Kate’s chic tweaks to refashion old looks: From velvet bows to hemlines and even a disappearing sari, how she makes recycled style look fresh off the catwalk

By SHANE WATSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Published: 01:37 GMT, 12 November 2024 | Updated: 01:42 GMT, 12 November 2024

On Sunday, when the Princess of Wales appeared on a Whitehall balcony to watch the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph, she was dressed, of course, in sombre black, wearing a netted hat, her hair in a chignon.

The coat she wore was by Catherine Walker – a military-style old favourite up-cycled (fashion-speak for altering something you already own) with the addition of different buttons and a velvet bow at the neck. The Princess has worn this coat three times, the first time being Remembrance Sunday four years ago.

Hollywood star shoulder detail. First worn: Baftas 2019 (left). Then: Bafta Awards 2023 (right). The first time around this Alexander McQueen white gown featured a corsage on the shoulder (left). Four years later Kate had replaced the floral detail with a soft bow and trailing shoulder drape. That and the addition of black opera gloves and statement earrings made the effect less Greek goddess and more star from Hollywood’s golden era

Velvet bow and buttons. First worn: Remembrance Day 2020 (left). Then: Remembrance Day 2024 (right). Originally this Catherine Walker coat had a stand-up collar, shoulder tassels and shiny metallic buttons (left) – all military-inspired details now removed. The coat she wore on Sunday (above right) still has epaulettes but with a closed collar covered by a velvet bow and matching buttons. It’s less theatrical, allowing an extravagant veiled hat

We haven’t had many opportunities to observe Kate’s clothing choices over the past year; this is the first major event she’s attended since finishing her chemotherapy treatment. But on this occasion it was notable (as it was at Trooping the Colour this summer) that she chose to wear something she already had in her wardrobe – with a distinctly winter 2024 tweak.

A velvet bow at the neck is a flourish that’s in keeping with this season’s ladylike chic mood (hat and neat top-handle bag optional), and that, plus the button change, was enough to make the coat look fresh off the catwalk. We are talking about the simplest of adjustments anyone with a needle and thread could possibly make. And that is a powerful message from a woman who has her pick of the world’s designers.

A grown-up neckline. First worn: Baftas 2017. Then: National Portrait Gallery 2019. Back in 2017 this Alexander McQueen long black floral dress was a daring off-the-shoulder gown that flattered Kate’s decolletage. But the reworking – changing the neckline to a square one with cap sleeves – is striking in a very different way. It’s only two years later, but Kate looks less girlish and more relaxed

Disappearing sari detail. First worn: Pakistan 2019. Then: Royal Variety Performance 2021. The second outing for Jenny Packham’s sequinned maxi involved the simplest of adjustments – taking off the shoulder drape detail – instantly making the dress lighter and more youthful

Frugality is not new to the Royal Family (Princess Anne is probably the royal best known for re-wearing her clothes), but up-cycling or recycling, dressing in vintage and hand-me-downs and the re-purposing of old clothes in new ways, is something Kate’s generation does automatically.

She and the Prince of Wales are driving home the message that they are the sustainable, environmentally-aware King- and Queen-in-waiting, as conscious of their personal footprint as they are of rising global temperatures.

Youthful hem length. First worn: Cheltenham 2006. Then: 2011 RNLI ceremony. This Katherine Hooker tweed coat started life as a conservative midi for the Cheltenham Gold Cup (left). Five years on, it’s been rehemmed as a new take on country style

‘My Fair Lady’ bow. First worn: Coronation 2023. Then: Trooping the Colour 2024. Kate’s Jenny Packham dress was transformed for this year’s Trooping the Colour (right) with a striped grosgrain bow and belt, exuding ‘My Fair Lady at the races’ glamour

Last week in South Africa, promoting his Earthshot Prize Awards, Prince William took a leaf out of his wife’s book by wearing a ‘pre-loved’ blazer and ties made of recycled bottle tops. When you’re on the world stage advocating for environmental change, it pays to practise what you preach.

Kate has been a fashion up-cycler for almost as long as she’s been in the job. Reworking old outfits is driven by a desire to be seen making prudent decisions in a rapidly-changing world, and the pair’s ambition to become royals with a small ‘r’ – as William described it last week – starts with presenting a relatable face.

Kate may wear priceless jewellery from the late Queen and her husband’s mother, Diana, but she also dresses in high street labels and makes a point of getting infinite wear out of her more extravagant designer pieces. That’s the new normal.

But this is more than small ‘r’ diplomacy in action: if you find something you like that really suits you, then you don’t want to go looking for something new for the sake of it – that is simply common sense for Kate and for all women.

This kind of refashioning is the modern short-cut to feel‑good dressing.

Additional research: Camilla Ridley-Day 

South AfricaTrooping the Colour

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Kate’s chic tweaks to refashion old looks: From velvet bows to hemlines and even a disappearing sari, how she makes recycled style look fresh off the catwalk

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