Has Kate Entered Her Uniform Era?
Why the Princess of Wales seems to have embraced formulaic fashion.
For the first six weeks or so of the year, in the thick of Spare coverage and amid a flurry of engagements from the Princess of Wales, I fell behind on my usual Instagram royal fashion commentary. I do my best to weigh-in on most looks worn by Catherine or Meghan within a few days, but this was one of those stretches where I couldn’t keep up. A little distance, however, proved helpful. When I had a chance to look back, assessing the princess’s fashion in aggregate and in sequence, a trend seemed to emerge. Have we entered Kate’s Uniform Era?
Below you’ll find my thoughts on the Princess of Wales’s fashion so far this year, including what I see as her uniform and why I think she has embraced this sartorial strategy.
But first: I want to point out that several aspects of the outfits I am about to discuss were introduced to the royal fashion discourse by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. When she burst onto the scene as Prince Harry’s fiancée in 2017, Meghan wore pieces that hadn’t been part of the regular royal style conversation. She embraced a look that is much more reflective of how modern women dress, including dressy daytime trousers (and full trouser suits), unbuttoned coats, and statement handbags. We must give credit where credit is due!
Before I get to Kate’s uniform, I want to talk about the concept of “dressing for the slideshow.” It’s a term I came up with years ago to describe a series of outfits that connect and build on one another using similar style elements, like colors or silhouettes. It’s a progression with a thru-line and the sequence makes for a visually appealing slideshow, the kind fashion publications often compile. Hence the name! It’s worth noting that this way of dressing is much harder than it looks. It takes a lot of thought and sophistication to put together ensembles that stand on their own and speak to one another.
Uniform dressing takes slideshow dressing one big step further — or pares it way back, depending on your point of view — and turns fashion into a formula. The goal is not to build to a new place but to repeat.
You know who was really good at this? Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For the last two decades of her life, under the direction of senior dresser Angela Kelly, the queen wore virtually the same outfit over and over and over. She donned the same shape and size hat, coat, and dress, and then layered on the same series of accessories: pearls, a brooch, gloves, block heels, and her trusty handbag.
A regular rotation of unexpected, eye-popping shades (think: bright magenta or lemon yellow) plus some whimsical embellishments on her hats meant it didn’t feel like the same outfit. But I promise you it was, essentially, the same.
Uniform dressing crafts a very specific visual presence, which can be particularly powerful for public figures. A signature look becomes part of one’s legacy.
From a purely logistical perspective, it also simplifies the chore of getting dressed. Take Former President Barak Obama’s comments to Vanity Fair in 2012, explaining why he only wore gray or blue suits. “I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing,” he said. “Because I have too many other decisions to make.” Typically, a public figure’s uniform relies on the same exact piece. Think of Steve Jobs and his black turtlenecks.
I’d argue what the queen did was more interesting — and more challenging — because she kept fashion as part of the equation. The pieces were the same but the variations kept us guessing. They also allowed her to use her clothes to send a message, choosing elements that spoke to the engagement. Her Majesty found a way to make a sartorial statement and streamline the process.
Kate’s approach to fashion so far this year appears to take a page from Queen Elizabeth’s playbook. It’s not quite as obvious, to be sure. But if you zoom out you’ll see a real formula here.
The most important aspect of the princess’s looks as of late has been either a coat or a blazer. It makes sense seasonally and vibe-wise, reminding royal watchers she is a woman at work. Kate is tempering the structured pieces by keeping many of her coats open (which literally feels less buttoned-up) and she’s pairing them with knits (which keeps the overall effect soft, especially all these cozy turtlenecks). She has opted for dresses or trousers with a bit of volume, which add to the movement, but keeps it in check with a belt.
Much like the queen, pops of colors make the overall effect quite bright. An interesting handbag or piece of jewelry (like the statement earrings she wore last week, below) go a long way, too.
By my count, Kate has worn roughly 14 ensembles in public so far this year. Two of those were evening looks, which we can set aside for now (see below for their important role). Of the remaining dozen ensembles, three were seen in handout images released by Kensington Palace, so let’s set those aside, too.
The nine daytime outfits, worn in public appearances with press photographers present, make the case. Is it as clearly a uniform as Queen Elizabeth favored? No, certainly not. But still, to my eye, the similarities are obvious.
Look at the flow: Seven strong coats, one suit, one blazer; sweaters under each, with six turtlenecks and three crewnecks; skirts and trousers split roughly evenly. Navy, tan, and cream are accented with pops of red and orange. Within this sea of same, small deviations jump out, like the coat in green or houndstooth.
The uniform argument is bolstered by how expected many of these pieces have been. We’ve seen a lot of recent rewears, including outfits she just wore on tour in Boston (burgundy suit and orange separates, above). Wearing something again so quickly makes it easier to identify the repeat. What’s more, the U.K. is still very much in a cost of living crisis. So repeats equal relatable, sensible even.
The new pieces are notable, too, in that they are familiar — in some cases, meant to look like old styles. Kate has red and brown versions of the new green McQueen coat she wore to launch the “Shaping Us.” campaign. The new brown Hobbs London coat she wore earlier this month was made to look like a similar style Kate wore often in the earlier years of her royal tenure.
Inspired by Kate’s style? I’ve got a few links to dupes for you:
Wool coat with gold buttons / Button-less cashmere coat / Merino turtleneck / Cashmere crewneck / Linen-blend crewneck / Flared trousers / Fitted sweater dress / Pleated sweater dress / Belts in every color
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