The Princess of Wales has several tried and tested tricks up her sleeve when it comes to making even a simple outfit look put-together. One of them is particularly easy to replicate and Kate just used it for the annual Easter Sunday service.
After celebrating privately the past two years, the Wales family were there at Windsor Castle on 5th April and the Princess re-wore a belted Self Portrait dress with tan accessories. The heels were Ralph Lauren court shoes and both they and her Demellier Montreal mini bag would be perfect pairings for a wedding guest dress.
The colours almost exactly matched and Kate loves using this style hack, both for formal events and engagements. You can adjust it to suit the tones that work best for you and your spring capsule wardrobe, though tan is incredibly versatile.
Shop Matching Accessories
The Aubrielle top handle bag is available in a variety of different colours including this chocolate brown colour. It's got a croc-effect finish and a belted detail which accentuates the structured silhouette. It comes with an attachable longer strap too.
Affordable and neutral, this mini bag has a magnetic clasp closure to help keep your belongings secure instead. The inside pocket also has a magnetic closure and you can carry it by the top handle or the crossbody strap. Stitching and gold hardware finish this off chicly.
An ivory crossbody bag like this is incredibly useful as it's dainty enough to be worn for special occasions and still has plenty of room for your essentials. This one has a woven design which gives it a unique twist and gold-toned hardware.
These penny loafers are elevated with the gold hardware and are made from soft suede for a luxurious finish. They're designed with comfort in mind and are flat, with contrast stitching, tassel trims and subtle Dune London branding.
These heels are very similar to Kate's own Ralph Lauren pair and they're currently on sale for spring. They're crafted from smooth tan leather, with a pointed toe and classic stiletto heel. They also come in black if you prefer dark neutral tones.
Featuring a chunky block heel that gives you plenty of stability, these shoes have elegant crossover straps and would work so well with a flowy summer dress. The toes are pointed and the Next Forever Comfort® padding ups the comfort level too.
Like black and cream, this colour will work with pretty much anything and it’s also easy to find matching neutral shoe and bag combinations compared to brighter ones. The Princess of Wales’s tan accessories at Easter complemented her light cream dress and were a soft contrast.
Just a few months earlier Kate stepped out in Leicester the day after the Hindu Festival of Holi to celebrate culture and community and wore a cognac-brown suede clutch from Emmy London and matching Gianvito Rossi heels with a white dress and coat.
Matching the material takes the Princess’s style trick to another level, though the colours alone would be very effective. Having the same colour bag and shoes ties your wider outfit together and adds a cohesive feel that instantly elevates things.
Suddenly every part of your look seems extra considered and this approach can also help to balance out the boldness of patterns or vibrant colours. If you want to, you can also take things a step further and choose accessories that also match the rest of your ensemble.
The future Queen often does this for formal royal occasions like the Commonwealth Day service or recently when she and Prince William welcomed the visiting President of Nigeria to the UK wearing head-to-toe grey and white.
However, this isn’t always the case and Kate also likes going for more of a statement finish too. At a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2023 she went for a powder blue midi dress and a shimmering silver clutch and heels.
If she’d worn a silver dress this might have been a bit too much, but accessories make up a smaller part of your style and metallics bring some glamour. Alternatively, you can take inspiration from the Princess of Wales’s style trick and apply it more casually.
White trainers and a white bag with jeans and a shirt would be a chic way to adapt it to suit everyday outfits. I personally think a matching handbag and shoes looks more effective with a smarter look, though, as it leans into the elegance.
This is how Kate uses it most often and Princess Charlotte is already starting to follow in her mum’s footsteps even though she doesn’t wear handbags yet. Her chocolate brown ballet flats tied in wonderfully with the buttons and pockets on her coat at the Easter service.
