Kate Middleton’s winter staple for looking glamorous on chilly nights out is surprisingly easy to shop and “not ostentatious”.
With the cold weather now in full force and party season coming up, many of us will be looking for pieces that are effortlessly elegant and easy to layer under our best winter coats. Even if you’re only outside for a matter of moments this can still influence our choices, but Kate Middleton’s winter staple for chilly nights is the best of both worlds. Over the past few weeks alone, the Princess of Wales has worn three cape-sleeved items and her two cape dresses have particularly caught our eye.
Whilst cape sleeves might seem incredibly statement, this draped design can actually be very wearable and chic. Kate has certainly showcased how keeping a little more covered up on a winter evening doesn’t have to mean compromising on glamour.
SHOP CAPE DRESSES
RRP: £95| This stunning navy cape dress has an intricate pleating detail in the skirt and elegant draping sleeves. It's perfect for Christmas parties and other special occasions and the deep blue shade is a lovely jewel-tone for winter.
RRP: Was £149, Now £119.20 | This electric blue jumpsuit is a wonderful way to incorporate Kate's favourite winter sleeve style into your wardrobe. The colour and wide-leg design are sure to make a statement at any festive parties.
RRP: Was £250, Now £175 |This gorgeous dress with caped sleeves is a bold party dress option this festive season. The colour is a stunning scarlet-pink tone and the sleeves keep your shoulders fully covered whilst still making a statement.
Kate’s teal dress at the 2024 Royal Variety Performance was the fabulous £1,745 Destiny Poseidon dress from Safiyaa and featured floor-length cape sleeves, crystal details and dramatic shoulders. It was the perfect bold choice for this night out but kept both Kate’s shoulders and the top half of her arms covered - something she likely appreciated as she arrived on that cold night.
Just a few weeks earlier at the State Banquet for President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea, Kate wore a white Jenny Packham gown with similarly statement cape sleeves covered in gold embellishments. These were more subtle than the sleeves on her teal gown, showcasing how you don’t have to go all-out with long cape sleeves to enjoy the same stunning effect.
These shorter sleeves still kept her shoulders and the top of her arms covered and added a softness to the look with their drape. The Princess of Wales has also previously worn a gold Jenny Packham gown with longer cape sleeves to the premiere of the James Bond movie, No Time To Die, in autumn 2021.
So it seems that cape sleeve dresses have long been a firm favourite and our Fashion Channel Editor, Rivkie Baum, believes that this style of sleeve is “fashion-forward” and, very appropriately for Kate, “regal”.
“A cape sleeve always feels glamorous, as it swooshes independently creating greater movement throughout your ensemble,” she said, before revealing that “capes are very much all about the aesthetics rather than practicality, they feel regal and poised.”
When it comes to the aesthetics of Kate’s particularly magnificent cape sleeved gown at the Royal Variety Performance, Rivkie added, “Kate looks absolutely amazing [at the performance] and it adds a further modern look to more simple dresses for something fashion-forward but not ostentatious.”
Whilst you can go all-out and invest in an embellished version of Kate’s winter staple, in general cape dresses can often be far more low-key than a full sequin gown and more covered up if you’re considering party dress options for colder evenings. Whether you want a mini, midi or maxi length dress and shorter or longer sleeves there are so many beautiful cape dresses on the high-street.
They can also be layered up with a coat or dressed down with opaque tights and knee high boots for a super warm yet chic look too. Cape dresses are also statement enough without being too overtly Christmassy, meaning that they can be brought out again and again for special events that call for truly spectacular dresses.
