NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton wore a coat reportedly connected to her job after college

  • The Princess of Wales, 43, has supported the brand through her fashion before

  • Princess Kate inventively refreshed an outfit with a hair bow from Jigsaw in December 2024

Kate Middleton is sporting something from a fashion brand she has a truly personal connection to — as a former employee.

On Sept. 23, the Princess of Wales, 43, stepped out in Southport with Prince William to show support for the community grieving after three children were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.

The outing marked the couple’s secon​​d trip to Southport following the tragedy, underscoring their commitment that the families, children and first responders affected will not be forgotten. There, Kate was a business princess in a pink blouse with gray trousers and a coordinating coat with a sentimental story.

Fan blogs identified the Princess of Wales’ long steel gray coat as the Maxi City Coat by Jigsaw, the fashion brand where she worked in 2006 after graduating from college at the University of St. Andrews.

Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Kate Middleton in Southport, England on Sept. 23, 2025.

Eddie Mulholland – WPA Pool/Getty

Kate Middleton in Southport, England on Sept. 23, 2025.

While Jigsaw’s Wool Maxi Coat is currently available to shop online for $525 and stocked in other colors, Kate’s gray shade is not available as an option.

Princess Kate met her future husband, Prince William, at St. Andrews’ and earned her degree from the university in the History of Art in 2005.

The following year, she started a part-time job at the British fashion brand Jigsaw, where she worked as an accessories buyer and reportedly spent a few days a week at their London office.

Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Prince William and Kate Middleton visit the new commemorative playground at Churchtown Primary School on Sept. 23, 2025.

Phil Noble – WPA Pool/Getty

Prince William and Kate Middleton visit the new commemorative playground at Churchtown Primary School on Sept. 23, 2025.

Speaking to the Evening Standard in 2008, Jigsaw founder Belle Robinson said Kate was “very mature for a 26-year-old” and described her as down to earth.

“She sat in the kitchen at lunchtime and chatted with everyone from the van drivers to the account girls. She wasn’t precious,” Robinson told the outlet then.

Kate left Jigsaw in 2007 to work for her family’s company, Party Pieces, and got engaged to Prince William in 2010.

The Princess of Wales has worn items from Jigsaw for her royal outings in the years since and prominently topped her look with a bow from the brand at her Together at Christmas carol service in December 2004.

Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton attends the Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6, 2024.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Kate Middleton attends the Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6, 2024.

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PEOPLE confirmed that Princess Kate clipped Jigsaw’s black Velvet Bow Clip on her red Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen coat to the fourth edition of her concert last December, refreshing the coat she already owned with a holiday touch.

Read the original article on People