior to wearing it for this photograph.

Recently, during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Tour, Kate wore a classic jade jacket and skirt by LKBennett. She gave the outfit a personality infusion by cinching the jacket at the already nipped waistline with a black belt.  The result:  a hint of the currently trendy peplum look.

Even when dressing casually in jeans, she achieved a sophisticated look on their Canadian Tour by pairing them with a ruffled white shirt, tucked in to accentuate her waist and curves, navy blazer and espadrilles.  Wearing the same pair of jeans again on their Tour, she topped it with a Burberry shirt and wore Sebago Bala loafers giving the ensemble a put-together, yet relaxed look.