The suit jacket and pants that won the princess over were designed by Bella Freud, who also hosts the popular fashion podcast Fashion Neurosis. Indeed, the look has several elements that are hallmarks of the royal’s signature style: A British brand, impeccable tailoring, and a meaningful pattern, the Prince of Wales check, also known as Glen Plaid.
Among the reasons that might have led Kate to reintroduce the outfit so soon, other than to give it another spin before sending it to the cleaners as ordinary women would, might be the effort to shift public focus from the clothes she wears to the work she does. Without a new look to analyze, the RAF pilots she visited and the aircrafts she toured could take the spotlight.
Kate Middleton boards the Typhoon at the RAF base.
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But the royal had not counted on meeting the local princesses, young children whose families live on and around the base. The crowd of tots had donned their best dresses to meet the princess. “Where is my dress? If I had known…” she exclaimed, as she stopped to chat with a particularly elegant little group, according to reports in the British press.
“I’m sorry I didn’t wear my dress today. Thank you for coming to see me,” she told one of her little admirers.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.