Overnight Kate Middleton has become a style icon, and with her classic and timeless fashion sense, it’s easy to see why. Her use of preppy textiles and clean lines create flattering and effortless silhouettes, which make her look flawless, whether she’s at a royal event or running errands. But what makes this future princess such a great example of what-to-wear is how she has fused everyday style with natural royal flair. Whether you’re looking to snag a prince or just look like a princess, take a cue from Kate and her to-be royal style.

Daytime Duties Chic

Being a future princess is hard work, what with all the hand-shaking and royal daytime appearances. For Kate’s royal duties and mingling with the lay people, her look is always pristinely streamlined, often consisting of tailored knee-length dresses with matching jackets. Of course being the princess-in-training that she is, she’s usually donning her signature headpiece as almost a daytime, demure tiara.

First order of business: invest in a pair of Christian Louboutin black pumps. After that, you’re halfway there. To live up to Kate’s style example, streamline your daytime look with a shift dress paired with a matching, tailored coat. Should a dress-coat identical match prove difficult to find, go with Kate’s ever-present off-white coat option over a neutral dress, like this look from our Burlington Mall store (left).

For a more formal daytime event – such as a garden party or non-royal wedding – just shorten the jacket and darken the colors of your outfit. Kate has been seen utilizing the ever-classy blazer and bold A-line dress combo, simply follow her lead and pick a bold jersey or cotton A-line dress and pair it with a neutral blazer, keeping the accessories neutral and minimal. If you’re not a dress person, go with a printed A-line skirt with a black blazer (like this example from Harvard Square, right).

Feeling extra bold? Top off your look (literally) with Kate’s signature headpiece: an embellished hat. Your pick should be something along the lines of Blair Waldorf meets high tea, whether it’s a hat or a toned-down headband with netting and/or feathers. Check out Newton’s Miu Miu embellished headband for a touch of nighttime sparkle during the day.

Royally Casual

On her off-time, Kate often looks like the poster girl for casual cool in equestrian-inspired ensembles, nautical prints, and classic neutrals. She’s often in timeless pieces, such as striped sweaters, tailored pants, the occasional printed dress, and the distinctly British herringbone blazers. Her weekend look is essentially casual chic, mixing femininity with preppy classics, wearing boots or simple black flats.

For hanging out with the royal court or grabbing lunch with your equally-fabulous girlfriends, channel Kate’s casual-wear through neutral jersey tops, skinny jeans, flat boots, delicate gold accessories, and of course blazers. Combine these for an equestrian ensemble, or go with a striped sweater to follow Kate’s nautical style. For a truly feminine look, go with a pair of white jeans with a neutral jersey top and a pair of flats, like this look at right from our Burlington Mall store. An elegant oversized string of pearls is the perfect accent to this feminine ensemble. Remember, when it comes to color palettes, save the bolds and brights for nightlife and princess appearances, for a truly casual Kate look make your daytime a neutral zone.

The Prince is Giving a Ball


For her nights out, Kate continues to keep it chicly simple, wearing draped dresses in silk or jersey, almost always complete with bold – yet complementary – seasonal shade. The attention is always on the dress, with smaller accessories and minimal jewelry. Emulate these effortless ensembles with a classic dress complete with intricate draping or other fabric detail. Not only will these silhouettes flatter any shape, but the simplicity of the overall dress allows you to work with bolder colors than you could if the dress had a lot of beading or lace detail. For longer dresses, the jersey-wrap style works great for a formal yet easy look.

For cocktail-length you can go A-line as long as there isn’t any tulle or other material that adds too much fullness to the bottom. Try something like this red Jessica McClintock dress from our Harvard Square store (left), or if you’re looking for something more form-fitted, go with this Tara Jarmon example from 219 Newbury Street (right). Pair dresses like these with an elegant, neutral clutch (minimal embellishment allowed) and take Kate’s lead and go with a simple black evening shoe. Kate always goes with very little jewelry, so you can go with simple diamond studs, or if you’re feeling fancier, go with embellished earrings like these from our Mott Street, NYC store (below) and you won’t even notice you’re not wearing a tiara.

There’s one final touch to achieve Kate’s style. The perfect blow-out of course, consider it the royal cherry on top of your style sundae! Now go unleash your inner princess, camera-ready smile included, of course.

~Ashley, FashioniSTA, Second Time Around