As one of the most influential women in fashion the inspiration behind the Duchess of Cambridge’s style often comes into question – however, it is unlikely to have come from here.
In a bizarre tweet the City of London Police compared an outfit worn by Kate, during her tour of Sweden, to a Sergeant’s uniform.
The duchess turned heads in a red houndstooth coat by royal favourite Catherine Walker on her second day of engagements in Stockholm on Wednesday.
In a bizarre set of tweets the City of London Police compared a coat worn by the Duchess of Cambridge during her tour of Sweden to a Sergeant’s uniform
But the person behind the police force’s Twitter account spotted similarities between the bespoke coat and an officer’s hat.
The City of London Police tweeted two photos, the first being of Kate with the caption: Who wore it best? #redandwhite Kate…’
In the next tweet they shared a picture of an officer writing: ‘…or our sarge #ProjectServator’.
The force appeared to be comparing the red and white check on the royal’s coat to the Sillitoe Tartan seen on the police forces’ hat.
The dicing is normally black and white but the London police’s is unique in that it uses distinctive red and white chequers.
The tweets appeared to compare the red and white houndstooth check to the Sillitoe Tartan seen on the police forces’ hats
The London police’s is unique in that it uses distinctive red and white chequers rather than the traditional black and white Sillitoe
MailOnline has contacted City of London Police for a comment.
While the police force’s comparison is a little far-fetched, the Duchess of Cambridge’s outfit was likened to a more likely inspiration.
The coat appeared to be a subtle nod to William’s mother, Princess Diana, who wore a strikingly similar look to Sandringham nearly three decades ago.
Diana turned heads in her houndstooth jacket by luxury fashion house Moschino as she joined senior royals for Princess Eugenie’s Christening in December 1990.
She layered her jacket over a high-neck black blouse and paired it with a black and white skirt in the same houndstooth pattern. The ensemble was finished with low black and red pumps and a red wide-brimmed hat trimmed with a black satin ribbon.
The policeman’s hat is not the only thing that Kate’s bespoke coat has been compared to
The bold red and white look is strikingly like one worn by Princess Diana, pictured with a young Prince William, when she attended Princess Eugenie’s Christening at Sandringham in 1990
One style expert notes that while the looks are very alike, Princess Diana’s styling of the print is more daring than the Duchess’, who teamed her coat with a quilted maroon bag and fringed leather pumps from Italian label Tod’s.
Hannah Eichler, Senior Brand Stylist at Oasis, explained: ‘From polkadots to red coats and floaty pastel gowns, Kate Middleton’s wardrobe choices have long drawn inspiration from Princess Diana.
‘Her latest outing in Norway has proved The Duchess Of Cambridge’s looks continue to be synced with her late mother in law in the sartorial department.
‘Choosing a punchy red houndstooth coat which she teamed with matchy matchy burgundy accessories, it appears The Duchess isn’t the only one who was a fan of the iconic print – Princess Diana sported a similar look back in 1990.
‘Whilst Princess Diana might have opted for more fashion forward styling by mixing colours instead of going tonal like Kate, it certainly proves that real style never goes out of fashion. From 1990 to 2018, houndstooth prints are a fashion mainstay.’