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The Duchess of Cambridge’s 40th birthday portraits showed how far Kate Middleton’s style has come since she married into the royal family. A new sense of ease and a penchant for haute drama reflected a woman who feels confident in herself and is not afraid to show it. Following that Paolo Roversi fashion shoot, for which Kate commissioned three new Alexander McQueen looks, she has been carefully honing her everyday wear to reflect this new refined elegance.
Back-to-work Kate has so far leaned into tonal looks that suggest she knows the timeless quality of luxe camel separates, and the degree of polish a snappy coat can provide. This week, it was all about the hard-working dress. Visiting Shout—a mental health text service she set up in 2019 with Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—the Duchess wore Derek Lam’s Sammy dress, a chiffon midi style dotted with subtle leopard spots. Cinched with a Ba&sh black suede belt, it was Kate’s version of business-casual, and perfect for the job at hand.
We need to talk about her boots. The Duchess dug out a pair of black over-the-knee Ralph Lauren boots that were a great choice for a chilly winter’s day and, dare we say it, kept one eye on what’s happening in fashion now. While Kim Kardashian West and Julia Fox keep the paparazzi cheques rolling in by wearing Balenciaga’s wildly high Knife boots, Kate showed how the average woman might wear the tall boot style. This week’s look is a classic formula that she won’t look back on and regret, which is not something every celebrity can say.
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