With an increased workload comes an increased wardrobe. Kate Middleton did 133 engagements in 2016 over 63 days, plus some out and about appearances that didn’t count toward her total, and in that time Kate managed to fit in over 100 different pieces of clothing. Because she wore so many clothes, I’m splitting the year end round up polls into three separate posts. This one features her gowns and separates, and I’ll have two others for her dresses and coats.
Along with over 100 different pieces of clothing, Kate wore 47 different pieces of jewelry, 33 different pairs of shoes, 22 different bags, 14 different hats, and 10 other accessories.
Kate wore 46 different designers. Her three most worn designers this year were Alexander McQueen (11 times), Jenny Packham and Catherine Walker (5 times each). Kate debuted 16 different designers this year.
Kate’s most worn color was blue (19 times), followed by white (14 times) and red (11 times).
Kate wore 35 pairs of earrings, 6 necklaces, 2 bracelets, 2 brooches, 1 watch, and 1 tiara.
Given how many of Kate’s pieces this year were bespoke, there is no way to know the true cost of Kate’s 2016 wardrobe. But just taking a look at the pieces that were new in 2016, I’ve calculated her wardrobe to have cost about $176,000. I think that’s a fairly conservative estimate, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it cost a lot more.
For each category, there are two polls: Favorite and Least Favorite.
Gowns
1) Jenny Packham red bespoke gown – Kate wore this repeated gown to the Diplomatic Reception on December 8.
2) Jenny Packham pearlescent sequin gown – Kate wore this repeated gown to the EACH gala dinner in Norfolk on June 22.
3) Saloni Blue Mary Illusion Dot Dress – Kate wore this new full length dress to the pre-India tour reception at Kensington Palace on April 6.
4) Jenny Packham bespoke blue beaded gown and shawl – Kate wore this new gown and shawl to the Bollywood gala dinner in India on April 10.
5) Roland Mouret Nansen gown in royal blue – Kate wore this new gown to the SportsAid 40th anniversary dinner on June 9.
6) Self Portrait Pleated Crochet gown – This new gown made an appearance at the movie premiere of ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ on November 3.
7) Tory Burch Floral Mesh Gown – Kate wore this new gown to dinner in Bhutan on April 14.
8) Beulah London Juliet red poppy gown – This new gown also made its appearance in Bhutan, at the reception on April 15.
Separates
1) Eponine London red and white checked top and shirt – Kate wore this new top and skirt from the SS16 collection to XLP on March 11.
2) Rebecca Taylor dark blue tweed jacket and skirt – Kate wore this repeated skirt suit in her February 8th Children’s Mental Health Week video, and in the ‘Our Queen at 90’ interview which debuted in March.
3) Catherine Walker bespoke pale blue suit – Kate wore this new skirt suit for her first solo overseas visit to the Netherlands on October 11.
4) Goat Binky Blouse & Banana Republic Geo Jacquard Skirt – Kate wore these new pieces to the Heads Together launch on May 16.
5) Alexander McQueen Military Silk Georgette Blouse & Embellished Wool Crepe Skirt – Kate threepeated these pieces for her visit to Portsmouth on May 20.
6) Paul & Joe Embroidered wool cape & Bhutanese skirt – Kate wore these new pieces for her official welcome in Bhutan on April 14.
7) Alexander McQueen white broderie anglaise two-piece – Kate wore these repeated pieces when leaving Bhutan on April 16.
8) Reiss Vinnie High Neck Shirt & Dolce & Gabbana Boucle Wool Blend Skirt – Kate wore this new outfit for her guest editor of HuffPo UK stint on February 17. She repeated the skirt to visit a women’s prison and center on November 4.
9) Le Kilt Classic – Houndstooth Long – Kate wore this new skirt with a black turtleneck during a visit to Scotland on February 24.
10) Temperley London Delphia crop top & Delphia long skirt – Kate debuted this outfit for a garden party in New Delhi on April 11.
11) Michael Kors Collection Guncheck Wool Trumpet Skirt & Virgin Wool Plaid Blazer – Kate wore this repeated outfit for church and the Gallipoli memorial service on January 10.
Did you know that Diana would wear 160 outfits every year and she had over 1000 Catherine Walker dresses?
Thanks for this fun fact! I remember a couple of reports on the costs of Diana’s clothes – I think it was an annual breakdown. I tried to find them recently but have yet to come across those reports.
Diana was Princess of Wales. She also worked very hard . And she was alive before the financial crash of 2008 which has so badly affected so many families and taxpayers in the U.K. Times have changed. With Brexit etc many people in the Uk are JAMs …just about managing. So for Kate to spend so much money, including not supporting UK and Commonwealth designers, is unacceptable to me and many others.
And Diana didn’t have so many multiples of the same thing… like blue coats.
It seems most of the clothes in this post are by UK designers, though.
@Lobbit. true but she always wore custom made clothes though. Kate does not.
This is such a good point. To be a ‘clothes horse’ at the taxpayer’s expense, when people are trying to just survive, to put clothes on their families backs, when the rent is due and they’re short money, and when the wearer of these expensive clothes is so ignorant as to think that mutilated children are ‘interesting’, it’s despicable and downright wrong. She is so utterly clueless and into herself and her title that while I find it appalling and crude, she herself I suspect thinks that she’s all that and then some. KMR awesome breakdown, and I didn’t vote since I am sweats and baggy shirts. Birdy, you have really gotten to the heart of the matter, times have changed and at this point don’t appear to be getting better, stores closing, people out of work and she struts around like a flippin’ peacock. I know the division between the rich and poor has always been, and always will be but to basically shove it into the face of the struggling public? I hope I’m not veering off topic here, but the book “The Good Earth” has a passage in it that may be ominous for these times. Olan said that things happen when the poor have had enough, something to that effect. And something did!!! The gates were stormed. Kate is not grateful, she is not contributing, and her ‘I want to be more than just a clothes horse’ is hog wash. That is all she is and she isn’t even good at that.
Once again, KMR, your research and effort are totally awesome, and I know it’s not easy or simple to do, so even though I didn’t vote I truly appreciate your effort and enjoyed the pictures.
@royalsareajoke, but Diana always wore custom made outfits that cost thousands of pounds. Compare her to Fergie. I’ve read many articles on how Fergie would wear hand me down clothes and didn’t have the clothing allowance that Diana had because she was married to the second son.
When Diana was married she always wore UK designer outfits. High end ‘high street ‘ didn’t really exist back in the 80’s so she didn’t have the choices Kate has now. Of course she also auctioned many of her clothes raising huge amounts for charity.
Most importantly Kitty , Diana worked. It’s not just numbers, it’s the impact she had when she turned up. HIV/AIDS? Land mines? These were not easy, pretty choices. These were not photo ops. When she hugged and touched people with AIDS there was still a belief that that alone could transmit the disease. Hard to imagine now, but the fear back then was very real.
Kate has had no such impact on anything. And yet she is nearly the same age Diana was when she died.
Diana’s work with AIDS and landmines did not come until years after she became a working royal. In fact (IIRC) the same interview where she defended her spending on clothing, she also discussed how, at the time, she was more comfortable playing second banana to Charles rather than developing her own causes but did intend to start working on causes that interested her. This interview took place when William and Harry were very young.
@aaa it was in 1985 the interview you are talking about.
@Birdie, you are right. If Kate worked as much as Diana did no one would complain about her cost of clothes.
@Kitty,
1985 sounds about right since Harry was born in 1984. IIRC she wore a blue dress.
There was criticism of Diana’s spending on clothes which is why she defended it during the interview.
@aaa yeah the interview is called at home with the prince and princess of wales. Its the one where little William and Harry are playing the piano!
While the 1980s are generally seen as an economic boom period, and it was, when Diana and Charles first married things were not great in Britain economically or socially, there were riots in the days and weeks leading up to their wedding.
After just a minute amount of research it appears the riots were against the police and the injustice they felt. Now i’m all for all the inequities that began during Reagan & Thatcher who forcefully created a horrific recession. I remember plenty complaining about Nancy Reagan, but there seemed to be a difference between Nancy and Diana. One was royalty and at the time that meant something. She was always out and about continuing as much good work and good will as she good. Whereas Nancy and Thatcher were suppose to be “ordinary” people looking out for ordinary people.
Right now we have someone who buys an expensive outfit every time she leaves the house to do her frickin’ job. Bottom line and she can’t even imagine to do that. She is quite literally a waste of space and air, and it is so frustrating when people try to equate her with anyone. My friggin’ cats do more during the day then she does and probably have more skills.
But Britain was in a recession in the late 70s into the early 1980’s and the unemployment rate was through the roof. Poverty could certainly be seen as one of the injustices that triggered riots in inner city enclaves. Charles and Diana wed at a time of political, economic and social unrest – one could argue that their wedding was a pleasant distraction (for some) from the ugliness of the times.
I was not saying that the riots were sparked by Charles and Diana’s wedding but it was mentioned that currently we are in tough economic times which makes spending loads of money on designer clothes unacceptable, but when Charles and Diana got married that was at a time when things in Britain weren’t that great economically and socially.
Piggybacking on Lobbit’s point, things weren’t great economically in Britain when the Queen and Prince Philip got married but a decision was made to make it a true celebration as a relief from the gloomy times, but it should also be noted that the then Princess Elizabeth purchase the material for her wedding dress by saving up ration cards.
@aaa, I never knew that about HM’s wedding dress! What a lovely gesture!
Correct me if I am mistaken, but I think I read the ration cards to purchase HM’s wedding dress fabric came from donations.
That is my understanding as well, that people donated ration cards.
The general public who donated their ration cards had them returned to them. HM, family and friends pooled their ration cards to provide for HM’s dress. However there were various gifts that HM received that were purchased by collectives of people.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8466963/Royal-wedding-from-rations-to-raptures-at-the-Queens-austerity-wedding.html
I don’t know about the USA, but the UK was in deep recession long before Thatcher was in power.
Thatcher has been so demonised that people forget the reality of the Britain she inherited. We are talking a country that was in receipt of IMF relief throughout the 70s.
As anyone knows, the IMF is a penicious organisation and any country desperate enough to accept their funding is desperate indeed. They give whilst imposing the deepest austerity cuts possible to enrich themselves rather than the countries they are supposed to be helping.
Further, the labour unions were holding Britain to ransom such that govt stood still and no work could be done. This caused more suffering for the people than it did for the govts ( both sides of the house) of the 70s. I remember when people worked 4 day weeks because businesses couldn’t afford to pay them for a full 5 day week. This was normal all across Britain especially for public sector workers.
Thatcher came into power determined to break the stranglehold the unions had on public life AND to get rid of the IMF loans and sanctions.
Being the daughter of a grocer rather than the elite, she treated the economy like a failing shop that had to be rescued at all costs.
Using such basic economics on a nation was not so good for social programmes because failing small businesses don’t support nor can they afford to support such programmes, but it helped the recovery of Britain’s economy. I’m not censuring small businesses, but if you think about the hardships they have to take or inflict on their workers to survive and hopefully maintain or push towards success, you can understand Thatcher’s policies.
One can argue whether it’s a good or bad thing to treat a nation’s finances like your father’s small grocery shop business which would view failing parts as needing to be cut to make the rest succeed, but it is fact that Britain was already failing throughout the 70s.
Charles and Diana married with this kind of backdrop. In hindsight i’m amazed there were not more riots at the lavishness of their wedding.
I also remember Diana stating at one time (I think it was later in her life, not during the interview some of the comments are alluding to) that because she was POW, she worked very hard to put herself together for appearances. She knew that for the people she would meet, it meant a great deal and would be very special to them and part of her “job” was to show up and dazzle in her wardrobe and hair choices. She understood that she was a product in a way and didn’t want to let people down. Other discussions have put in the amount of work she did on a regular basis to keep up with her charities, the work she put into being prepared, and the follow up afterwards with notes or phone calls or private visits. It’s the consideration of the entirety of the package that comes with being a royal that seems to be missing with Will and Kate. Diana seemed to get this on a level that even HM and Charles didn’t at the time.
I think you are right. The Queen mother and Queen Mary understood this very well, but somehow this bypassed the Queen and Charles such that by the time Diana married in, the royal family was thought to be remote and cut off from reality.
Yet i think the miscommunication of this is to do with not wanting to be showponies because they aren’t celebrities.
And i think the QM and Queen Mary lived in more formal, rarefied world that their appearance amongst regular was thought to be enough.
People forget how radical it was for royals to be seen with such frequency and in ordinary circumstances rather than in only official formal places and styles.
I think as laudable as Philip was in instilling a sense of duty in his children, he didn’t and hasn’t understood the need to engage properly.
His own work shows that he gets it alittle, but there is a disconnect where by his words he demonstratesthat he feels it’s removed from himself and or somewhat silly.
There has been an acceptance that royals need only show up and nothing more. That’s why it astonishes people when Sophie seeks more information beyond the nominated lineup to greet at her engagements and or shows more information about each engagement and can speak knowledgebly anout them.
Diana showed them how to breach the divide and they resented her for it. Not to say that she wasn’t deliberately showing them up, but is says alot about the change in direction after Diana’s death, even from the Queen herself, of how the royals treat their causes.
WK want to take it back to pre-Victorian age when royals had nothing yo do with the regular people except to be worshipped by them.
In reply to your earlier remarks about Thatcher. I lived in East Anglia 75-78 and I remember being cold and being lucky to have access to American dollars. It’s easy to forget how bankrupt GB was after World War II with rationing extending into the 1950s, but the financial losses from the war period continued after the end of rationing. Basic necessities, heat, food and transportation was expensive then; I with my dollars was able to purchase what I wanted without difficulty, but for the British it was a different tale. Secondly, the oil embargo and drastic increase in that commodity damaged all industrial societies. Americans experienced stagflation during the 70s. Work on the North Sea oil fields did not pay off until the Thatcher years and helped her bottom line.
It is common to talk of Diana’s psychological problems but it seems to me that her “problems” were a result of her circumstances. Yes, Spencers may be difficult people, but Windsors are also. Diana was a young 20 years old when she married a man whose mistress vetted his choice. I married at 23 convinced I had married forever and would be happy ever after. At 20 I would have believed that my husband would love only me and I would have reacted similarly to Diana. But back to Diana’s wardrobe. People liked to see what she would wear and on her public duties she radiated cheer and good feelings. She was able to make small talk and enjoyed meeting people. She also recycled and restyled many of her clothes and she had need of a extensive wardrobe for her duties as Princess of Wales.
Kate, however, makes ridiculous faces, dresses inappropriately for events. wears clothes too tight, shoes too high, and does not appear to enjoy her public duties, the few that there are. Surely, out of the multitudes of blue coats and coat dresses she could resyle some. The same for those godawful lace dresses to which she is addicted. However, if she managed 200-250 visits per year and appeared to work her cost for clothes would be less of a problem though her lack of style would still be a problem.
Without lacking respect but Diana had a psychological disorder. I think she knew it herself. I don’t know how much money is allowed to be spent, but one thing is for sure, she wanted to be appreciated by Charles and I think also later by the public with the deep-rooted feeling of not being beautiful. I think it plays a part in it.
I think initially PoW encouraged Diana to have a full wardrobe. Lots of lovely anecdotes of his suggesting things to designers, popping in to fittings, buying her pieces. Of course the other major difference was that designer dressing was not nearly as accessible as it is now. There were very few ‘off the peg’ stores in London like now where every major designer has a presence in London and has ‘off the peg’ ranges. In the 80’s the trend was very much dressmaker / couturier. My Mum actually was a seamstress for two designers that Diana occasionally used in the early 80’s. In those days Royal women really didn’t buy clothes off the peg, it was considered a bit downmarket, unless it was casual wear / daywear. It was late 80’s early 90’s where again Diana broke the mound here by buying a lot more from stores like Country Casuals, Jaeger & Viyella. It is a lot easier for Kate to dress to a budget than it ever was for Diana. That said we all know that Diana loved that part of her Royal life, perhaps not at the start when she was encouraged to dress like the Queen Mother but when she really hit her stride with Catherine Walker, Jacques Azagury and International designers such as Versace & Chanel she was really dressing for herself.
@MrsBBV, really? It seemed like Diana wore custom made gowns and suits for official functions.
Case in point Kitty is a good couple of her Winter coats worn on Christmas morning when the whole family went to church were high street. Admittedly she had hats and shoes made to co ordinate with them but she was not adverse to buying off the peg at all for more Royal occasions.
Fun poll! Seeing how much better the clean lines of the Mouret suit her, I’m wondering if in 2017 Kate might start wearing Victoria Beckham (now OBE)? Some of her day dresses and long gowns would suit Kate’s body type really well. Looking at these images, the McQueens are largely misses and do little for Kate.
+1
I’ve always thought that one of Victoria Beckham’s designs would be a great look on Kate
I think I will never warm up to that trumpet skirt!
“Over 63 days” is pretty damning and makes sense as to why they promote the number of ‘engagements’ instead of full/partial days worked. 63 (full?) days is some 300 short, if she was working full time.
Full time in the UK is about 280 days, I think, allowing for weekends and holidays. But I get your point.
She should just commit to one or two engagements a day, three days a week. She would still have plenty of time with the children to qualify as a “hands-on mum”.
Agreed
Oh yes, true. I’m used to my family situation where it is far more like 300 ? With the scrutiny she’s under and young children I would not expect her to work full time. Also, I would expect a level of preparation for events and private matters the public are not privy to. But she should be able to do, at the very least, 2 days a week. She is hopeless and no amount of new clothes can gild her work ethic.
Not her best wardrobe, there were so many pieces I disliked it was tricky just choosing one. Not a fan of that Michael Kors ensemble. I don’t know how she gets away with wasting so much money on clothes when she barely works…
I know! I wanted to vote for several of the pieces as least favorite
Totally agreed, she wore a lot of forgettable clothes in 2016.
She should resell what she didn’t like or found didn’t really work in print and donate the money to her charities. And she should cull her wardrobe in this way every year. Yes, keep the iconic/haute/favorites forever, but there is so very much cluttering up that warehouse she must have to hold everything a purge would be refreshing.
KMR, first of all, Thank you for more this post. You deserve an award not only for your extraordinary job but also for your research that provide us with so many details about the royals that reports don’t give. I don’t know other site so complete how this one. Congratulations. You said in one reply in last post: “Trust me, I know how depressing it is to only ever have people tell you how terrible you are, and even when you’ve done something that is an accomplishment for you to have them tell you you still suck. It makes you feel like garbage. It makes you feel like there is no point to doing anything because you can never do anything right and so you might as well just not do anything at all and just not even bother existing.” I understand you totally. I started raising my eldest niece when she was only 9 months old and I was 17. My sister, her other, couldn’t pay for someone take care of my niece and me and my mother took the work. Imagine, my sister and her husband worked knowing that their daughter was safe and well taken care of by me and my mother, but one day, years later, my sister had the cruelty of calling me useless, musty and worthless. Imagine, I took care of her daughter and she calls me that. It’s like you said: It makes you feel like there is no point to doing anything because you can never do anything right. But I survived, and I am here reading this wonderful site which brings happiness to my life. . I admire your strength, yes you are stronger than you think, trust me.
Now about post: I didn’t like the Jenny Packham red gown that Kate wore to the Diplomatic Reception. About the Jenny Packham pearlescent sequin gown that Kate wore at the EACH gala dinne, I liked the first time Kate wore it (although I like this hairstyle more). The Saloni Blue Mary Illusion Dot Dress, NO. The Jenny Packham blue beaded gown and shawl that Kate wore to the Bollywood gala dinner in India, I think it looke like the gown from Diplomatic Reception, the differences are the colour and the long sleeves. The Roland Mouret Nansen gown in royal blue, well this gown is simple and elegant but Kate lacks the IT, the glamor to make the gown shine. Tha Self Portrait Pleated Crochet gown, the Tory Burch Floral Mesh Gown and the Beulah London Juliet red poppy gown, absolutelly NO.
In “Separates” I only liked the Goat Binky Blouse & Banana Republic Geo Jacquard Skir, the Reiss Vinnie High Neck Shirt & Dolce & Gabbana Boucle Wool Blend Skirt, and the Le Kilt Classic – Houndstooth Long . I like when Kate wears skirts and blouses.
Have a great day everyone.
Wow. I had no idea that people were so disparaging of KMR! I love this site so much. I grew up with a fondness of the royals from my Canadian grandmother, and stumbled onto this site a year or so ago, and now I love and appreciate it so much! I know that I’ve said this, KMR, but in the chaos and stress of my life, being immersed in politics after transitioning into civic life after my photography business, being able to come here and have a little respite is so lovely. I learn so much from your posts! I hope that the numbers of those who appreciate the blog you create and the community you foster helps balance things too.
And Jamel, I’m so sorry that you had to experience that. I’m going back to work and the support team that I have around me, and knowing that my girls will be taken care of and loved at least close to how I would, is making the transition much easier.
Oh that beautiful Catherine Walker suit Kate wore to Holland. I loved it but , oh dear, what the heck did Kate do to get the skirt so crushed? Was she never shown how to sit so you don’t end up with wrinkles in your clothing? Its not the fault of Catherine Walker as the fabric would have been appropriate for a suit Kate must have sat with the skirt scrunched up on the plane. It would have been a good idea to bring along a steamer to get the wrinkles out before being photographed. You can buy travel steamers easily. For me this is an example of Kate getting it almost right, but not quite, again.
It had to have been the fabric.
I think it was the fabric, too. And, she should not have worn it on the plane. She could have changed into it somewhere. It was so disrespectful to appear with the Dutch King while looking so very rumpled. Really! I think — as we have said on this site so many times — she needs an assistant who will think about these things. Certainly, Kate never does.
Actually, I’d love to know how she was to sit without creasing the straight skirt (honest question, no shade). Skirts with more fullness in the cut are easier to protect from creases, but they’re at risk for fly-ups. If Kate thought she had to choose between the two, then she made the right decision.
There are many straight skirts that are made of material that does not wrinkle like this one did. Yes, I agree that she could have worn something else on the plane ride over to Amsterdam and hen changed. The suit would have looked picture perfect in a different fabric.
She could’ve also changed or traveled with a portable steamer. She needs a competent assistant, not Tash, who will consider these things. Of course, if Kate actually had a professional career prior to marriage, she would’ve known that you don’t show up to business meetings with rumpled clothes- even if you had to take a 12hr plane journey to get there. And she was only in a flight for an hour or two.
This suit was made from wool crepe. Ive sewn for years and was taught how to tailor a garment. IMO, it was a loose fit straight skirt, and Kate had the seams taken in. I also suspect she had the lining of the skirt removed as you can see the outline of her legs in some photos, this would not be so obvious if the lining was still in place. Plus having a lining helps a skirt wear better and not crush so much. For a tighter fit pencil skirt you do need to go for a fabric with a tighter weave, but I bet the skirt did leave Catherine Walker as a looser fit, more like the skirt Angelina Jolie wore to meet the Queen.
Hi, Cathy, Great info. I agree. I bet she took the lining out of the skirt.
The designers must be in shock by some of the things Kate does to their clothing. Hope all is well and that you are enjoying warm weather.
Very cold here and snow! (Long Island, NY)
Hi Jenny
I saw the snow on the news last night and thought it looked very cold! Lovely and sunny here, hot but not too hot! I hope Miss Maddie is enjoying playing in the snow? I’ve lived in Sweden so know that snow is fun for a while, and then it iz just annoying, especially around the house. Hope you don’t get too much?
Yes, I agree with you. I’d be horrified if Kate wore something I’d designed and had done her usual hack job and everytime she was seen in the outfit everyone thought I had mafe the mess! How many designers are chanting away in their back rooms … Please don’t come to me, please don’t come to me Kate?
I voted it as my least favor becuase of the way it appeared. She could have changed into an outfit if she arrived or brought a steamer. How sloppy it looked ruined it for me
Even with a steamer she would need to sit in the car from the airport to the meeting. I doubt Catherine Walker would have allowed this fabric.
I haven’t voted yet. Hmmm, I don’t hate anything but the Saloni Blue Mary Illusion Dot Dress will easily get my vote for worst gown and the Alexander McQueen white broderie anglaise two-piece will get my vote for worst of the separates.
I like the Catherine Walker bespoke pale blue suit, the Temperley London Delphia crop top & Delphia long skirt, the Paul & Joe Embroidered wool cape & Bhutanese skirt, the Dolce & Gabbana Boucle Wool Blend Skirt, Jenny Packham bespoke blue beaded gown and shawl and the Tory Burch Floral Mesh Gown.
I think the best “princess” looks are the blue Jenny Packham gown and the Catherine Walker suit.
I really like the Dolce & Gabbana skirt especially as part of the outfit worn in November.
The Paul & Joe Embroidered wool cape & Bhutanese skirt gets a special mention for Kate looking at ease in it.
I have to admit that I really like a good number of her clothes. But nearly everything looks hideous on her. The posture, the crotch clutching, the attitude, the uninspired accessories, the boring matchy-matchy combinations… I really still can’t understand why on Earth she was (and still is) called a style icon.
The favorites were fairly easy. It was the least favorite that was hard. I’m sorry to sound so critical
My least favorite is mostly everything worn on the India tour. I thought her outfits looked too much like costumes. I understand wanting to be polite and giving a nod to the fashion of your host country but what’s wrong with being British and flying the flag for British fashion? I can’t imagine the Queen of Bhutan showing up at Buckingham Palace in McQueen.
And, the fact that she wore that long Bhutanese skirt backwards was proof that she and her staff do little research!
I have few faves among the clothing depicted here. Although, I do appreciate all the hard work that went into this.
I don’t think I really like her choice in gowns. The one that I disliked so very much was that polka dotted number in blue, though. How awful!
Her separates don’t thrill me, either. The goat blouse and the skirt she wore with it looked better this time, than when I first saw them. So, I guess that would be my fave separate look for Kate. It’s a toss up as to my least faves in this group. The red and white checked outfit looked like it came from an Italian Family Restaurant — all those red and white checkered table cloths! And, that trumpet skirt and short jacket. Oh, I really did not like that!
It’s funny, but i loved most her clothing worn in India, BUT not on her. I could see the merit of individual pieces, but they tended to look like costume on her. Every.single.one.
I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I agree. I liked the clothes, but we know they weren’t Kate’s natural style. She wore them for effect, and would never wear them again. That fact put me off her India clothes.
Thanks for this wonderfully poll, KMR. I always love a poll.
I like a lot of her clothes, but they fall flat on her. Between the tailoring, her comportment and styling. Kate has the capacity to look fabulous, but she had the wrong team.
Completely agree with this
Yes, the wrong team is what stands out most here. Kate could wear pretty much anything well if she worked with a professional stylist and a professional tailor. Beatrice absolutely blossomed with the help of Charlie Anderson and Kate would be in good hands if she could entrust herself to someone of that calibre. I think it would be money well spent, resulting in less wastage and way more style. The last few years have been an indiscriminate spraying of money around to little effect. It’s not necessary as well as being a bad look.
I wonder if some of the older courtiers have been influencing Kate’s wardrobe, as witnessed by matronly clothes, hem lengths and dowdy hairstyles? Charlene and Leti have a definitive chic aesthetic; they carry themselves with confidence and elegance. I’m sure a stylist could start to make inroads with Kate, if she let them. Some of the clothes here are fresh and appropriate for both age and occasion; others are lovely but just don’t fit well. And then there are the completely disgusting ones, which everyone has commented upon.
She does need a stylist. She also needs to work on her posture and her self-confidence. How many times is she photographed as she is about to enter a room? Nine times out of ten, she appears to be hesitant, nervous and very, very unsure of her self. Frankly, it is painful to see her like that.
She has been in the Royal Family for several years now and she should have more confidence in who she is at this age, I think.
I really believe that Carole and William are bad influences on her. Carole never let Kate find herself, or be herself. And, William? Well, he can be so nasty toward his wife at times. I can only imagine how hurtful that must be to Kate.
Can you give an actual example of William being nasty to Kate? I very much doubt it.
Yes, I can give quite a few.
I rarely take stalk in lip reading, but he definitely mouthed ‘bitch’ to her at the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant. A Deaf friend of mine said absolutely he said that to her, when she went to go ahead in front of him when they left.
William telling her she needed to lose 20 pounds. This was in Australia AFAIK. I was horrified! He said it himself, that Kate needed to lose weight after having George and still had about 20 lbs to go. Or how she looked like a banana in her yellow dress, or how her hair is a nightmare, just passive-aggressive quips that for some people read off as funny, to me reads cruel.
Stories of how he treated her during the dating years, not just the cheating and her coming back again and again, but yelling, screaming matches, calling her stupid and mocking her for not getting answers on University Challenge or during Scrabble where they’d have all out yelling matches. Friends talked about this as if it were funny. I don’t find it funny.
And the non-verbal stuff like the jaw and fist clenching, the glowering looks he shoots her, how he shoves her around or alternatively, ignores her completely as she follows him like a puppy. She gets her shoe stuck in the grate, when she’s pregnant, and almost falls over? He just ignores her.
William is all Spencer in personality IMO. He is not a decent person by any stretch, with the ego and temperament to match. I criticize Kate for running to her mother a lot but he must be a demon to live with and deal with. I don’t think she is a picnic either, but nobody deserves to be treated like that.
I can’t wait for the books about their marriage to come out. I doubt we’ll get authorized biographies, but we should get some good unauthorized stories. oddly enough I can see these two staying married for a long time, because neither William or the Middletons want the scandal or media attention that a divorce would bring.
Beth, I think others have given nice examples. I was thinking of some of those, as well as the time he let Kate stand in the rain while greeting President and Mrs. Obama at Kensington Palace. THe President tried to shelter Kate under HIS umbrella. Just another example of the rude and thoughtless way William treats his wife sometimes. But, you are entitled to your beliefs. I don’t see them as hopelessly in love, but to each her own.
Imo the cutesy help-me poor little kate show is just that… an act.
Who can forget her reluctance to push a button on her own or her inability to sign a book without looking over to check with william 4+ times.
No one expects her to do much of anything now. The con is dropped around fun things like abseiling, wimbledon and ben ainslie.
Ellie, I think that your use of the word “stalk” instead of the proper word “stock” is somehow fitting. In any case, I don’t take stock in any of this nonsense. They are clearly a couple in love and William seems always to be looking out for Kate, hand on her back, guiding her, etc.
Thanks KMR for all your hard work in putting this together! This was difficult for me since I find Kate’s clothing style boring. In the gown category, I voted for the Roland Mouret as it fit her very well and was more sophisticated than her usual, high neck, flowy skirt type of look she favors. If she had worn the Roland Mouret with her hair up and some type of necklace it would have been a knock-out. The worst for which I have no words is the Saloni, the Self-Portrait, the Tory Burch and the Beulah dresses. They really should never see the light of day again.
I am having trouble choosing the best in separates, but went with the Rebecca Taylor tweed. The Catherine Walker could have been a hit, but the color totally washed Kate out, plus the crumpled skirt and the Peter Pan collar kick that Kate has been on just is a turnoff for me. My least fave was the Alexander McQueen white outfit, just boring. The big issue for me is her hair, it detracts from everything she wears when it is flopping all over the place. Time to cut it so it just hits the top of her shoulder and can still be worn up.
For me the bottom line with Kate is that she just lacks something, as we have all said over and over: maybe if she worked harder, spoke more intelligently and audibly and gave the impression she was well informed and interested in her causes and patronages the clothes would not matter so much. I use Princess Anne as an example, the first thing that comes to mind for me is that she works hard for The Firm and even though I find her taste in clothing frumpy, it is not what you focus on.
KMR, kudos to you — as Jamel said — for the details you put into your posts, thanks to amazing research.
I don’t know what my fave is, or my least fave, as I really am not a fan of Kate’s clothing, or how she actually wears things. I loved that Tory Burch gown when she wore it in India because the colors were so bold and it was a major difference for her. Looking at it again, I am not as in love with it. I also found that the white Binky blouse paired with the Banana republic skirt did not move me at all when first she wore them. I am surprised that as I scrolled down through all the choices here, that one stood out as my fave, though.
My least fave, among so many to choose from? That horrible dotted gown that she sported right before the India tour. Hideous.
I love that Tory Burch gown so much! It’s flashy, but at the same time fits her style so well.
I also love the Tory Burch gown!
The blue sequin Jenny Peckham was my favorite. I loved the overall look and Kate actually looks nice in it.
Disliked many over her gowns but I voted emotionally.
My least favorite was the pearlescent Jenny Peckham. I think it’s because the first time I really noticed Kate was when she wore this dress. I thought she actually looked very pretty, she still had her glow about her and loved how the dress looked. The second time it was the polar opposite. It looks like she could collapse into herself.neither she nor the dress sparkled. Seeing how both she and the dress have fared over the years is startling.
For separates my vote went for the D &G boucle as favorite.
My least favorite went to the Catherine walker becuase of how wrinkled and thus unprofessional Kate looked in it. I stated up thread that she had options so she didn’t appear this way.
And, her posture in that Packham dress in the photo! Terrible. I hope Lauri is ok! Just looking at her in that dress made me squeamish.
What a hard task to choose from this mess of a wardrobe. So many of the pieces could have fallen into the dislike category. I had a terrible time choosing my favorite look. The templey dresses are just fail for me; they look like prom dresses. The McQueen looks are so blah, certainly not leading fashion as the house reputedly did. I think the words style and fashion simply do not belong in sentences with Kate. She looks like a teenager playing grown up most of the time. I did like the Burch dress because of the colors that looked better on her. I think if I had $170000 for clothes I could have change left and a better wardrobe.
I voted for the Tory Burch dress as it was different for her.
I would wear the blue sparkly number of all of them.
I really dislike the dotty number.
For separates I voted for the goat/skirt combo as it looked youthful and interesting. I don’t love the top as much s the skirt but I would buy the skirt myself.
I really dislike the look of the Kors outfit, even though I’m sure it’s v pricey.
But agree with everyone, it’s not the clothes it’s the character inside them.
The sequin dress at the Each event really shows how time has been tough on Kate. Almost feel sorry for her looking at that photo.
And again to echo others, thank you KMR you do a great job 🙂
I’m not into Kate’s style tbh. She always looks really nice, but her aesthetic kind of bores me.
I did like the boucle skirt and the embellished, high neck blouse she wore for that Huffpost event. My fave gown was the pearly one from Jenny Packham, but I think I mostly like the way she looks in it in that pic – with the wine glass and clutch in her hand. Very breezy and sort of elegant.
Thank you so much for this post and all your hard work:)
So many of these looks I had to ‘dock points’ for poor execution, appropriotness, or overall impression.
KMR, thanks for the fun poll. My favorite gown was the red Jenny Packam: I like the lines of the dress, and it’s one of the few that actually seems to hit her natural waist. My least favorite was that dotted one, which seems, with that center panel, to want to look “daring,” but to me just seems cheap. I think I’m in the minority in liking the Michael Kors suit; my “dislike” went to the Eponine outfit, which to me looks lumpy and ill-fitting. I agree with other comments, though, about the unfortunate wrinkly Catherine Walker suit: never should have happened. As someone who has done quite a bit of sewing, I wondered if the skirt was even lined. In any case, someone should have done a sort of “crush” test with the fabric (grab it in your fist) to see how well it relaxed before it left the atelier.
The crush test is something I do with all my purchases. If it can survive ten seconds being scrunched into a ball in my fist it’s good to go. I’m surprised even these most elementary tips pass her and her assistant by. I remember at the time thing Catherine Walker would have been turning in her grave at that skirt going out with her name on it. Pretty suit, very Diana circa 1995 onwards but would have suited Kate better in a jewel colour but my goodness it’s performance was dreadful.
I very nearly bought the Temperley black and white two piece she wore in India…..I had to hold on until it went into the sale to afford it on Net-A-Porter but by that time all the bigger sizes in the top had sold so I could have had the skirt and not the top. I really loved that outfit. I doubt we’ll see it again from Kate as pieces like that are so season identifiable. It’s not really a core staple but then so much of what she wore in India / Bhutan will never likely see the light of day again and that what I find most frustrating in her dressing. She dresses in pieces that have no longevity or versatility to be reworked. HM’s / Camilla / and PA dressers have all managed to take a piece worn in the past and bring it up to date by reworking it. The only time I’ve seen Kate do that was with a wool coat when she was pregnant and the buttons were moved to cope with her expanding waistline. Except whoever did it made such a poor job of it the existing button marks in the fabric were still visible.
Mrs. BBC glad you enjoyed you bubble and squeak (thanks for correct name) =)
Whomever is doing Kate’s tailoring in general is terrible at it. Kate has some outfits that would have looked really good on her but by not going to fittings, giving them wrong measurements (?) and tailoring them their selves have ruined the overall look.
I’ve stated that I wish she would wear some up and coming designers and that if I were some of the designers I’d want to put out a disclaimer that the end was result was not their doing. So the plus side to her wearing established fashion houses is they won’t take a hit from shoddy tailoring but some up and comer might not fare as well
Totally OT Mrs BBV, but i think those Temperley pieces are now available on the discount net-a-porter sister site, outnet.com.
If they are not, look out for them later on yoox.com that discount company bought net-a-porter so the transition of sales is net-a-porter -> outnet -> yoox
Thank you Hera ……that is so kind of you! Xxxx
Just size 8 left. I’ve got no chance of getting into that. I’m certain Kate is so tiny now she’s in model sample sizes. Mum and I had a conversation at Christmas where she explained to me that the way Kate gets her clothes so cheap is to buy them out of season so they don’t have the RRP of say that item on a website. They she can pay whatever the RRP of whatever the designer sees fit to charge her as it’s out of season. That way she isn’t taking discounts but if Temperley sells her a dress that is two seasons ahead they can charge her £1000 but when they sell it retail they can charge £3000. That way she is legitimately paying full price but it’s the full price the designer determines not the market price. Either that or she uses the Sarah Brown method where she pays per wear of the item but essentially she keeps the item and pays the designer every time she wears it which is a lot easier if you are a sample size. Either way I’m absolutely certain she’s not walking into Sloane Street and paying the rack price……no one does unless they are are in the billionaire category and even then most of them have 30% discount cards to their favourite designers.
When I saw kate in the sequin Jenny packham repeat I was shocked at how she had aged and lost her glow compared to the first outing when she looked incredible.
I really do think it is time for a hair cut now. This long, untidy, gets in the way mane increasingly annoys me. She isn’t a little girl any more, she needs to look more professional. The faffing with the hair when she got out of the car on Christmas day, annoying!
If she really can’t bear to part with the hair then tie it up get it under control.
I think KP needs to read all the criticism and praise for K,WH and then sit them down and make them aware what is being said and how to get their act together.
More work for a start, making the effort to prepare properly and not dodging stuff.
This was a fun poll and Thank You so much KMR for bringing in consistently well researched, well written and detailed content. You are also a much more nicer person than me, since you try to give Kate the benefit of the doubt and praise her for her small things- I am probably one of the more critical posters around here of WK and the monarchy in general.
I would say Kate’s separates were much nicer pieces and many of her skirts are ones that I would love to have (if I could afford it, of course). She also looks a lot more at ease in the blouse and skirt pieces rather than gowns and dresses. However, as other posters here have noted, if she had better posture and body language, looked more interested in her role and accesorized, her outfits would be so much more elevated.
I know we’ve addressed this before, but Kate has underpinning issues. Notice how low the girls are in the blue Saloni and Self Portrait gowns? Same with the green lace she wore in India. And actually, many of her outfits suffer the same fate though certain cuts and fabrics show it more. She does not have large boobs, but she did have children and if she breastfed at any point….well the truth is you need a lot of support and you just can’t ape the no bra look. Don’t choose clothes that you can’t perfectly underpin. It completely changes the look and not in a good way- but the right undies can also make an outfit (and the person wearing it) look like a million bucks.
I think I’m confused by Kate’s style. Does she have style at all? What is she trying to project?
I like some of the ways she dressed pre-engagement. She at least seemed to inhabit the clothes and they often suited her, especially the casual stuff. Is it just that she was heavier, looked healthier back then or what?
Kate manages to make being a royal boring. Diana made it more glamourous.
Thanks for the poll KMR! I bet it is a pain to get those going, and all the pictures with it!
I love that Jenny Packham gown though the hair was far too matronly. It is one of the best dresses she owns, period. I want it. I would wear it around the house. Shamelessly. 😀
The Saloni dot dress is heinous, and the Roland Mouret one just makes me worry for her how she looks in it.
One of my favorites was the blouse and cute blue midi skirt she wore to that Heads Together thing, though the blouse hung on her.
The Bhutan skirt and weird cape thing was just… I don’t know, I found it vaguely offensive, if you are going to wear native clothing do it properly, don’t have someone source some skirt fabric and do it all wrong!
Kate just has no charisma or interest to her, so everything wears her. She always seems hunched and nervous, even after six years of this stuff. A lot of her clothes I like the idea of but the execution is always poor between bad tailoring, styling, and Kate being Kate. There is so much potential for her to look good and do good, but she just…doesn’t hit the mark, thus the super low expectations which continue to infantalize a nearly 35 year old woman.
Estimates are about $200k this year for the wardrobe, so that means she spent $1500 per engagement if you divide it by 133. YIKES.
I always thought the Eponine skirt would look cute with the black turtleneck and a brooch or quirky necklace. Together, it’s too matchy-matchy. Same with the Alexander McQueen ‘greeter at a maritime-themed family restaurant’ outfit. Split up the top and skirt and it’d look much better. Overall, a bold skirt with a plain top looks a million times better on Kate – both more professional and much more modern.
I still really hate the Bhutanese outfit. The skirt fabric is lovely, but a vaguely-ethnic-but-actually-French fashion cape with weird belt just summed up the weird theme dressing she did throughout that tour. Rather than, say, showcase Bhutanese design, just get a Western fashion cape with some embroidery. Or in India, wear a Top Shop dress with a bit of paisley on it.
I liked the Roland Mouret dress it looked nice on her,but the Eponine London red and white checked top and shirt reminded me of something iola would wear on mama’s family.
I remember walking into a Banana Republic the weekend after Kate debuted the Goat blouse and BR skirt (don’t usually go in there, but was in desperate need of a graduation dress). There was the skirt, in almost all sizes sitting on the “50-70% off” sale rack.
I’ve doubted the whole “Kate Effect” thing since that moment.
Kate shops at outlets and online and waits til the things are not in season to wear them, it seems like.
Thus the summer dresses in winter and heavy coats in summer!
I think the Kate effect is part of the narrative by the media to tell us that Kate is such a style icon. Yes I believe people will want to buy something that she has worn but she usually debuts something several seasons out, thus must are already sold not sold out because people rushed to buy it after she wore it.
I know this is an old article and from a gossip site, but it was a year after the wedding and people were already decrying “the Kate effect”.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/kim-kardashian-sells-more-clothes-kate-middleton-409851
Kate, please wear pants!
She has a wonderful,figure with long legs and pants woUld show them off, and give her an air of confidence and authority she so desperately needs. Instead, she wears these flowery, long dresses that look like something the Duggar women might wear.
What stands in Kate’s way of self actualization is her horrible husband prince William. I believe he controls her, shames her, and doesn’t respect her. That’s why she looks like a mouse in his presence. I also believe he controls her schedule and the number of engage,nets she does is upmtomhim.
Her legs are only long due to the 3 to 4 inch heels. But, she would look great in some nicely tailored trousers, for sure!
Look what I found. I don’t necassarily think it’s a great pic but what else is new. Don’t know if anyone else has seen it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO5pI54A-Js/
Saw that the other day. Terrible photo choice, IMO.
I can’t tell if it’s the way the person uploaded it or the pic in general but the right side is blurry/faded and there seems too much going on. You have Kate with Charlotte and balloon in her hand and some lady’s head in the other corner! Jeesh.
You’d think they could have choosen something better.
I think it’s the flash from the camera causing the effect on the right side.
I agree there is too much going on in the photo. There is no one thing that draws the eye; it’s just all over the place, especially with random people in it.
Totally bizarre choice. There were so many options, especially that day! Why not choose one with a more simplified composition and background?
When I looked at some of these dresses I was reminded of the costuming for ”Downton Abbey.” Was that her ‘inspiration’?
Cora Crawley would have worn that Jenny Packham blue beaded gown and shawl with much more aplomb. And, no doubt, with a jewelled hair ornament of some kind. I’m sure she would not have emulated Violet wearing a shawl. It would have been arranged in the crook of each arm, draping behind her.
Cora would have also worn the Temperley London Delphia crop top & Delphia long skirt and it would have a matching duster – something to wear to tea with the ladies in the city.
Isobel Crawley would be wearing the Saloni Blue Mary Illusion Dot Dress to dinner with the Crawleys.
And the Eponine London red and white checked outfit is channeling the wardrobe for ”Mad Men.”
Who knew period drama television series could be the well for a 21st century wardrobe?
Next up, a full range of sexy skirt suits ?
It’s so interesting how everyone has different fashion choices and perspectives. The blue gown with the shawl does absolutely nothing for me. And I adore Tori Burchette normally but I’m not at all a fan of that gown. But I’ll always love the Jenny Packham iridescent gown she wore to the Marquess de Chakmondeley’s, even if her trimmer figure didn’t show it off as well. And though the BR skirt was my favorite I really loved the Eponine suit. But I’m a sucker for tweed.
I think I might be the only one who loves the white Self Portrait gown. The slit is a bit high but apart from that it feels like the best fitted, most flattering and has a spunk of youth but is still elegant. The biggest problem for me is that I feel as most of her clothes are wearing her and not the other way round this year. I only saw the clothing and not the human in it.