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.
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.
KATE MIDDLETON & FASHION – THE “KATE EFFECT”
It has even been referred to as the “Kate effect” for the past ten years, a phrase used to characterize the widespread obsession with her wardrobe. Consequently, this phenomenon has the capacity to considerably enhance the revenue of luxury fashion labels and transform the circumstances of several smaller fashion enterprises.
After Kate and Prince William announced their engagement in 2010, the “Kate effect” started. The duchess at the time was dressed in an Issa dress in sapphire blue. Vanity Fair stated that the dress sold out online in less than a day.
Had any other outfit produced the same outcome? No, as stated in her book The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Royal Style by Bethan Holt, the fashion news and features director at The Telegraph. “There was something distinctive about Issa. Kate didn’t wear a dress that made her appear like a slave to fashion, but rather one that made her look elegant and dignified.
Since then, Kate has made a point of using her interests and taste to support more accessible labels like LK Bennett and Zara as well as designers like Jenny Packham and Alexander McQueen. The Express and Newsweek both stated that the “Kate effect” might “be worth £ 1 billion to the UK fashion industry.”
As previously reported, there was an online frenzy when Kate Middleton announced her and William’s engagement while wearing the blue Issa dress. Everyone was vying for the dress, which sold out right away, and the company shot to fame.
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.”
