Making your first public appearance in six months is naturally a reason to call in fashion’s big guns.
For the Princess of Wales at Trooping the Colour yesterday, these came in the form of one of her favourite milliners Philip Treacy, as well as Jenny Packham, a designer whose dresses she has called upon dozens of times for some of her most important royal occasions.
The monochrome look, completed by Jimmy Choo heels (£650), a Mulberry clutch (£495) and Cassandra Goad pearl earrings (£5,620), was not just an elegant homage to homegrown British brands but a masterclass in sustainable fashion.
Kate’s dress is a reworked version of the dress she wore to a coronation lunch at Buckingham Palace last year. (She owns the same dress in navy and black, too). The belt has been modified and a statement bow added to the neckline.
It’s not Kate’s first foray into upcycling – for last year’s Baftas she modified an Alexander McQueen dress she had previously worn in 2019.
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Alongside reworking, rewearing was the order of the day. Kate’s earrings are the same ones she wore to Prince Louis‘ christening in 2018; she has owned her Mulberry clutch for more than a decade; and this marks the ninth outing for her Jimmy Choo heels. But, despite this, the look seemed anything but ‘seen that before’.
It helps to have a new Philip Treacy hat, of course, but it’s the clever addition of the bow and the modified belt that are largely responsible for transforming a seemingly corporate pencil dress into a showstopping occasion piece.
An Irish Guards’ regimental brooch provided an appropriate military note that acknowledged Kate’s role as Colonel of the Regiment.
This fashion triumph comes after the news last week that Kate’s longtime stylist Natasha Archer has been promoted to the role of senior private executive assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Talk about nailing your first assignment.
Other royals also used the occasion as an opportunity to showcase the best of British fashion. The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a pale yellow dress by Beulah London (£750) – a brand loved by royals across Europe – with a matching Jane Taylor hat (£1,625).
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Her daughter Lady Louise, like Kate, dipped her toe into sustainable fashion practices – she donned the same Suzannah London dress (£1,290) she wore to the coronation last year, and borrowed the bespoke Jane Taylor hat her mother wore to Ascot last year.
Even Queen Camilla rewore – while her Philip Treacy hat is new, her mint green silk crepe coat and dress, by couturier Anna Valentine, is the same look she wore to Ascot last year. She also wore the late Queen’s Grenadier Guards brooch in a nod to her role as their Colonel-in-Chief.
One thing’s for sure. Even rain can’t stop this (fashion) parade.