Princess of Power Suit! How Kate Middleton is using her clothes to show she means business
While a midi dress or simple shift with pumps used to be the go-to uniform for royal women, the power suit is having a big moment and the Princess of Wales is leading the way with her own feminine spin on business attire.
Kate Middleton has shown off an array of suits while performing her public duties, from pastels to bold reds and purples, as well as a sleek white jacket and pants combo.
During yesterday’s visit to the Foundling Museum in London, she wore a particularly striking ensemble in blush pink.
According to fashion experts, the suit jacket and trousers have become a popular wardrobe choice for royals because they stay trendy while still showing that they mean business.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, visits the Foundling Museum in London, where she meets people who have experience with the care system. The princess wore a pink blush Alexander McQueen trouser suit, which she had previously worn in 2022, and paired it with a pink blush blouse
During her royal tour to Kingston, Jamaica, in 2022, Kate wore her white Alexander McQueen suit with the crisp white jacket costing £1,370 and matching trousers £575. She added a splash of color with a vibrant orange blouse priced at £249 from Ridley London and a matching £229 orange handbag from Willow Hilson Vintage – a boutique in Cheltenham.
Celebrity fashion stylist Miranda Holder said, “This aesthetic works perfectly for the working royal as the on-trend silhouette keeps them relevant and fashionable.
“It’s a great look for when Kate is racing from one public appearance to the next.”
Alexander McQueen, the label that made Kate’s wedding dress, is also her go-to for tailoring.
She has been seen in the same designer suit, with angular pockets and sharp shoulders, in crisp white, pastel pink and midnight blue.
Kate wore her oversized white blazer a number of times and debuted it during her royal tour with Prince Williams in Jamaica.
She then continued to wear the clean suit throughout the summer months during public appearances in London, including in Brixton and Waterloo.
In Boston earlier this year, she wore a deep burgundy suit paired with a blush pink bow-tie blouse from the same designer.
On other occasions, Kate chose to wear a pink blush suit, also designed by McQueen.
Susie Hasler, who runs Styled by Susie, said the royal family may have chosen this color to avoid appearing “too formal” and add a “femininity” to her look.
Susie explained that royals across Europe may have started wearing these bright colors in an effort to be more optimistic.
She added: “In these dark times, the royals may be embracing pink more as a way to brighten the mood and send a message of hope at a time when we need it most.”
In Boston in December 2022, while visiting the Roca organization, Kate wore a burgundy Alexander McQueen suit paired with a blush pink blouse with a bow.
While visiting the University Magee campus in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Kate stepped out in a magenta trouser suit by Emilia Wickstead, paired with a navy turtleneck and navy heels
Susie Hasler, who runs Styled by Susie, said the pink blush McQueen suit Kate chose to wear to June’s Early Years Sector meeting in London because it prevented her from looking “too formal” and “femininity” added to her appearance
While attending a pre-campaign launch for the Shaping Us campaign at BAFTA in January, Kate’s Alexander McQueen suit exuded elegance with its leg-lengthening silhouette crafted from Italian red crepe
The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a £1,200 burgundy Roland Mouret suit as she hosted a reception for wheelchair rugby players at Hampton Court Palace in January 2023
During her trip to Boston, Kate was pictured stepping off a British Airways flight in an effortlessly elegant midnight blue pantsuit by her favorite designer Alexander McQueen and a turtleneck knit. She paired it with two-tiered flower-shaped earrings, previously owned by Princess Diana
When she attended the ELEVATE event in Brixton last June, she recycled her crisp white McQueen blazer, which she previously wore on the pair’s tour of Jamaica. She paired it with a pair of £590 crepe slim-leg trousers
The midnight blue blazer cost £1,801, while the worn bootcut trousers cost £732.30. The McQueen suit was the same as the designer’s pink and white suits she had previously worn
The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted this week in a Marks & Spencer blush blazer and matching trousers while meeting with staff at the call center in South West London’s Croydon on Thursday (pictured)
When Charlotte, Prince William and Princess Kate attended the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last summer, the mother-of-three recycled the Alexander McQueen suit she wore in the Caribbean, along with a white belt and a pair of low pink heeled pumps
The Princess of Wales graced in a navy blue Alexander McQueen suit and white bodysuit during a surprise engagement to welcome Royal Navy sailors to Windsor Castle in September 2022
More recently, the Princess of Wales was spotted in a green suit and matching blouse as she welcomed Prince William, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway to Windsor Castle with her husband.