Catherine, Princess of Wales, although many years have passed since her marriage to Prince William of England, remains more commonly known by her maiden name: Kate Middleton.
Born on January 9, 1982 and raised in Berkshire, after a degree in art history, she married Prince William in 2011.
Mother of three splendid children George, Charlotte and Luis, in addition to dedicating herself to charities (as her late mother-in-law did) and other activities in the service of the English crown, she is also recognized as an icon of style. In fact, the newspapers have coined the expression Kate Middleton effect to indicate the impact she has had on contemporary fashion. In addition, she was listed as the third most beautiful royal ever, behind Grace of Monaco and Rania of Jordan.
One of the most loved brands is that of Alexander McQueen, in fact, even for her wedding dress the princess chose this maison, wearing a dress designed by Sarah Burton, creative director of the fashion house. Working in close collaboration, the two women managed to create a dress that combines a modern style with classic features (such as the long sleeves and the typical Victorian-era bodice). It is even said that the same fabric was used as Grace Kelly‘s wedding dress and that the presence of lace flowers on the skirt was a tribute to England, Scotland and Ireland respectively.
In general, it seems that the princess really likes the lace dresses she wears on formal occasions, during garden parties and during pregnancy:
- 2017, at Royal Ascot, the Princess of Wales wore a lace dress by Alexander McQueen. It is a modified version of the one sold in shops, in fact the length of the skirt has been lengthened;
- 2017, dress worn for the third time at a charity dinner for the Anna Freud Centre. The dress is signed by Diane Von Furstenberg and is made of a stretch material that emphasizes the shape of the wearer;
- 2017, Temperley London dress worn at a charity dinner on World Mental Illness Day. It is part of a collection inspired by Elizabethan and Baroque paintings, full of dresses with high necks and ruffles.
- 2012, Alexander McQueen lace dress, worn several times, with removable belt. It was first chosen for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
- 2018, Seraphine maternity dress worn for the opening speech of Place2be.
But the best dresses worn by the princess are:
- 2017, comfortable Orla Kiely dress worn for a surprise charity visit.
- 2016, during the tour in India, Catherine wore this dress designed by the Indian Naeem Khan, to pay homage to his land. The designer combines in an exemplary way elements that have inspired him during his travels around the world with an exotic touch. Khan, born into a family of craftsmen, still today having become famous in the fashion world, uses the fabrics produced in his father’s workshops. The princess dress has been lengthened compared to the original.
- 2016, comfortable Chloé dress used for a garden party during the Canadian tour, a great dress to hang out with the kids. However, this cream-coloured ensemble is not suitable for everyone. In fact, it only looks good on people who have a slim and slender figure.
- 2017 Going slightly against court protocol, the princess wore this Alexander McQueen off-the-shoulder dress for an engagement in Berlin. The designer who created it was inspired by the style of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, and it was created in Italy.
- 2016, new Dolce and Gabbana model sported during one of her engagements within the Canadian tour. Made in Italy and based on the 1940s style, the dress has been modified from the commercial one because it lacks a frill at the base.
Princess Catherine has inspired many people with her bon-ton yet contemporary look. Some have come to slavishly imitate the style in a phenomenon called RepliKate.
What I like most about the princess style is that whatever she wears, she makes it classy. Also, I really like the combinations she makes with shoes (almost always not too high heels) and jewels… who wouldn’t like to wear a beautiful tiara?
