The Princess of Wales is a sustainable style queen.
Kate Middleton might have access to the best designers in the world (and a palace-sized closet), but one thing the princess is known for is her love a good repeat. From bags to shoes to her ever-present Alexander McQueen suit separates, this royal definitely gets some mileage from her wardrobe.
She often repeats her evening gowns, and on several occasions the royal has had pieces reworked to look different, like in the case of a black floral Alexander McQueen dress she wore to two different red carpet events.
The princess was so known for her nude L.K. Bennett Sledge heels in the early days of her marriage that there were posts actually begging her to stop wearing them. But hey, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Princess Kate isn’t the only one in the Royal Family to have a penchant for wearing the same thing on repeat. Princess Anne regular rocks outfits she’s owned since the 1970s, and Prince Philip was famously known to have worn his wedding shoes for 74 years after his 1947 nuptials to Queen Elizabeth. Queen Camilla also happens to share a trait with her late father-in-law, wearing her favorite Sole Bliss heels more than 80 times since buying them in 2018.
Below, we’re taking a look back at some of the Princess of Wales’s best re-worn pieces—and sharing how you can achieve the same style.
Emmy London Clutches
When it comes to clutches, the princess has a clear favorite. She owns more than a dozen of Emmy London’s sleek Natasha bags in shades from pink to solid black and everything in between. Whether it’s an Easter Sunday service or a major royal tour, you’d better believe she has an Emmy London clutch to match her outfit. In fact, she’s carried the design to more than 15 events over the years.
The bags, which are handcrafted in Portugal, include a chic chain strap, but Kate prefers to carry hers as a clutch. While not all of her exact shades are still available, you can still shop the royal’s fave bag in everything from shiny metallic silver to classic black suede.
Emmy London Natasha Clutch Bag
Zara Blazers
One staple in the royal’s closet comes in the form of the humble Zara blazer. The high-street favorite comes out with an array of styles each season, and you can bet that the Princess of Wales will integrate one of the jackets into her wardrobe. From bright green to red to cream, she’s never met a Zara blazer she didn’t like.
Princess Kate also manages to make the pieces look fresh by re-wearing them with different looks, like the textured red blazer she first wore with a ruffled white blouse in Denmark and later updated with Boden flats and a tan sweater a year later. Luckily for royal fans, the retailer is currently offering a nearly identical style to the princess’s white textured blazer, and it’s under $110.
Zara Double Breasted Textured Weave Jacket
Superga 2750 Cotu Sneakers
Even though she’s often dressed up to the nines, Princess Kate stans a comfy shoe just as much as the next girl. She’s been wearing her trusty white canvas Superga 2750 Cotu sneakers since 2016, pairing them with shorts, jeans and sweaters. She also takes a style cue from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, with the sneaks; the People’s Princess owned a navy blue version of the classic kicks.
Considering both Diana and Kate have worn the shoes decades apart, we don’t see this style going away anytime soon.
Superga 2750 Cotu Classic Trainers
Best-Dressed
Kate has reworn so many of her dresses that it’s hard to even list them all—and honestly, we’d be here all day—but one of my personal favorites is the pink Me+Em shirtdress she wore to meet 6-year-old cancer patient Mila Sneddon in 2021. The little girl, who is now cancer-free, had caught Princess Kate’s attention during the pandemic when her photo was featured in the royal’s Hold Still photography exhibition. Kate promised Mila she’d wear pink when they met, and boy did she deliver.
The Princess of Wales went on to wear the silk shirtdress again to the 2023 Chelsea Garden Show, switching things up by wearing her hair down and pairing it with the same Catherine Zoraida fern earrings she’d go on to repeat during her first post-chemotherapy event in Oct. 2024.
While Kate’s exact dress is no longer available, you’ll find several other Barbie-pink styles at Me+Em, which also happens to be one of the royal’s favorite brands.
Me+Em Travel Tailoring Batwing Sleeve Midi Dress
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Like Princess Diana, Kate has a go-to tiara, and it happens to be the same one her late mother-in-law wore on repeat. Catherine has worn Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara with its dazzling diamond-and-pearl detail a whopping 11 times since 2015, per Kate Middleton Style Blog.
Bet you didn’t think you could get your own, but never fear, good old Amazon comes through yet again. I bought this very same tiara in 2018 (because why not?) and it’s come in handy more times than you’d think, making appearances during Halloween, royal Zoom meetings and even a trip down the aisle for my cousin.
Sweetv Princess Diana Tiara
