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.
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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.
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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.
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.”
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.
“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.
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.”
