In a world where platform trainers were trending one minute and hoodies the next, there was a time when the Princess of Wales was famous for wearing beautiful dresses, gaining a reputation for flying the flag on her own for dressing safely and ladylikely.
You’ll still never find Kate indulging in silly fashion, but this year she looked chicer, smarter, and yes, stronger than ever. If you think princesses don’t need clothes as armor, think again.
In 2023, the mother of three has become synonymous with impeccable tailoring, a flashy color palette, and exuding a sharp, serious silhouette that’s as far from the Disney Princess cliché as possible. Sometimes you’d be forgiven for assuming Kate was off to complete a big investment deal rather than visiting a children’s charity.
All this is a message that she is approaching her first year in the crown role as Princess of Wales with the same focused attitude as a businesswoman campaigns to become a partner in her firm.
The Princess’ year was punctuated by many remarkable fashion moments, but the one that will truly go down in history was her coronation dress; A Sarah Burton design for Alexander McQueen that incorporated intricate embroidery as a nod to the floral emblems of the United Kingdom and was complemented by Jess Collett’s artful crownless tiara. The look managed to dominate the style conversation and convey glamor and a democratic touch at the same time.
Then there was the dramatic red cape Kate wore to greet the South Korean president in late November. An addition to the existing Catherine Walker and co. Her outfit, the strong-shouldered coat, gave the Princess a sense of dignity and authority that we have rarely seen from her before.
In fact, red was Kate’s go-to color for many major events in 2023. A color that symbolizes confidence and a look-at-me attitude, there was no hiding in pastels for some of the most important dates in the royal calendar.
At Royal Ascot she eschewed the stark palette she usually chooses for race meetings and instead arrived in a McQueen red dress and a giant saucer hat with red flower trim. Red was also the Princess’s color of choice for the coronation weekend celebrations; From a long Eponine coat in Soho to a McQueen suit at a concert in Windsor.
At Trooping the Color, Kate has historically opted for understated or sugary hues, so 2023’s stunning emerald outfit with jeweled button embellishments was a notable step beyond her comfort zone. Thought to be a nod to his new appointment as colonel-in-chief of the Irish Guards, the Andrew Gn ensemble also felt like a nod to the style of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Kate’s late mother-in-law’s influence comes out big elsewhere in her 2023 wardrobe, from the subtle 1980s-style mint Balmain blazer worn to Wimbledon to the contrasting black opera gloves worn with a white McQueen dress at the Baftas and the Princess’ style output. and Prince Louis gathered in blue for Easter at Windsor, recalling a similar image of Diana and William taken at the same event in 1987.
“Kate knows all too well how, after all these years, we are all quick and willing to make comparisons to Diana’s style,” says the book’s author, Elizabeth Holmes. HRH: Many Thoughts on Royal Style and a Substack was named too many thoughts. “I think these moments are a really nice nod to the late princess, bringing Diana back into the conversation in the press and on social media through side-by-side photos, reminding the world of her amazing sense of style.”
Holmes also believes that by dressing as Diana, Kate could create “a welcome take on Diana’s royal tenure that has nothing to do with the drama of her divorce or the tragedy of her death.” Crown All of this has resurfaced.” On a more personal level, “This also gives Catherine some props, as if the new Princess of Wales is taking the baton from the previous Princess of Wales. These Diana moments are often some of Kate’s most fashionable ensembles… Diana knew how fashion could provide a boost in these moments and make an already anticipated interaction even more exciting.
The Princess toned down the excitement by creating a rather uniform approach to dressing for some of her routines. She developed a serious passion for Self-Portrait dresses, which added more structure and sophistication than the showy dresses of a few years ago. Where she did make skirts, they tended to be throwback, neutral midi worn with polo necks or plain sweaters.
But overwhelmingly, this year was the year the Princess wore the costume. Just as Diana came to a point in the late 1980s when she grew tired of ballgowns and started wearing tuxedos, Kate seems to have reached a point where she had to redefine her regal look. The solution was put-together tailoring; They now have suits in various shades, from optical white to eggplant, from navy blue to forest green.
This may all be starting to seem boring, but I’d argue (and some would disagree) that Kate managed to showcase the dress’s versatility; Wearing a soft pink dress with a pearl-studded Camilla Elphick belt, she looked like she was joining the summer “Barbiecore” trend in a white tweed jacket and black trousers (accessorized with a Chanel bag) at the Rugby World Cup in Marseille. It was the epitome of Gallic chic and showed that it was still possible to deliver a style message on World Mental Health Day with egg yolk, orange and black (orange is the symbolic color of the day).
“Kate’s move towards suits this fall is the most specific style strategy we’ve seen throughout her royal tenure, a decisive visual shift from the familiar dresses of the Duchess of Cambridge days,” says Holmes. “I think this points to a desire for a sophisticated new chapter as Princess of Wales, dovetailed with higher-profile and more in-depth royal engagements. “Nothing gives off the woman-at-work vibe like a smart, tailored suit.” Expect more of this SubrogationStyle flair in 2024.
In September, it was announced that designer Sarah Burton would leave her position as creative director at Alexander McQueen. Although his name has been associated with other design houses (Givenchy), Burton does not currently have a fashion house and so Kate is unlikely to call him on for special occasion looks. This leaves a significant gap, given that Burton has been by the Princess’ side since she made her wedding dress in 2011 and has come to understand the intricate requirements of royal attire (though Burton will eventually find a way to continue dressing the future queen).
In a truly modern partial solution to this problem, the Princess wore a coat designed by men’s tailor Chris Kerr to her recent Christmas carol ceremony; It’s a sign that this new approach to fabulous power dressing requires outside-the-box thinking and experts. beyond the world of polite society women’s clothing.
To think that the Princess of Wales was once dismissed as predictable, safe and boring. In 2023, he showed us that, at the age of 41, his style development is not at risk of slowing down.