When it comes to truly owning your style, I think something happens around the time you hit 40. It might be in the couple of years running up to it, or perhaps the year that follows, but it’s at this milestone that most women really get it right.
The best case in point? The Princess of Wales, who at 41, putting it simply, has never looked better. Sure, there have been plenty of sartorial hits over the course of her 12-year marriage to the now Prince of Wales (I’m thinking of her spectacular Alexander McQueen wedding dress and her wardrobe of impeccably tailored Emilia Wickstead frocks in particular), but for the last 18 months or so, it’s been a wow moment at every public appearance.
Some would argue that she’s upped the ante since stepping into her new role, but it’s been bubbling since before then. There was a single moment, for me, when it really solidified: April 2021, at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. Her choice of a Catherine Walker black coatdress, veiled hat, COVID-protocol black face mask, and a four-strand pearl and diamond necklace and matching earrings permanently lent to her by the Queen (and once worn by Princess Diana in 1982) was standout. It was an ensemble—combined with that scene-stealing expression so brilliantly captured through the window of the car she was traveling in—of pure elegance. Almost a year later, for the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, she opted for an Alessandra Rich black and white polka dot pleated midi dress with a high neck and gently puffed shoulders. She finished it off with a wide-brim hat, and the mood was lighter and pitch-perfect.
She has carefully honed a silhouette that works for her—narrow tailored shoulders, cinched at the waist, fitted through the torso—but there is a common denominator in all of these looks: The hemline is now longer, always falling demurely below the knee, hitting midi length or more. In fact, she hasn’t worn girlish knee-length hemline (or just above) for at least a year, and that’s a big statement.
Let’s face it, the simple task of getting dressed—even with all the help and advice imaginable—when you’re the Princess of Wales can’t be easy. First and foremost, and yes, it’s a boring one, but what she wears has to be practical. Working royals endure long days and so the clothes have to work, from being comfortable to weather appropriate to magically immune to wrinkling. Nothing can be too fussy, so forget a slit that’s tricky to navigate or a collar that needs tending to. Then there is the sheer impossibility of pleasing absolutely everyone. Because, you know, being the wife of the future king—and mother to his heir—means the entire world is watching, scrutinizing. Meanwhile, the not-so-insignificant pressure of living up to the fashion legacy of her late mother-in-law, whose title she has inherited, looms large. If Kate Middleton feels any of that, you certainly wouldn’t know it.
She has embraced bolder colors: Cue the Alexander McQueen red power suit she wore to unveil her “Shaping Us” campaign; the cobalt-blue Catherine Walker coat dress for Easter this year, and the vivid blue 1995 vintage Chanel bouclé blazer she wore to Coach Core’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Her choices are modern but she respects traditions. I don’t know too many details surrounding Easter’s nail varnish furore, but I applaud a moment of boundary pushing, especially one that involves a chic red manicure.
The Erdem skirt suit she stepped out in last month for the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey was another triumph. It isn’t the first time she has worn Erdem, but this was by far the most avant-garde version. The navy jacquard two-piece comprised a pleated peplum jacket nipped at the waist and a midi skirt with a hemline that flipped up to reveal a contrast lining. That’s pretty daring. And it won’t be available to buy until later this summer, in August 2023.
That’s not to say she hasn’t made more democratic choices. She manages to make high street clothes look elegant and expensive. A yellow Karen Millen dress was a recent success, and there is a skill in that. It comes from confidence and composure, yes, but also from brilliant tailoring (she will often have her high street selections tweaked for a perfect fit).
And she hits the right notes when it comes to championing sustainability: The neon green ankle-skimmer rented from Solace London for the Earthshot Prize awards was a clever choice, and who could forget the white Alexander McQueen gown she rewore to the BAFTAs in February? Albeit with slight alterations: She swapped out the corsage for a flowing chiffon train and accessorized with bold, black velvet opera gloves (spotted everywhere on the runways and red carpets lately).
What I’d like to see more of? (1) More off-the-shoulder gowns—she has great arms and clavicles and should make them a focal point (the Roland Mouret gown she wore to the premiere of is a good example); (2) more suits in the shape of a wide-leg, high-waist trouser with a long line blazer; and (3) anything all-white—from suits to gowns, nothing is more glamorous, and the color suits her so well; (4) more black and metallic sequins. And while we’re on the subject of sparkle, a note on jewelry: Broadly speaking, it’s gotten bigger and better, and a lot more precious. Heaven. Because who doesn’t want to see a princess wear the good stuff?
Sarah Harris is the deputy editor and fashion director at British Vogue, where this post was originally published.
