Kate’s masterclass in turning an old dress into a showstopper! ALICE HARE gives The Firm her fashion verdict
Your first public appearance in six months is of course a reason to call in the big guns of fashion.
For the Princess of Wales bee Entering the color yesterday these came in the form of one of her favorite milliners Philip Treacy, as well as Jenny Packham, a designer whose dresses she has visited dozens of times for some of her most important royal occasions.
The monochrome look, completed with Jimmy Choo heels (€650), a Mulberry clutch (€495) and Cassandra Goad pearl earrings (€5,620), was not only an elegant tribute to homegrown British brands, but also a masterclass in sustainable fashion.
Kate’s dress is a reworked version of the dress she wore to a coronation lunch Buckingham Palace last year. (She also has the same dress in navy blue and black). The belt has been adjusted and a statement bow has been added to the neckline.
For the Princess of Wales at Trooping the Color yesterday, these came in the form of one of her favorite milliners Philip Treacy, as well as Jenny Packham, a designer whose dresses she has visited dozens of times for some of her most important royal occasions.
The monochrome look, completed with Jimmy Choo heels (€650), a Mulberry clutch (€495) and Cassandra Goad pearl earrings (€5,620), was not only an elegant tribute to homegrown British brands, but also a masterclass in sustainable fashion
It’s not Kate’s first attempt at upcycling; last year Baftas she adapted an Alexander McQueen dress she had previously worn in 2019.
In addition to reworking, rewearing was the order of the day. Kate’s earrings are the same ones she wore Prince Louis‘baptism in 2018; she has owned her Mulberry clutch for more than a decade; and this is the ninth outing for her Jimmy Choo heels. But even so, the look seemed anything but ‘I’ve seen that before’.
It helps to have a new Philip Treacy hat, of course, but it’s the clever addition of the bow and custom belt that goes a long way in transforming an apparently business pencil dress into a standout occasion piece.
An Irish Guards regimental brooch provided a fitting military note recognizing Kate’s role as colonel of the regiment.
This fashion triumph comes after news last week that Kate’s long-time stylist Natasha Archer has been promoted to the role of senior private executive assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Talk about completing your first assignment.
The Duchess of Edinburgh (right) wore a pale yellow dress from Beulah London (£750) – a brand loved by royals across Europe – with a matching Jane Taylor hat (£1,625)
Even Queen Camilla wore again – while her Philip Treacy hat is new, her mint green silk crepe coat and dress, from couturier Anna Valentine, is the same look she wore to Ascot last year
Her daughter Lady Louise, like Kate, has dabbled in sustainable fashion – she wore the same Suzannah London dress (£1,290) she wore to last year’s coronation, and borrowed the custom-made Jane Taylor hat her mother wore last year. years wore from Ascot.
Other royals also took the opportunity to show off the best of British fashion. The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a pale yellow dress from Beulah London (£750) – a brand loved by royals across Europe – with a matching Jane Taylor hat (£1,625).
Her daughter Lady Louise, like Kate, has dabbled in sustainable fashion – she wore the same Suzannah London dress (£1,290) she wore to last year’s coronation, and borrowed the custom-made Jane Taylor hat her mother wore last year. years wore from Ascot.
Even Queen Camilla wore again – while her Philip Treacy hat is new, her mint green silk crepe coat and dress, from couturier Anna Valentine, is the same look she wore to Ascot last year. She also wore the brooch of the late Queen’s Grenadier Guards, in a nod to her role as their Colonel-in-Chief.
One thing is certain. Not even rain can stop this (fashion) parade.
