Kate Middleton is an international fashion icon, but her latest outfit has caused heated debate among royal fans some of whom feel the look was “overdone”. Express reached out to one prominent stylist for their professional opinion on the “polarising” royal outfit.
On Monday, Kate made a bold fashion statement while attending the Commonwealth service at Westminister Abbey. The Princess arrived at the grand event alongside Prince William in a ÂŁ3,000 ($3,650) vintage-style suit by one of her favourite designers Erdem Moralioglu.
The dark blue skirt suit featured a peplum-style skirt with a white floral pattern. The jacket was in the exact same style but also had stitching around the waist to give it a corset effect. The accessories were all in navy blue and fractured wide-brimmed Phillip Tracy hat, an Emmy London clutch and Gianvito Rossi pumps.
The Princess of Wales paired the outfit with Princess Dianaâs sapphire earrings, which match Kate Middletonâs sapphire engagement ring, and the Prince of Wales broach which was a gift from her father-in-law King Charles.
The outfit certainly turned heads, but the fashion choice has been âpolarisingâ according to one royal expert. Amanda Matta is a popular royal commentator on social media, and on her TikTik account @matta_of_fact, she spoke about Kate Middletonâs Commonwealth outfit in a new video.
She said: âThis is a look for people who think the highest compliment you can give a woman is to tell her she is classy and sophisticated.â
The royal commentator also believes Kate Middletonâs stylist was inspired by her outfit by Beatrice Borromeo, the daughter-in-law of Princess Caroline of Monaco who wore a bright red Dior skirt suit to Monaco’s national day in November 2022. Amanda said people went âgagaâ over Beatriceâs âstunningâ look.
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Amanda said: âWhat made (Beatriceâs) look so good was the simplicity of it. The cleaness of it. The lack of those things is what let Kate down hereâŠI am not even going to talk about the fact that she has three different shades of blue going on.â
She added that she believed Kate Middletonâs outfit would have worked better if it had not been a print and that the outfit was âjust too muchâ and âoverdone.â
In Amandaâs comment section, a lot of people seemed to agree with the royal commentator on Kate Middletonâs outfit. A popular comment said: âIâm not a fan of this look on Kate. I think there are too many competing elements that distract the eye Floral print, boning, peplum and mismatched blue.â
One user said: âWhat is Kateâs stylist doing to her?â while somebody else wrote: âOne of those instances where the clothes are wearing the person. Not a fan of the print.â
Another popular commentator said: âGosh I miss Meghan. I just want some good outfits. I would love to see what she would wear.â
However, one prominent stylist has disagreed with the royal watchers and said she âlovedâ Kate Middletonâs Commonwealth look. Hallie Abrams is a professional stylist and owner of The Wardrobe Consultant, a popular blog which offers fashion tips as well as a personal styling business.
Hallie used her expertise to analyse Kate Middletonâs outfit and give her own opinions in an Express exclusive. She said: âI actually loved the blue Erdem set. A peplum is not typically her silhouette of choice.â
The fashion expert also had her own thought on what the outfit may have been inspired by. Hallie said: âThe style was most popular circa 2010 but we saw it In abundance at the recent FW 2023 fashion shows. Brands like Balmain and Tory Burch are helping usher in the return of waist definition and the Princessâ stamp of approval will help for sure.â
She added: âI also really liked how she paired the outfit with a navy fascinator and classic pumps. The midi length of the skirt is also something we are seeing gain traction for fall.â
Hallie believes the outfit was a mix of Kate Middletonâs personality as well as keeping up with the latest fashion trends. The fashion expert said: âThe Princess of Wales is on the cusp of the looks trending for fall, as well as staying true to her classic style.â