The Princess of Wales is the queen of nailing an understated monochromatic look on a daytime engagement. However, in 2017, she switched it up and opted for something a little more playful. Stepping out alongside her husband, Prince William, and brother-in-law, Prince Harry, Kate, now 44, visited The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace after it was transformed into a White Garden in memory of Princess Diana.
For the outing, the then-Duchess of Cambridge rocked Prada, a high-end label she rarely wears, in the form of a busy printed midi dress featuring poppies and a scribbled green design.
Kate styles it out in Prada
© Getty ImagesThe gown also featured long sleeves and was paired with nude heels. The look was particularly interesting for two reasons.
"This dress was a beautifully judged choice, entirely appropriate for Kate’s role that day in paying tribute to Princess Diana. The reference wasn’t just symbolic, but stylistic too, and the pussy-bow detail felt like a subtle homage to Diana's iconic 1980s 'Sloane Ranger' aesthetic," fashion stylist Leanne Jones points out.
© Getty Images"It's also worth noting that Diana herself was a Prada admirer, often pictured with pieces such as her classic Prada tote."
Kate spices up a 'fail-safe' look
© Getty ImagesLeanne tells us that Kate's styling of the Prada dress is a success. "It was elegant yet expressive, balanced perfectly by her fail-safe LK Bennett beige pumps, which grounded the look and allowed the pattern and volume of the dress to shine - something we don’t often see from the Princess of Wales, who typically favours cleaner, more minimal silhouettes."
Kate's sartorial distraction
© Getty ImagesThe dress choice is also interesting due to the time at which it was worn. "Notably, it was worn just days before the announcement of her pregnancy with Prince Louis," Leanne recalls. "A loud print like this can be particularly clever for softening the silhouette - useful if she was already aware and choosing strategically."
As Leanne highlights, Kate was pregnant during this outing on 30 August, but the public was not informed until 4 September. The busy print distracted the eye and kept the focus on the purpose of the outing.
"This dress was a beautifully judged choice, entirely appropriate for Kate’s role that day in paying tribute to Princess Diana"
Kate's bump-skimming look
© Getty ImagesOnce Kate went public with her pregnancy, she played with print and monochrome clothing as her bump started to blossom. Her most memorable pregnancy look came in November 2017 when she attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theatre.
© GettyShe opted for a glistening Jenny Packham gown in an ice blue hue with a diamante-adorned overlayer. The semi-sheer floor-length number added to her shimmering look with the sparkly Oscar de la Renta 'Cabrina' pumps that had her looking like Cinderella.
