Kate's 3 style commandments: Accessible, sustainable, elegant - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Fashion Kate’ s 3 style commandments Accessible sustainable elegant By You Magazine - February 23, 2020 Poised, polished and perennially fashionable, the Duchess of Cambridge never puts a foot wrong. So what’s her secret? Royal expert Claudia Joseph explains how it’s all down to three simple rules. Amid the recent chaos weathered by the Royal Family, there is one member of the Firm who outshines the rest: Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge. Throughout it all, Kate has remained poised and professional while inspiring millions with her enviable sense of style. So much so that she has just been voted Britain’s most fashionable Royal by the Fashion Retail Academy. Some fashionistas have suggested that a rivalry between Kate and her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, had sparked her new look, but I believe that she has finally found the confidence to be herself. As I discovered when I wrote my book How to Dress Like a Princess, Kate has become a modern icon. Sensational and sustainable: Kate at this year’s Baftas in an Alexander McQueen gown first worn on a tour of Malaysia. Image: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Her carefully honed style can be explained by the three Cambridge commandments… Accesible Perhaps Kate has taken notes from her grandmother-in-law for her first commandment. The Queen is known for her thrift, and the Duchess echoes this with her penchant for affordable labels. The 2019 Cambridge Christmas card featured her wearing a teal dress by Boden. In the sale for £60, it promptly sold out. Last month, the black and white check Zara dress she wore on a visit to Bradford, reduced to £15.99, sold out in three hours, with some shoppers posting it on Ebay for £125. And recently she’s set social media alight by rewearing a pair of £1.50 Accessorize earrings. Wild In Woking last month for part of her landmark survey tour, Kate sported a Zara bargain – an on-trend animal-print skirt. This £29.99 skirt from Zara was in the sale for a bargain £5.99! Image: Alpha Press Standout Kate dazzled in a gown by British label Needle & Thread at the recent UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace. It’s unusual to see Kate in such an affordable evening gown. This Needle & Thread one costs £410. Image: AFP/Yui Mok Bargain Kate was ahead of the curve when she picked this Zara hound’s-tooth dress. It originally cost £89.99; when she wore it last month it had been reduced to £15.99. Needless to say there was a stampede, and it sold out in hours. This dress is being resold on eBay for more than £100 by some savvy shoppers. Image: REX/Shutterstock Casual At Peterley Manor Farm last year, to mark her patronage of Family Action, Kate wore an enduring classic crewneck by Really Wild. Kate has worn this Perfect Moment ski jacket many times. It was reduced to £112 but is now sold out. Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage The dazzling details The Duchess demonstrates how to add dash with less cash REX/Shutterstock Clever Kate’s £38 pumps are from children’s store Trotters – George and Charlotte have the same ones! Max Mumby/Indigo Thrifty Kate wore these £1.50 earrings from the Accessorize sale for a visit to Stockwell Gardens Nursery last month. ROWAN GRIFFITHS/AFP Knit at a snip Zara strikes again: Kate chose this £39.99 red knitted dress with statement sleeves for a visit to Port Talbot. REX/Shutterstock Cheap chic At the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance, Kate sported a £17.99 sparkly Zara headband. Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Price drop Kate offsets her bespoke Catherine Walker tunic with a pair of Zeen ceramic drop earrings, which cost just £6. Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock High-street hit The Duchess paired a blue traditional kurta tunic and trousers with a pair of £23.99 New Look courts. Sustainable The Duchess wears her clothes again and again, and the second of her commandments was on show during October’s tour of Pakistan. Repeats included an Emmy London clutch and pumps, plus a leather vest from British label Really Wild, last worn in 2016. But it was her star turn at the Baftas, where she wore a gown recycled from 2012, that exemplified how Kate refreshes a piece: the sleeves were tweaked for a more structured shape. Reworking is a typical Kate tactic: for example, taking up necklines, and on the Pakistan tour she even turned a dress into a top. JAN 2019 Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Va-va-versatile When Kate first wore this £550 Beulah London dress she amped it up with a glossy belt and pointed pumps from Gianvito Rossi, one of her go-to brands. Later that year, she toned it down with a fabric belt. MARCH 2019 WireImage/Karwai Tang JAN 2020 Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Sleek Kate first wore this Catherine Walker dress with a black hat. When she wore it again for Holocaust Memorial Day, she tied back her hair for a more modern look. SEPT 2012 REX/Shutterstock James Whatling / MEGA Stunning Kate first dazzled in this Alexander McQueen dress at a state dinner in Malaysia. She made headlines again this year when she wore a tweaked version with more fitted sleeves and shoulder pads to the Baftas. The finishing flourishes Kate’s déjà vu hats, bags and shoes REX/Shutterstock Chanel hopping Already seen in France and Sweden, this classic also joined Kate at a Natural History Museum do last year. Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Perennial pumps The Duchess recycled her favourite Emmy London shoes in the Pakistani national colour on the Royal tour. CAMERA PRESS/ROTA Shining example Kate is championing eco-friendly brands by wearing this recycled-gold Daniella Draper necklace. Elegant The Pakistan trip was the perfect showcase for Kate’s third commandment. With help from her stylist Natasha Archer, the Duchess’s wardrobe championed British designers and respected the host country in modest but stylish outfits. She wore dresses by Jenny Packham and Catherine Walker in varying shades of green and white, the Pakistani national colours, as well as a dazzling array of traditional costumes. These gold-plated crystal earrings from Chelsea boutique O’Nitaa were specially made for the Duchess. Image: WireImage/Karwai Tang Shimmering For a reception at the Pakistani National Monument, the Duchess chose a bottle-green gown by one of her favourite eveningwear designers, Jenny Packham. The Countess of Wessex has long been a fan of this hat brand and may have introduced it to Kate. Image: Max Mumby/Indigo Sleek chic In a Hicks & Brown fedora and Roksanda coat for a Sunday church service on the Sandringham estate in January. Kate was paying homage to Alexander McQueen on the tenth anniversary of the designer’s death. Image: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Tribute In a navy Alexander McQueen suit for her trip to Loughborough’s Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre this month. Kate nodded to Princess Diana’s favourite designer by wearing this Catherine Walker dress. Image: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock Diplomatic Kate wore a printed dupatta shawl by Pakistani high-street store Bonanza Satrangi to meet the country’s prime minister Imran Khan. Kate often chooses lace for her formal wear. This gown is by her favourite designer Alexander McQueen. Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage Sensational At December’s Royal Variety Performance, Kate teamed her black lace gown with £340 earrings by Erdem. The Duchess carries a clutch by one of her favourite brands, Aspinal of London. It costs £275, with 25 per cent of profits donated to charity. Image: REX/Shutterstock Vibrant Kate has worn this magenta Oscar de la Renta suit three times, most recently to the Nook Children’s Hospice last November. Fabulous and formal Vintage tiaras and in-vogue handbags add polish James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock Dignified Last Remembrance Day, the Duchess teamed her black Philip Treacy hat with the Queen’s pearl drop earrings. Max Mumby/Indigo Modern For a recent trip to Bradford, Kate swapped her usual clutch for an on-trend top-handle bag by Aspinal of London. Rex Features Stately Wearing the Royal Victorian Order over a McQueen gown with the Queen’s tiara at a Buckingham Palace reception. How would these fashion insiders style Kate Jacqueline Bissett/Illustration X Trinny Woodall YOU columnist The Duchess has a classic way of dressing. Her clothes are very fitted, and while I think it’s nice to see her lovely figure, I’d love to play with the proportions of what she wears. For a dress-down day I’d like to put her in wide-leg pants, cool trainers, a white shirt and a fitted jacket. Alexandra Shulman Former editor of Vogue and Mail on Sunday columnist Catherine looks good in anything. I’d like to see her experiment with some of the younger British designers who could make her some terrific formal clothes. Michael Halpern’s sequined styles would adapt brilliantly to the red carpet, and Richard Quinn, who won the Queen Elizabeth ll Award for British Design, has beautiful florals. Dylan Jones Editor of GQ The Duchess is so chic that it feels unnecessary to try to recommend what else she might wear. Although, having said that, I think she would look terrific in Vivienne Westwood. She has such a strong sense of personal style that I’m sure she could carry it off with conviction. Sophie Dearden YOU senior stylist Kate is a huge fan of prints, embroidery and flowing dresses, so I’d love to see her try a few classic, minimalist looks. It would be great to see her channelling Princess Diana in shapes that are feminine yet strong. I’d like to dress her in this Jil Sander-inspired suit – a structural shape in a pared-down palette, with sleek accessories. What’ s your favourite colour Duchess From her engagement announcement to the birth of Prince George, Kate likes to celebrate her milestones in blue. And this might not be a coincidence. According to colour analyst Melissa Nicholson, who advises her clients on what shades to wear based on their complexion, hair and eye shades, Kate best suits a ‘summer’ palette, which means she looks better in clothes that have a cool blue tint rather than a warm yellow one. ‘I would say her best shades are French blue and bright navy,’ Melissa says. Claudia Joseph is author of How to Dress Like a Princess: The Secrets of Kate’s Wardrobe (Splendid Publications, £12.99) Additional reporting: Charlotte Vossen RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Rochelle Humes has launched a gorgeous new edit with Next Shop the YOU Magazine Instagram YOU picks the best new-in buys from M& S Popular in Fashion Laura Jackson has teamed up with Next for the chicest knitwear January 22, 2020 Holly Willoughby’ s birthday dress is another Zara bargain February 10, 2020 The Instagram-famous & Other Stories wool blazer is back in stock August 31, 2022 Lorraine just wore Emma Willis’ Next collection from head to toe March 17, 2020 The prettiest spring dresses under £100 March 1, 2022 Everyone is buying Holly’ s gorgeous gingham Oasis dress May 14, 2020 13 bargain dresses to buy in ASOS’ s extra 20 per cent June 10, 2020 This £20 H& M dress is set to be the social media June 26, 2020 Stacey Solomon x Primark is back for a third collection with July 20, 2020 Searches for this perfect heatwave summer top style are up 5000% August 10, 2020 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. 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