Just when we thought spring had sprung, March has brought us back down to earth with grey skies and scattered showers. That makes outfits even trickier and yet, once again, Zara Tindall has found a combination that's practical and elegant.
She kicked off Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival in a navy, black and teal outfit that might have looked very wintery at first glance, but is actually perfect for this season. Zara dressed warmly in a navy blue wool co-ord from The Fold consisting of an A-line Ellingham midi skirt and a cropped jacket.
Wool is cosy whilst also being breathable and so natural fabrics like this are a clever choice when it could be warm one minute and chilly the next. The coat is a particularly beautiful piece and if you're looking for a jacket to add to your spring capsule wardrobe that isn't a trench coat, why not go for something pea-length like this?
Shop Cropped Coats
This double-breasted wool-blend pea coat has with topstitched lapels, welt pockets, and cuffs with buttoned tabs for a smart feel. It's currently on sale and it's fully lined for comfort too. The soft camel tone is perfect for pairing with spring-like shades.
Available in petite and regular versions, this peacoat is a deep navy blue like Zara's jacket and has contrasting gold buttons. It's designed to be streamlined through the waist and has a smart collar and handy flap pockets.
Made in this chocolate brown shade as well as in camel, this cropped coat features a lapel collar and long sleeves with tab details. Front welt pockets are a practical addition and it fastens up the front with buttons. It's crafted from a cosy wool-blend fabric too.
Shop Teal Tops For Spring
Featuring a V-neckline, cuffed flowy sleeves and delicate buttons running up the front, this dark teal satin blouse is so sophisticated yet wearable. Tuck it into jeans for a smart-casual look or throw on with tailored trousers and heeled boots.
If you've been inspired by Zara's Cheltenham outfit to add some teal into your collection but get more use out of jumpers than shirts, then something like this is a gorgeous option. It's made from lambswool and has a timeless crew neckline and ribbed trims.
Currently even more affordable thanks to Amazon's Spring Deal discount, this blouse is something you can style as part of smart-casual outfits or special occasion looks. The design has a knotted detail at the neckline and it comes in various other colours too.
We don't need quite as much coverage as we did in winter and a shorter coat or jacket can accentuate the waist in such a chic way. They work exceptionally well with high-rise jeans, trousers and skirts because the hem meets the waistbands so neatly.
Zara Tindall's cropped jacket also looked great with her longer skirt, providing definition and structure that contrasted against the flowing silhouette. The statement lapels and puffed sleeves helped with this too and she also added a slim belt for extra shaping.
We've seen the royals do this a lot with their longline tailored coats, but this trick also works for shorter designs and the King's niece wore her jacket and skirt with a satin pussybow blouse. The sheen of the material felt so glamorous and although teal isn't a big spring/summer fashion colour trend, it's perfect for this time of year.
Sometimes in March and even April we find ourselves drawn back to wintery accessories and knitwear, and teal is deep enough to work with darker tones like black, navy and brown and can still complement paler hues like white, cream and camel. This makes the blue and green blend very versatile and Zara Tindall mirrored the teal of her blouse with a leaf-adorned headpiece and drop earrings.
She chose accessories by two of her go-to British brands, Aspinal and Fairfax & Favor, and her Peacock Ombre Midi Mayfair bag was a similar colour. The equestrian royal carried it by the top handle strap though it also comes with a golden chain, and she finished off her Cheltenham Day 1 ensemble with Fairfax & Favor Regina black suede boots.
Having the teal elements helped to lift the colour palette of the look and make it more springlike, even when styled with winter boots. As she was spending the day at the races, Zara's outfit was unsurprisingly quite formal.
To make a shorter coat and/or teal shirt more wearable day-to-day, you could pair them with your favourite blue jeans and trainers or loafers instead. Pieces like Zara Tindall's are naturally quite polished so you can easily lean into this or dress them down. She has another three days of Cheltenham 2026 to dress for and although her other outfits will be different, they'll probably also strike a good balance between elegance and functionality.
