If you've been wondering about Kate Middleton's style secrets, there's a reason why the Princess of Wales always looks so well put together, never putting a stylish foot wrong. From bright blazers to colourful coats and beautifully cut trouser suits and the chicest of dresses, her winning aesthetic has got many scrambling to copy her exquisite style.
From Kate Middleton's best red carpet moments to the Princess of Wales' best style moments in general, Kate never fails to look sensational. And thanks to this list of Kate Middleton's style secrets, her elegant style is easier to replicate than you might think. Showcasing her sustainability credentials too, the Princess of Wales is not afraid to reimagine her favourite pieces, restyling them in creative ways or adding a dash of high street magic to give them a fresh, new look - an idea we can certainly get on board with.
We’ve rounded Kate Middleton's best style tricks and broken them down so that we can share the Princess of Wales’ style secrets, that will help you add regal polish to your own wardrobe.
32 of Kate Middleton's style secrets that you can copy
1. Kate Middleton's Navy Suit
When it comes to tailoring, Kate is an expert at selecting suits. Opting for navy blue is a timelessly elegant choice and softer than black, which can be draining and sombre. The slim-fitting trousers and matching jacket highlight her slender silhouette but she keeps the look youthful by swapping out the classic shirt for a tee instead.
2. Kate Middleton's Green Dress
While the Princess is naturally tall, she cleverly further elongates her frame by choosing fitted looks in single colours. The unbroken colour forms a continuous line for the eye to travel, creating the illusion of a longer, leaner silhouette while delicate folded flourishes at the shoulder add interest.
3. Kate Middleton's Blue Dress
Looking for a cool yet covered-up option for summer soirees? Kate Middleton’s cornflower blue dress by British clothing brand Beulah is perfect for those hot days. The loose blouson style sleeves and flared skirt mean you’ll beat the heat while still looking stylish.
4. Kate Middleton's Burgundy Hat
When it comes to occasions that require a hat, the Princess offers a masterclass in chic sophistication. Take a tip from her by colour-matching your hat to your outfit for a cohesive colour-blocking look. The asymmetric brim worn on the forehead frames the face flatteringly and minimalist pearl earrings complement rather than distract from the look.
5. Kate Middleton's Polka Dot Dress
Kate isn’t afraid to step out of her safe zone and experiment with cool contemporary designers. Featuring a high neck, bandeau waist and slightly puffed sleeves on this dress, the strong silhouette makes the most of Kate’s statuesque shape. Finishing her look with matching monochrome accessories including a statement hat, there’s a dash of My Fair Lady to the Princess’ look when she adds a vibrant pink lip.
6. Kate Middleton's Zara Earrings
Like many royals, The Princess of Wales isn’t averse to re-wearing her favourite frocks, relying on up-to-date accessories to give new life to her outfits. And Kate’s outfits are often proof you don’t have to spend a fortune on updates – a long-time fan of high street store Zara, Kate snapped up these shoulder-grazing earrings from the Spanish clothing brand to refresh her favourite Jenny Packham dress.
7. Kate Middleton's Brown Coat
With walkabouts aplenty, Kate Middleton knows a thing or two about how to pick the best winter coats. Opting for a belted custom Hobbs coat, The Princess of Wales keeps her winter silhouette looking sleek rather than bulky, while matching brown boots and complementary berry hues underneath create a timeless elegance.
8. Kate Middleton's Breton Top
If you’re wondering how to build a capsule wardrobe, make sure to add a classic Breton stripe to your shopping list. A favourite of the Princess of Wales, it can be worn with virtually anything, from jeans and shorts to tailored trousers and blazers. Kate favours fitted styles and teams them with simple jewellery for a sophisticated look.
9. Kate Middleton's Checked Dress
With her tall and slender physique, Kate makes the most of her figure in fitted pencil dresses. This pale blue and black houndstooth check version from British designer brand Emilia Wickstead is a contemporary take on a classic shape, with subtle details further highlighting The Princess’ silhouette. The belt nips in her waist to create curves while the collar draws the eye up to her face.
10. Kate Middleton's Camel Coat
If you’re looking to buy a classic coat to add to your winter wardrobe, you can’t go wrong with a timeless camel coat. The Princess of Wales often opts for slim-cut outerwear or styles with belts to avoid excess fabric that might add extra bulk. Styling her coat with similar tones for the rest of her outfit adds the look of quiet luxury for a future Queen.
11. Kate Middleton's Blue Coat
When wearing an open coat, Kate has a handy styling trick of matching her outerwear to similar tones underneath to create a seamless outfit that won’t distract from her role in royal duties. Here, The Princess takes her tonal dressing to another level, with each half of her outfit carefully colour-matched. By pairing a sharp-shouldered maxi coat with a silk pussy-bow blouse, the combination of tailoring and an oversized bow draws the eye up automatically focusing on her upper half.
12. Kate Middleton's Optical Illusion Dress
While Kate Middleton is naturally slender, the Princess of Wales understands the power of an optical illusion dress. This Emilia Wickstead frock features graphic black lines that create a secondary silhouette, making Kate appear even slimmer than she is by drawing the eye to the narrower dress-like shape emblazoned on the white frock.
13. Kate Middleton's Coat Dress
While she’s a thoroughly modern member of the Royal family, Kate Middleton knows that timeless pieces such as a classic coat dress are a must-have, particularly when it comes to what to wear to a wedding or Christening. The fit and flare cut is a favourite and the Princess of Wales styles it to vintage perfection with head-to-toe colour-matched accessories including a pleated detail hat that sits on the crown of her head and allows her pearl cluster earrings to make a style statement.
14. Kate Middleton's Beige Co-ord
Beige doesn’t have to be boring, as the Princes of Wales shows with this knitwear duo. In a subtle, warm sandy shade and with interesting button details at the cuffs, Kate accessorises her look with pieces in similar tones and finishes with pearl earrings for a slick and seamless outfit on a visit to Nottingham Trent University in October 2023.
15. Kate Middleton's Gold Sequin Dress
We might not be walking the red carpet any time soon but Kate Middleton gives excellent lessons in how to go bold in gold. Her stunning starburst sequin gown by Jenny Packham has sharp shoulders and a cool cape that are shown off to perfection by an up-do while the curved edges of her matching gold disc earrings soften the dramatic shoulders and plunging V-neck.
16. Kate Middleton's Pink Coat and Jumper
Even at the height of Covid in 2021, The Princess of Wales remained chic in a bright pink knit and matching coat on a visit to a school in Stratford. The scalloped neckline of the knit creates an interesting detail and eliminates the need for jewellery, while the perfectly matched outerwear creates a continuous colour block which is not only flattering but with social distancing in place, kept Kate firmly in everyone’s sights. Ever the accessorising expert, even her floral face mask subtly picks up the tones of the outfit.
17. Kate Middleton's White Shorts
Not sure you can pull off short shorts? Kate gives a masterclass in how to wear high hemlines over 40 with this nautical-inspired look. By swapping bum-skimming denim for a high-rise waist, her legs look longer while adding a few inches to the length keeps the look tailored and chic. Kate’s box-fresh white Superga trainers are some of the best white trainers around and are the ideal finishing touch to this cool weekend look.
18. Kate Middleton's Red Blazer
Like Queen Elizabeth before her, the Princess of Wales often wears rich hues to help improve her visibility to crowds. A brightly coloured blazer is a great way to stand out and make a statement in an otherwise pared-back outfit. Kate’s choice of a nubby tweed fabric and gold buttons add a luxurious finish to her otherwise simple crew neck tee and tailored trousers.
19. Kate Middleton's Pink Dress
With a naturally slim figure, Kate knows how to add the illusion of curves with clever outfits. Another dress from British designer Beulah, this sugary pink dress is a favourite of the Princess of Wales and it’s easy to see why – the wide belt highlights her waist while the flared skirt skims outwards, creating a feminine hourglass figure.
20. Kate Middleton's Monochrome Outfit
When in doubt, Kate Middleton turns to the quintessentially chic option of a monochrome outfit. The stylish black details of her jacket update an otherwise summery outfit and by adding a matching black clutch and court shoes, the Princess of Wales creates a simple yet cohesive outfit.
21. Kate Middleton's Pink Suit
Kate isn’t afraid to have fun with her clothes – by swapping typical suiting tones of grey and navy for sugary pink and adding a tonally similar top, Kate’s take on tailoring is playful rather than severe. Her pearly accessories break up the block of pink and add a touch of elegance for a boardroom-worthy look.
22. Kate Middleton's Orange Vintage Bag
On a Caribbean tour in 2022, Kate Middleton showed how she can get into the tropical spirit with a bright orange blouse under her cool white suit and a matching vintage tweed bag. The bamboo top handle style brings a cool retro twist to an otherwise sleek outfit, giving it a quirky twist.
23. Kate Middleton's Yellow Dress
This gorgeous sunny customised Roksanda dress has all of the hallmarks of a K-Mid wardrobe must-have with its fit and flare silhouette but the knotted detail at the shoulder throws a curve ball. The key is to let this detail shine – at Wimbledon 2022 Kate ditched her bouncy blowdry in favour of hair worn tucked behind her ears and subtle accessories to allow focus to fall firmly on this cool abstract detail.
24. Kate Middleton's Wide Leg Suit
While Kate usually opts for fitted slim-leg styles with a slight crop when it comes to suiting, she also knows that a high-waisted wide-leg trouser is super flattering, creating the illusion of endless legs. Take a tip from The Princess of Wales and style yours with heels in a similar colour for even longer pins.
25. Kate Middleton Square Neck Dress
Looking for the perfect sunshine holiday outfit? You can’t go wrong with a square neck dress like Kate’s colourful Tory Burch style. The neckline frames Kates's décolletage, while the shirred panel at the bust moulds to the upper body, creating the perfect fit and flare, which is balanced with the lightly puffed sleeves. Make like Kate and style yours with a pair of statement earrings in a colour from your frock for added fashion flair.
26. Kate Middleton Shirt Dress
We wish we looked this glamorous on the school run! For Charlotte’s first day in September 2019, the Princess of Wales epitomised back-to-school chic when she opted for a wardrobe essential in many a working mum’s wardrobe, the shirt dress. By adding a belt and shoes in colours that are found in the print, Kate subtly elevates a favourite floral frock from Michael Kors MICHAEL range, making it workplace-ready for a busy day post-drop-and-dash.
27. Kate Middleton's Cropped Wide Leg Trousers
If you’ve ever wondered how to make cropped wide-leg trousers work for you, take a tip from the Princess of Wales. Kate opts for a high-waisted tailored style from Jigsaw, which immediately adds length to her legs by drawing the eye up but the real secret is finding the perfect crop. The Princess’ pair finish about an inch above her ankle bone, highlighting the slimmest point of the leg for a flattering finish.
28. Kate Middleton's Checked Coat
On a visit to The Palace of Holyroodhouse in 2021, Kate Middleton’s choice of a Holland and Cooper wool coat is the perfect look to beat the chill. While coats are often just the final touch of an outfit, here the Princess’ outerwear is THE outfit – with gold statement buttons, a dramatic collar and a belted waist, Kate adds Manolo Blahnik heels in a deep green velvet and statement sapphire earrings to reflect the hues of the coat’s check, for a pulled together outdoor look.
29. Kate Middleton's Check Scarf
While red and black together are a statement combination, The Princess of Wales shows us how to soften the look of this eye-popping combination with the addition of a tartan scarf – the pattern helps to break up the bold blocks of colour while simultaneously tying them together as both appear in the print.
30. Kate Middleton's Blue Blazer
On a visit to Cambridge in June 2022, the Princess of Wales enhances her multicoloured LK Bennett dress with a pale blue blazer and deeper-hued accessories in shades that have been carefully picked out of the watercolour print of her frock to create a subtly cohesive look.
31. Kate Middleton's Bright Scarf
If you’re wearing a dark coat in mid-winter and feel like the colour may be draining you, take a tip from Kate Middleton and tuck a colourful lightweight scarf into the neckline. Warm tones such as reds, pinks and orange will instantly lift the look, bringing colour back to your cheeks. Here, Kate’s heart print style also complements her red clutch and gives hints of the outfit underneath her classic navy blue coat.
32. Kate Middleton's Lace Blouse
While many of the Princess of Wales outfits are show stoppers for public events, Kate still knows how to look stylish when she’s dressing down. When taking part in a spot of land yachting in 2021, Kate’s careful layering of a lace blouse and fair isle jumper under a padded jacket adds a dash of femininity to her otherwise sensible and cosy outfit.
