Why the Princess of Wales Wore Nearly the Same Gown to the State Dinner
So many thoughts on a uniform approach to evening wear.
The fashion headlines out of Buckingham Palace Tuesday evening were focused on Catherine’s new (and also very old!) tiara. It was very exciting to see! But I woke up thinking about the Princess of Wales’s head-to-to ensemble at the state dinner and how her dress looked a lot like what she wore to last year’s banquet. Why would she do this? A few thoughts, below.
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Does a Uniform Work for Evening Wear?
Was anyone else seeing double Tuesday evening?
Before we get into this specific look, let’s take a step back. Since becoming Princess of Wales last year, Catherine has dressed more strategically than at any other point in her royal tenure. A clear daytime uniform emerged at the beginning of 2023 with a series of trousers, knits, and blazers or coats. The uniform, which you can read about more in my newsletter here, suggested a de-emphasis of fashion. This fall, she sharpened her sartorial focus further, relying almost exclusively on trouser suits. The message seemed to be that with a big new royal title came a more serious visual brand — a princess at work, if you will.
So far, Kate has saved the biggest style moments for the major events. I have been delighted at the risks the princess has taken with her red carpet appearances, like the off-the-shoulder fluorescent green gown at last year’s Earthshot and the black opera gloves for this year’s BAFTAs. The same is true for major royal occasions, including the emerald green Andrew Gn coat she wore to Trooping the Colour on the heels of her stunning Alexander McQueen coronation gown and Jess Collett headpiece (my favorite look of the year).
However, this week’s state banquet at Buckingham Palace suggest we could start seeing more of a uniform approach to evening wear, too.
On Tuesday evening, for a dinner on behalf of the South Korean president and first lady, Catherine wore a white gown by Jenny Packham. It appears to be a bespoke version of the “Anemone” style from the designer’s spring 2024 collection, featuring gold floral embroidery along the cape-like sleeves.
At first glance, I thought it could be a repeat because it looked an awful lot like the Jenny Packham gown Catherine wore to last year’s state dinner.
To toast the president of South Africa in November 2022, Catherine wore a version of the “Elspeth” design from Packham’s 2021 bridal collection. It featured silver floral embroidery along the shoulders and dramatic cape sleeves.
Why such a similar gown? Consider how the fashion focus of the evening was on Kate’s tiara. The princess donned a new (to her!) style: the Strathmore Rose Tiara. It is only the fourth tiara we have seen her wear in 12 years. And this style, in particular, is particularly beloved, a sparkler from the royal family’s collection that hadn’t been seen in nearly a century.
The unique piece was worn by the Queen Mother (the late Queen Elizabeth II’s mother) in the 1920s. It was given to her by her father, Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, before her wedding to the Duke of York in 1923, a hundred years ago.
As the Duchess of York, Elizabeth “wore the tiara for several official portraits taken during the early years of her marriage, pairing it with trendy 1920s fashions and jewelry,” writes the Court Jeweller. The piece is “designed to look like a garland of wild roses” and “can be styled several ways—either over the forehead, placed upon the hair, or dismantled to form five individual brooches,” according to Vogue.
Bethan Holt, fashion director at the Telegraph, reports that King Charles is behind the tiara’s reappearance. “The royal jewelry collection is now under the control of the King,” Holt writes, “so it will have been his decision to allow Catherine to wear this almost-forgotten piece of royal jewelry history.”
But back to the dress! My guess is that the close-but-not-the-same Jenny Packham gown was meant to walk a fine line: A new garment to properly note the magnitude of the occasion (the first state dinner since the coronation) but not anything so notable as to distract from the sentimental tiara. I also suspect that the morning’s bold red cape over her repeat Catherine Walker bow coat, plus that large Jane Taylor hat, was the fashion flex of the day.
Although I personally would have liked Kate to change it up a bit more, I am well aware of the message this sends. Nothing underscores the duty of her royal role — reminding us all this is a job, after all — quite like making a gown feel like a uniform.
Also, as I noted on Instagram (I will add my post to the SMT archive at the end of the month!), if you look closer at the details of the outfits they have very different vibes. In 2022, with the bigger tiara, the stronger shoulder, and the elaborate updo, Kate’s ensemble felt much bolder. This year, with the smaller, more romantic floral tiara, the shorter capelet, the gloves, and the partially down hair, felt a lot softer.
So many thoughts in my DMs! Libby said that the earlier look felt more “queen” while this year felt more “princess” while Jennifer wrote: “It’s giving Queen Mary vs. Queen Mother, no?”
Which one do you prefer? Do you think we will see a uniform approach to evening wear? Please let me know in the comments.
This look is confusing and feels so tone-deaf. She is a stunning woman, and looks exquisite *but* this look is almost a carbon copy of a previous (very successful) look. Why not just rewear that previous gown in a nod to economy and sustainability? Or, go totally the other direction and debut a gorgeous new gown? This just reads out of touch on several dimensions. (And fwiw overly fussy with the gloves - definitely felt the 2022 full on glam Catherine walker was flawlessly executed in comparison). Again - she’s stunning and looks amazing. But the messages she’s sending are confusing and not particularly reassuring.
I feel like that meme of Pam from The Office: "it's the same picture". The gowns are not different enough to have two similar dresses. If she was directed to wear white she should have chosen a different designer to ensure the look was different. Otherwise she should have worn the gown she had, imo.