According to a fashion expert, Kate Middleton’s 'wholesome yet sexy' pre-royal style is a great example of 2023's 'it-girl look' with many of Kate's previous everyday staples making a comeback.
- Kate Middleton may have only been recognized as a fashion icon when she married into the royal family, but the Princess has always had impeccable style.
- Her pre-royal look, which has been described as 'wholesome yet sexy,' is 2023's new 'it-girl look,' according to a fashion expert and many of Kate's old everyday staples are back in fashion.
- In other royal news, the emotional story behind Kate Middleton's new star earrings revealed.
There are so many new and exciting fashion trends for 2023, from trending colors to popular shoes. But as well as new trends, there are some that we have definitely seen before that are now making a comeback.
One such trend labeled 'it-girl style' for 2023, is a look that Kate Middleton was often spotted in during her university days at St Andrews where she met her future husband Prince William.
The style, which was very popular during the 2000s, has been described as the 'girl next door' look, with low-rise jeans, preppy knitted jumpers layered over shirts, and strappy tops being staples of outfits at the time.
While Kate's style has evolved as Prince William and her children have moved up the royal line of succession, items like her staple 1940s-inspired dress and her stunning pastel-blue Zara blazer are taking center stage, it seems that, for others at least, her early 00s fashion staples are making a comeback.
Speaking to The Express about Kate's university days style, fashion expert Susie Nelson highlighted how the Princess tended to favor more casual attire that appeared rooted in her country upbringing.
She explained, "Kate's outfits at St Andrew's were very much 'public school girls at Marlborough College' - I think it's fair to say, quite Sloane Ranger [preppy yet casual] style."
"She's always been sporty with fabulous legs, so her thigh-skimming skirts from that time had a wholesome yet sexy look. Her country lifestyle shows in her equestrian-style wax coats and classic shooting jackets."
While her style may have matured, there are some pieces that Kate still steps out in from her university days. Most notably, when she isn't wearing her incredibly comfortable Lululemon sneakers, she has been spotted re-wearing the Long Tassel Boots from the brand Penelope Chilvers on multiple occasions - a boot she was first seen wearing back in 2005 for the Festival of British Eventing in Gatcombe Park.
In 2005, Kate dressed the boots with a pair of blue denim jeans, a low-cut sweater worn over a white shirt, and a laid-back suede jacket that nipped in at her waist. For accessories, the Princess opted for a stunning cowboy-style hat with braided detail, a subtle pair of drop-down earrings, and a chunky gemstone necklace.
In 2018, for her first appearance after giving birth to Prince Louis, she again wore the boots but styled them very differently. Keeping her outfit neutral, the Princess opted for a pair of riding leggings in a dark brown shade, pairing the trousers with a green knitted jumper and relaxed khaki jacket.
In 2021, she again was seen in the boots during an engagement at a family-run farm in County Durham. This time she opted for a patterned jumper and referenced her style of old with a sweet collar that was just visible above the jumper's neckline. Again she chose a khaki jacket to fend off the cold and finished the look with a pair of dark denim jeans.
