Kate Middleton’s 2000s style is back in the spotlight as The Crown recreates her Y2K outfits — infamous see-through dress included — in Part II of the sixth and final season. (Picture lots of lowrise jeans and tank tops.
Long before becoming the Princess of Wales, however, Kate changed her style. According to a new report, the now-41-year-old “significantly changed her appearance” in the lead-up to her and Prince William’s 2010 engagement.
Kate ditched her 2000s style for a ‘more appropriate’ way of dressing before becoming engaged to William
Per The Mirror, Kate “significantly changed her appearance to become more appropriate” before the now-Prince of Wales proposed with Princess Diana’s engagement ring during a trip to Kenya in the fall of 2010.
As in, a lot changed sartorially before Kate found herself standing in front of cameras on Nov. 16, 2010, wearing a blue Issa wrap dress announcing her and William’s engagement.
By that time, she and William had been dating for almost 10 years after meeting as undergraduate students at St. Andrew’s University in 2001.
Kate became the subject of much fascination when she and William were photographed skiing together in 2004. Slowly, Kate began to attend events alongside William.
Today, they are parents of three children: Prince Geoge, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Kate went from ‘girl next door’ to ‘elegant future queen’ with a more ‘palace-ready look’
As William and Kate’s relationship went on, the latter’s “fashion sense changed rapidly as she adjusted to life in the royal spotlight, going from girl next door to elegant future queen.”
Gone were the days of Kate’s “low-slung jeans, denim skirts, and spaghetti straps” that defined much of Kate’s early 20s. Instead, they were “swapped out for smart blazers, quality suits, and refined gowns, with a more polished, palace-ready look emerging.”
Author Tom Quinn, the report noted, remarked in the documentary William & Kate: Too Good To Be True about Kate changing her style to match with public perception.
“Her clothing almost began to reflect what people saw in her character, a kind of restraint, kind of modesty almost,” Quinn said. “I think that did come about because William and Kate were coming toward the point where they would announce their engagement.”
“It was Kate starting to behave in ways which would be seen [as] more appropriate for a future queen,” he added.
Kate’s adopted a more business-like style since becoming the Princess of Wales
A word often associated with Kate since becoming Princess of Wales in 2022 is “pantsuit.” The mother of three, formerly known for wearing coatdresses, has moved away from more feminine silhouettes. Now, Kate favors business-type clothing that wouldn’t look out of place at a board meeting.
Kate’s worn many pantsuits in 2023. On occasion, she’s known to swap them for sundresses, separates, or a mix of high-low brands, depending on the event.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral arguably marked Kate’s entrance into her Princess of Wales era. For the monarch’s state funeral, she wore a mourning veil, black coatdress, and pearl jewelry.
