Outdated gowns, unflattering blazers, and fur-lined gloves? Princess Catherine might be a queen in the fashion world, but some of her outfits aren't as timeless as she might hope.
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00:00Outdated gowns, unflattering blazers, and fur-lined gloves? Princess Catherine might
00:05be a queen in the fashion world, but some of her outfits aren't as timeless as she might hope.
00:10If there's one outdated style trend Princess Catherine seems to cherish more than any other,
00:15it's skinny jeans. Though Gen Z and the fashion industry have declared skinny jeans an outdated
00:20millennial trend, Catherine still dons the fitted pants for more casual royal engagements.
00:25For example, in May 2023, the princess attended an outing in support of the Big Help Out initiative.
00:31Alongside Prince William and all three of their children, Catherine dressed down in an outdoorsy
00:36ensemble appropriate for the field day occasion. Her look included high-waisted, washed black
00:40skinny jeans with cargo pockets, an equally outdated chambray blouse, a braided belt,
00:45and brown leather Chelsea boots. Later that year, Catherine once again wore skinny jeans to an
00:50event. She went to a SportsAid mental fitness workshop in dark wash skinny jeans that hit just
00:55above her ankles, showing off her stylish Vesu sneakers. She sported a fitted white scoop neck
01:01top beneath a stunning cobalt double-breasted blazer with antique gold buttons. While the
01:05outfit wasn't bad, a sleek pair of high-rise straight-leg jeans would have elevated Catherine's
01:10ensemble in a major way. In October 2023, Catherine and William hosted 100 young delegates at an event
01:17for World Mental Health Day. William wore an understated suit and tie combo, whereas Catherine
01:22went with a school bus yellow blazer that would have been right at home in the 80s or 90s. While
01:26some trends from that era have come back with a vengeance, one could argue this particular coat
01:30felt a bit too dated. The royal paired the bright coat with black pants and a black blouse. The
01:35color palette was reminiscent of a bumblebee, or a sunflower, or a school bus.
01:40"-T minus five and counting. Four, three, two, one. Blast off!"
01:47Catherine's wide-leg slacks and long-sleeve crew neck shirt were classically stylish,
01:52and even the silhouette of the long-line blazer was a fashionable cut. However,
01:56the color story simply made the whole thing feel dated. Swapping the school bus yellow
02:00for a different pop of color would have been the easiest way to save the outfit. That said,
02:04the bold shade could have worked better with, say, a rich violet ensemble beneath the jacket.
02:09There are elements of Catherine's 2023 Commonwealth Day ensemble that are absolutely
02:14stunning, but there's one glaring factor that's arguably outdated. While there's been some
02:18discourse about peplum silhouettes making a comeback, the hip-accentuating cut is still
02:22quite divisive. Nonetheless, Catherine decided to embrace the contested style during the
02:27Commonwealth of Nations springtime celebration. The Princess of Wales wore a navy skirt suit by
02:32Urdum that featured lovely repeating floral embroidery across the jacket and skirt.
02:36The shape of the flared hem was mirrored by the matching jacket, which featured peplum
02:40panels at the sides and exaggerated structured shoulders at the top of the ensemble. The
02:45princess drew further attention to her peplum number by styling her hair in a tidy chignon
02:50topped with a royal blue wide-brimmed hat. The fit-and-flare repetition from head to toe created
02:55a look that encouraged the eye to scan Catherine, but the ensemble may have achieved the same effect
02:59and looked sleeker without the protruding peplum.
03:03In May 2022, Catherine stepped out in another outfit that wasn't entirely outdated,
03:08but it did feature an element that is not as on-trend as it once was. During an event at the
03:12British Design Museum, Catherine presented the Queen Elizabeth II Award while wearing a jewel-toned
03:18green dress. The loosely fitted dress featured a mock neck silhouette with a hem that fell
03:22just below the knees. The half-sleeves were cinched with bow ties, and Catherine's waist
03:27was encircled by a matching fabric belt with two oversized gold buckles. While built-in belts were
03:32in vogue throughout the 20th century, it's now more common to pair a separate belt with a dress.
03:37Additionally, oversized belt buckles were all the rage in the 2000s,
03:41but fell out of favor the following decade. However, when big belt buckles become fashionable
03:45again — remember, fashion is cyclical — it seems Catherine will be more than ready.
03:50In April 2022, Catherine wore another unflattering garment that not only left
04:00a lot to be desired, silhouette-wise, but looked dated. For her first joint engagement
04:05with Princess Anne in support of maternal health care, Catherine selected a monochromatic beige
04:09ensemble. She donned an A-line skirt with a mid-calf hemline and a shrunken blazer,
04:14the outdated garment in question. The matronly outfit didn't exactly feel age-appropriate for
04:18Catherine, especially given her trendsetting history. The princess' outfit may have been
04:22considered more on-trend if the blazer's silhouette was longer and more relaxed.
04:27Additionally, the built-in belt gave the clothes jacket a stuffy appearance.
04:31Perhaps the most outdated ensemble Princess Catherine has worn to date was the dress she
04:35donned for the departure ceremony at Linden Pendling International Airport during her
04:40and Prince William's March 2022 Caribbean tour. The princess showed up in a yellow
04:44and white-patterned dress by Alessandra Rich. The garment featured an abstract floral pattern,
04:49subtle metallic polka dots, ruffled puff sleeves, a pleated peplum waist, a bow at the center of the
04:55scoop neckline, pearl buttons down the midline from the bust to the knee, and a built-in belt
04:59with a circular metal buckle. Needless to say, there was more than a lot going on with this
05:03dress. It definitely could have been a chic look once upon a time.
05:07Catherine wore another dress that looked quite dated during her Caribbean tour with William.
05:11In attendance as guests of honor at a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica,
05:15Catherine donned an emerald green evening gown. Designed by Jenny Packham, the garment featured
05:20a pleated ballgown skirt and an off-shoulder neckline trimmed in voluminous organza.
05:25The bodice was adorned with sequins that rained down to the top of the skirt. While the silhouette
05:29of the dress was certainly a timeless cut, the ruffle detail and sparkles felt very 1980s prom.
05:35It's a pretty dress, and Catherine did indeed look like a royal,
05:38but it was not quite a fashion win for the princess.
05:41The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Welsh towns of Abergavenny and Blenavon in March
05:462022. During the trip, Catherine wore a type of shoe that was all the rage during the previous
05:52decade. While greeting well-wishers at Abergavenny Market, Catherine walked around in a pair of
05:56black suede ankle boots with a modest heel. The booties featured a metallic buckle on the outside
06:01of the ankle and a matching metal zipper on the inside. The short boots were a footwear staple
06:06for millennials in the 2010s, but this shape of ankle boot has since been left behind.
06:11In 2021, Prince William created the Earthshot Prize to raise awareness of climate issues
06:16and celebrate initiatives aimed at protecting the planet.
06:20Congratulations to all our finalists.
06:22For the inaugural event, Princess Catherine wore a gown she debuted a decade prior.
06:27One of the hallmarks of the Earthshot event is that guests are expected to dress with
06:31sustainability in mind, either re-wearing garments from their wardrobe or donning a
06:35sustainably made ensemble. Catherine chose the former. Wearing a lavender Alexander McQueen
06:40gown, she previously donned at the 2011 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.
06:45While she hit the mark for sustainability and nostalgia, Catherine's red carpet look
06:49didn't feel like a style win. The dress definitely looked every bit of its age,
06:53and her choice of a sparkly gold belt further dated the look. While some of her outfits have
06:57channeled 1980s prom vibes, this dress would have fit right in at a dance in the late 2000s.
07:02Or, you know, the 2011 BAFTAs.
07:06Catherine won't give up on skinny jeans, and she won't give up on espadrilles. During the warmer
07:10parts of the year, she's not opposed to arriving to an engagement in a pair of lace-up wedges.
07:15In June 2019, the royal attended a photography workshop for Action for Children,
07:20and she wore a pair of jute wedges for the occasion. Espadrilles are considered a European
07:24classic, but unlike many modernized styles of the shoe, Catherine's pair felt a tad too dated.
07:29The princess' warm-weather footwear featured woven soles, suede uppers, and ties around the
07:34ankles, and a canvas heel and toe. Paired with her matronly-patterned dress, Catherine's outfit was
07:39objectively nice, but it certainly did not scream fashion icon. A few years later, the Princess of
07:44Wales rocked her beloved espadrilles again, and this time she chose a dress that enhanced her
07:48look. In May 2023, Catherine attended the Chelsea Flower Show wearing the exact same pair of wedges
07:54as the ones she wore in 2019. She looked much more chic and on-trend in a Barbie-inspired
08:00dress by Me&M, which helped to elevate the espadrilles.
08:03In 2016, Catherine committed a fashion faux pas that was not only outdated, but controversial.
08:09While on a ski trip in the French Alps with William and their children, Catherine donned
08:12a pair of mittens that appeared to be lined with possum fur. She was slammed by PETA for
08:17wearing real fur. Over the last several decades, fur has fallen out of style in a major way.
08:22Since the 80s, animal rights activists, high-end fashion brands, and supermodels have taken a stand
08:27against using real fur in clothing. To this day, this look is considered one of the most
08:31inappropriate outfits Catherine has ever worn. In February 2023, fashion expert and celebrity
08:37stylist Miranda Holder told Express,
08:40"[Kate definitely made a mistake going for the possum-lined gloves,
08:43especially with society becoming more and more aware of ethical, sustainable practices.
08:48It was too controversial, and frankly,
08:50old-fashioned for one of the most photographed women in the world to adopt this fashion choice."