Kate Middleton has been among the most
popular royal family members for many years. The Princess of Wales has not only
proven herself to be a royal family member of change, becoming increasingly
more “one of the people,” but also, her down-to-earth sense of style has earned
her legions of fans worldwide.
Kate has been a trendsetter throughout
her entire time within the royal family, and it has even been given a name,
“the Kate effect.” Meanwhile, even though she has been setting trends, the
princess has also gone her own way, not falling for what is hot right now.
One of those pieces of clothing sure is
her jeans, with Kate often being seen wearing a skinny style. Why is that? And
what is the secret behind her skinny jeans style? Let’s take a closer look at her
fashionable choices.
Not
only has Kate Middleton turned out to have an exquisite style, but the public
always seems to want to emulate her fashionable wardrobe, which has sometimes
sparked a frenzy.
KATE
MIDDLETON & FASHION – THE “KATE EFFECT”
Over
the last decade, it has even been known as the “Kate effect,” a term that
describes the wide-reaching fascination with her outfits. As a result, this
effect has had the power to significantly boost the sales of high-end fashion
brands and change the lives of many smaller fashion businesses.
The
“Kate effect” began in 2010 after she and Prince William announced their
engagement. The then-duchess wore a sapphire blue dress from the brand Issa. As
reported by Vanity Fair, within 24 hours, the dress had sold out online.
“Would
any dress have had the same effect? No,” Bethan Holt, fashion news and
features director at The Telegraph, wrote in her book, The Duchess of
Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style. “There was something about the Issa.
It made Kate look glamorous yet respectful; she wasn’t trying to seem more
mature than she was, but nor did the dress depict her as a slave to fashion.”
Since
then, Kate has been keen to promote designers such as Alexander McQueen and
Jenny Packham and more affordable brands like Zara and LK Bennett through her
taste and interest. According to Newsweek and as reported by the Express, the “Kate
effect” could “be worth £ 1 billion to the UK fashion industry.”
When
Kate Middleton wore the blue Issa dress at her and William’s engagement
announcement, as mentioned, it became a frenzy online. Everyone wanted the
dress that instantly sold out, and the brand became hugely popular.
Max
Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
According
to fashion expert Bethan Holt, Kate Middleton’s style is casual and formal,
youthful yet serious, down-to-earth and glamorous. The fashion editor stated in
an interview that one of the main reasons for Kate’s everlasting style and
fashion is how she took time to talk to designers and found a “circle of
people” that she “really trusts.”
KATE
MIDDLETON SENDS SPECIAL MESSAGES WITH HER CHOICE OF CLOTHING
“Diana
was often telling a story with her clothes, and she had a big evolution of her
own personal life. Whereas the queen, the whole point of her is to remain
basically the same,” Holt told Vanity Fair. “The public mood now is much less towards
wanting royals that are very distant in their palaces. People want to be able
to relate, and I think the royals realize that clothing is a way that they can
do it.”
“There’s
no better way than saying, hey, you can buy the same Zara jeans I’m wearing
right now for £30. She’s had a lot of those [relatable] experiences. She went
on a gap year, and she was a girl about town just after university. We saw
those pictures of her having a job, and I think lots of women can relate to
those things. She’s talked about mum guilt as well, and about the box sets they
watch and what takeaway they get.”
For
many years, Kate Middleton has had a laidback style that certainly applies to
the public. Her outfits have often been studied by fashion experts, not
necessarily because of how they fit or which shoes match which pants, but
because some outfits send a special message to a specific group.
For
example, when Kate visited medical colleges working in maternal healthcare
alongside Princess Anne, the Princess of Wales wore a cream dress with a
particular detail. Laces in the shape of pineapples could be seen on the
pockets of the clothing, and it had a symbolic meaning.
According
to The New York Times, “Pineapples have become a powerful symbol for women
struggling with infertility. The fruit appears in the profile photos and
Facebook feeds of women in online infertility communities.”
Chris
Jackson/Getty Images
The
US newspaper continued, “They are most widely known as a symbol of hospitality
and welcoming. But on social media, pineapples are inextricably tied to
infertility. On Instagram, the hashtag #PineappleTribe aims to connect women
going through IVF.”
WHY
KATE MIDDLETON CHOSE TO SPORT PINK OUTFITS
The
Royal Insta Blog also wrote about the princess’ choice of wearing a pineapple:
“Displaying or wearing the pineapple can represent a non-verbal communication
of an enormous life event in common or be an active out loud shout of support
to raise awareness and funding for the issue of infertility,” it read, as
quoted by Hello.
It
was clear that Kate wanted to send a message to women who struggled with
conceiving and that she stood with them. Through many patronages, Kate has
tried to help those struggling with many different things, including mental
health.
Last
year, a new trend and message were seen through Kate’s outfits. On several
occasions—including when she opened the Young V&A at V&A Museum Of
Childhood in London in late June, visited the Foundling Museum in May, and just
days earlier attended the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show—the Princess of Wales
appeared in a pink outfit. It’s been a while since that has happened.
Just
as with any other color, pink has a meaning. For example, red is associated
with courage and confidence, and pink is associated with love, kindness, and
femininity.
Fashion
expert Samantha Harman expressed her thoughts on Kate’s pink outfits, saying
they could result from “a bit of unwanted publicity.” However, according
to the experts, they also send a secret message to the public.
Max
Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
“According
to color psychology, which the royals do pay attention to, pink is fun,
feminine, flirty and romantic,” Harman said. “Kate wants the public to know that she’s fun and
kind, and while some might already think that about her, the pink outfits are
showing that she’s letting loose a little bit.”
THE
SECRET BEHIND KATE MIDDLETON’S SKINNY JEANS
Royal
fashion expert Miranda Holder states that choosing to wear pink may be because
Kate wants to appear kind.
“Every
style decision, especially what it comes to Kate’s wardrobe, is absolutely
considered and deliberate down to the color she wears,” Holder said and
added that Kate wants to appear “softer and gentler.”
“[She
is] just embracing this color, being fashionable at the moment and enjoying
herself.”
It
doesn’t matter whether she’s taking a family picture with her children and
husband or going on a royal outing; Kate Middleton always makes sure to be
dressed accordingly. Meanwhile, as already mentioned, she has taken a more
casual approach to her clothing. But experts can also find hidden meanings in
most.
When
Kate Midleton revealed her cancer diagnosis on March 22, she did so while
sitting in the Windsor gardens. The Princess of Wales was sporting a Scottish
striped sweater, which, according to Mirror, was from Erdem and cost around $800.
But
while she’s been praised for her fun and youthful look, according to
journalist Sarah Oliver with the Daily Mail, she did so to show she is not only a princess
but also a “school-run mum, a wife, and a homemaker.”
“Really,
in choosing this everyday look, the Princess was reminding the nation that she
is not just ‘ours’ but also ‘theirs’, a private woman whose priorities
must lie with her husband and children, parents and siblings, until her
recovery is complete,” Sarah Oliver wrote.
“On
a park bench in jeans and barely there make-up, her long hair loose, she was
underlining the fact that cancer is no respecter of her life of privilege. And
she was asking us for the understanding she needs to fight it in privacy.”
“COMFORTABLE
AND CHIC”
Oliver
concluded, “Sometimes, she is not a princess, but a school-run mum, a wife and
a homemaker. That’s the message Kate was sending when she revealed her cancer
diagnosis in a low-key Breton-striped sweater. It’s a personal favourite of the
Princess of Wales who has reached for its jaunty nautical stripes on several
earlier – and happier – occasions.”
Kate
Middleton has already mastered how to wear her shirts and outfits best; the
same appears true of her jeans.
The
Princess of Wales has stayed faithful to her skinny jeans throughout her royal
life. One expert, jeans maker Donna Ida, says Kate has a “timeless, beautiful
style.”
Kate
shows that skinny jeans, even though they might not be the hottest trend, can
look amazing and still be trendy.
“She
has great legs, and skinny jeans fit so well and accentuate her shape. It’s
always great to celebrate amazing features,” Donna Ida told the Daily
Mail.
“She
is a woman who’s on the go and is so busy. The skinny jean, a quick and easy
style to run around in, is perfect. Skinny jeans are comfortable and chic, and
they look and feel great.”
Fashion
trends always come and go, which usually means many people decide to follow
them. The same goes for the royal family, but in the case of skinny jeans, Kate
Middleton won’t abandon her favorite style.
Samir
Hussein
As
of the latest, it’s been very trendy with more baggy jeans, but even though one
might not expect Kate to follow it, wearing more wide-legged cuts than skinny
jeans could have been a possibility, right?
Well,
the Princess of Wales has decided to stay faithful to her skinny jeans, and one
royal expert suggests she might be early on the next trend.
FASHION
EXPERT SAYS KATE MIDDLETON’S SKINNY JEANS “IS A CASE IN POINT”
Royal
expert Christine Ross told Newsweek that Kate has been “loyal” to her skinny
jeans for years. Not only are they Kate’s favorite, but Ross also suggests skinny
jeans “are here to stay.”
“Kate’s
affection for them may come down to practicality: they are, quite simply, the
easiest thing to wear with wellies or garden boots,” Christine Ross said.
“They can be extremely flattering and, for many, extremely comfortable. While
the trend has shifted from skinny jeans to wider leg styles, we’ve seen skinny
styles re-enter the recent fashion runways.”
However,
royal fashion expert and celebrity stylist Miranda Holder said that
“tastemakers” have said they are out of fashion. Meanwhile, she states
that Kate is undoubtedly the one who can carry them.
“Tastemakers
have been telling us for the last few seasons that skinny jeans are very firmly
out of fashion, with looser, more unstructured shapes taking precedence, and
although this more voluminous trouser shape is definitely more contemporary,
it’s definitely not for everyone, and Kate is a case in point,” she told
Newsweek.
“There
is an element of easy practicality about a green pair of skinnies; they hug you
like leggings, and a good elastane ratio means they move with you, making
running around after three boisterous children far easier.”
She
concluded, “They are also brilliant for tucking into long boots in the winter
months, and we know Kate is particularly fond of her knee-length Penelope
Chilvers, and finally, they look great on Kate’s naturally willowy frame.”
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