Through adversity, a new aesthetic: The Princess of Wales' fashion evolution
Her office would no longer share information about what she wore. Cue shock and horror.
Even if it was understandable, given what she had been through, and even if the report was later disputed by the palace itself, it sent tremors through the fashion-watching community.
That was partly because the princess could change the fortunes of a designer or a brand simply by wearing a dress.
And it was partly because she had long used her place in the attention economy to shine a light not just on British products, but on issues including sustainability by remaking and rewearing pieces from her closet, and even renting the occasional evening gown.
Mostly, though, it was because clothes are an expression of her role as a symbol – of the country and that fine line between continuity and modernisation.
Stepping back from one suggested she was stepping back from the other.
It's a weird thing to essentially be an avatar, but it's the job.
Her jackets are more tailored and her silhouette more streamlined in her daily outfits. Photo: AgencyRead more: Style reigns supreme: Catherine, Princess of Wales, proves she's still got it
As her appearance at the Wimbledon men's and women's finals, and at the French state visit, demonstrated, however, Kate may be more selective about her appearances (she did skip Ascot), but she is no less strategic. She is simply being Kate 3.0.
There she was, after all, at the state visit, welcoming Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron in a blush-coloured Dior suit with a New Look jacket and a skirt covered in net, just brushing her calves.
The brand is both classic French and about to be led by a designer from Northern Ireland who was trained in Britain.
It was a considered nod to political alliance (the kind she has practised since marrying Prince William) that she repeated at the French state banquet, wearing a red Givenchy gown with a built-in cape sweeping down from her shoulders.
It was regal, sure, but also strategic, given that Givenchy is now designed by Sarah Burton, the British designer who made Kate's wedding gown and who has been her collaborator on numerous high-profile public occasions.Talk about entente.
And there Kate was at the Wimbledon women's final in a cream jacket and long pleated skirt, a coolly appropriate riff on tennis whites and her position as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
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