Kate Middleton Continues To Keep Wearing Princess Diana's Favorite Shirt

Apr 29, 2021 by apost team

Kate Middleton is a true style icon — not only does she look impeccable on every occasion, she treads the path between classic, timeless style and trendier fashion pieces with ease. And while she's known to stick to a select few designers she loves, particularly Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham, she's not against trying out smaller brands that are up-and-coming.

Meanwhile, the late Princess Diana is another royal whose impeccable personal style still influences the public today. Although Middleton never met her mother-in-law before Diana's untimely passing in 1997, it's clear she's played a strong influence on her, especially sartorially. 

The Duchess of Cambridge is well known for her unique style and influence, where garments she's photographed wearing sell out instantly — a phenomenon that has been dubbed the "Kate Effect." Despite her own unique sense of style, it's wonderful to see that even Middleton often pays homage to Diana and her iconic looks, sometimes even wearing similar outfits for the same occasions Diana wore something for. 

Recently, the duchess has taken a page out of her mother-in-law's fashion book once again. In a new portrait, she is seen wearing a classic blouse with a sweet ruffled collar — a style that Diana wore prominently in the 1980s. The gorgeous image of Middleton was taken by Matt Porteous for the upcoming release of a new photography book, "Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020." But it's not the first time Middleton has worn this type of blouse before either. Let's take a look at her current fashion moment.

Released in late March, the gorgeous new portrait of Kate Middleton was taken by photographer Matt Porteous. In it, the duchess is holding her beloved camera and smiling widely, as the sunset washes her in a warm glow. She's dressed in a very smart yet elegant outfit consisting of a burgundy sweater with the collar of a white ruffled blouse peeking out at the neck. Made by the brand Sezane, Middleton has donned this shirt on numerous other occasions.

Also known as a pie-crust neckline, the garment was also favored by her mother-in-law Princess Diana, which she wore all throughout the 1980s. Back then Diana styled the blouse with skirt suits, midi skirts and pinstripe trousers. One notable moment she wore the blouse was in 1981 when she wore a red-and-white polka dot Jasper Conran suit, while other occasions were in 1983 in her Caroline Charles looks.

Princess Diana is remembered, among many things, for being a true fashion icon during the 1980s and '90s. Her trendy but also understated looks –– beginning in the 1980s, and continuing until her untimely death in 1997 –– are still considered iconic today. So it's no surprise to see her still influencing fashion, especially that of the royals.

Middleton's version of the shirt is from an already past season, but she's been wearing the Sezane blouse diligently since at least 2019 when she was photographed in it during a trip to the Lake District. She also styled it under sweaters and knits, making it the perfect shirt for transitional season dressing.

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Proving that theory, the duchess wore the blouse once again this week when she and Prince William visited a farm in County Durham. For that occasion, she styled the shirt underneath a fairisle sweater by the brand Brora, a khaki jacket, jeans and her favorite knee-high boots by Penelope Chilvers.

Known for causing items to sell out once she's photographed wearing them, the phenomenon known as the "Kate Effect" is still going strong. This is even more apparent following the 10th anniversary of her and Prince William's wedding on April 29. According to Hello!, Pinterest revealed that searches related to Middleton's style from her wedding have peaked once again, with a 48 percent increase in searches for "Kate Middleton Wedding Hair," while "Kate Middleton Wedding Dress" jumped up by a whopping 70 percent! 

Ever the stylish trendsetter, Middleton always puts her best foot forward when stepping out, and she has proven this since the early days of her relationship with William. However, ever since their iconic wedding 10 years ago, the duchess' style has become even more elevated, as she consistently looks stunning and continues to set trends with her looks.

The publication "Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020" will be released on May 7 and was created in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. It documents when the pandemic stopped the world in 2020. It features an introduction by Middleton and 100 portraits chosen from 31,000 public submissions; the proceeds from the book will be shared between the National Portrait Gallery and the mental health charity Mind, which aims to support the arts and mental health projects across the U.K.

Are you a fan of Kate Middleton's style? What do you think of her paying homage to Princess Diana once again? If you're inspired by her style, then be sure to pass this article on so others can get inspired too!