Let's face it: We all wish we could live inside Kate Middleton's closet, right? From her signature coatdresses to the most elegant evening wear one could ever imagine, Kate knows her way around the fashion world. But we have a good feeling that the Duchess of Cambridge isn't getting those gowns of hers at a store — otherwise we'd all be sporting the Kate Middleton look if we could afford it. No, these dresses are the work of some amazing designers, and it's all part of Kate's amazing power to look elegant and classic no matter what she puts on, and no matter what event she's attending.
We don't know what kind of special powers Kate has, but we wish that she would share her secrets with the rest of us. Sure, this duchess can do casual royal outfits better than anyone, but what we really love is when she has the opportunity to get all dolled up for an event. And yes, sometimes there are tiaras and family jewels involved.
Yes, Kate is one lucky royal gal, and we could only dream of having a closet like hers. In her decade as a royal lady, Kate has tried just about every style of gown there is, and we're here to tell you that she's looked absolutely amazing in every single one of them. We really don't know how she does it, but everything that Kate puts on instantly looks unbelievably classic and chic. Just because we can't necessarily have Kate's closet doesn't mean we can't appreciate it, so here are 30 of her most elegant ensembles.
Date Night Red
Kate always brings her A-game for date night with Prince William, and when Kate's wearing red, we know it's serious! We know this was an official engagement that they were attending, but we're sure Wills was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of his wife that night. How could he not?
Creamy Lace
Even when Kate isn't wearing formal evening wear, she still manages to look super classy, and something about this cream colored dress is perfectly regal for the duchess. Plus, this royal is a huge fan of lace, and it's easy to see why. She can't go wrong with lacy cutouts like this!
Emerald Beauty
Kate could wear a dress with every color on the rainbow on it, and she would still look amazing. Out of all the colors she's worn, we have to say that Kate might look best in this dark shade of green (and once again, she's showing off how much she adores lace). Keep the emerald coming, Kate!
Beautifully Bedazzled
Jewels have never looked so good! On the rest of us, a jeweled gown would look tacky at best, but on Kate, well — let's just say that she has the power to make everything (including herself) look like a million bucks. We're living for those sheer sleeves with a touch of sparkle on her!
Light Lavender
Doesn't Kate look like a Grecian goddess in this dress? It doesn't have to be huge and poofy to make an impact with a dress cut like this. If someone told us that Kate Middleton was the human embodiment of Aphrodite, we'd believe them — no questions asked. It's time to bring this gown back, Kate!
Icy Blue
This is another dress that Kate keeps at the front of her closet, and it's easy to see why. She's worn it several times over her decade as a royal lady, but she always keeps it fresh. Somehow, Kate has the power to make us forget we've seen a gown before when she wears it again!
Tea Length Burgundy
Now, do we think Kate picks out her own gowns, or is this the work of a personal stylist? We're sure she gets some royal pointers, but if we had to guess, we'd say that Kate's ensembles are 99% the work of the duchess herself. Add it to the long list of skills she brings to the royal table!
Meeting With Dignitaries
As part of her royal duties, Kate meets with a lot of important people during her royal engagements, so she naturally needs the right wardrobe to get the job done — and sometimes, that calls for a look that's a bit fancy, like this one. We have a good feeling that this is something that Kate never had an issue with.
Ruby Red
Remember how we said emerald green was Kate's color? Scratch that — it's ruby red, and once again, she looks stunning in a dress that's such a bold color. Everything just pops when Kate wears this bright color, and we love how she managed to perfectly match her dress to her shoes.
Snow White
Honestly, we're surprised that Disney hasn't made a new princess tale based off of Kate yet. She already has the storyline, wardrobe, and beautiful face for it! To be honest, we could totally see Elsa wearing a dress like this in a future Frozen movie. We have a feeling Charlotte might want to borrow this one…
Hepburn Chic
If this isn't the epitome of class and elegance, then we don't know what is! Kate was channeling her best Audrey Hepburn with this baby blue ensemble, and if you ask us, we'd say that the duchess was fit for Hollywood while also looking super royal, all at the same time. Impressive!
Fit for Valentine's Day
Although we're sure Kate and Will would have preferred a romantic evening alone instead of attending an event, hey, they'll take what they can get, right? And this dress is perfect to wear on February 14. Plus, how could William really complain when his wife showed up wearing this beautiful pink gown?
Prom Dress Chic
Kate just put all of our prom dresses to shame — but then again, we could probably say that about anything she wears, even the more casual outfits. Some might say she looks like she's on her way to the high school gym, but we say that she's never looked more fit to greet world leaders.
Making Things More Casual
You say garden party, and Kate Middleton delivers. We never thought we'd see Kate in a casual gown, but here we go. Even though this is not her usual style, it still looks amazing on her! This bright, off-the-shoulder ensemble is the perfect combination of elegant and flirty.
Oh So Sexy
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just us? Kate doesn't wear strapless gowns too often, but boy when she does, she does not disappoint. We hope Prince William realizes just how lucky he is to have such a sexy, elegant wife! This reminds us a little of Princess Diana's famous "revenge dress."
Back to Basics
Kate really can't go wrong with a simple off-white gown, right? It just goes to show that she can pull off literally any color for any occasion, including this cream color, which isn't necessarily the most flattering on everyone. Somehow she takes the most basic pieces and makes them look like the most extravagant thing she's ever worn.
All That Glitters
It's truly amazing that Kate could put on a dress made entirely of glitter and sparkles and not look completely washed out — or like she's a little kid playing dress-up. She manages to take something that could look tacky and turns it into an elegant ensemble. How does she do it?!
Baby Blue
The high-low style may no longer be in fashion, but the duchess managed to make the trend look completely timeless (as she does with most trends, after all). Plus, can we take a moment to appreciate how great her legs looks in this gown? We know she must be hitting the gym regularly.
Simple & Sleek
Kate is known for keeping things simple and not going too over-the-top when it comes to her wardrobe, but sometimes she keeps things very conservative. Some might call it plain, but we say it makes her look all the more classic and elegant in the end. A true royal woman!
The Old Faithful
Kate has worn this gown a few times, and we can see why she'd choose it so often. She looks absolutely stunning in it, from the cut of the dress to the color! The duchess has never been one to give up on a garment, and she must keep this one at the front of her closet. Wonder when she'll wear it next?
BAFTAs Beautiful
Kate wore this dress to the BAFTAs in early 2020, but it wasn't the first time we'd seen it on her — she had also worn it during a royal tour years earlier. It's a stunning gown, so of course she wore it more than once, not to mention the fact that neckline looks gorgeous on her.
Florally Yours
This gown is 100% not something we're used to seeing Kate wear, and yet she pulled it off flawlessly anyway. With the dark floral pattern and the tiered skirt, this is one of her most quirky looks ever, and yet she still managed to make it look so elegant. The square neckline is really flattering on her.
Freshly Minted
Kate was headed for a night out in Northern Ireland during a visit with Will in February 2019, and she dressed up for the occasion. This gauzy, sparkly mint-colored dress looks ethereal on her, especially with the flowy long sleeves, which must have helped keep her warm on a winter's night!
Royally Blue
This shade of blue has always looked good on Kate — after all, it matches her sapphire engagement ring (which originally belonged to Princess Diana). Here, she really made that color work for her again when she wore this gown to an appearance in Mumbai, India, in 2016.
Elegant & Understated
A night out to see a performance at Royal Albert Hall definitely calls for pulling out a fancy gown from Kate's closet, which she totally did when this photo was taken in 2015. Though this looser cut gown is certainly something a little different, it looks great on her (especially with those earrings and that updo).
Rose Gold
In this photo of Kate that was taken just a couple of months after she and William officially tied the knot, she was getting ahead of the rose gold trend years before it went mainstream! Somehow, she always manages to do that — and she's absolutely glowing in this gown.
Glittering Green
Here's Kate, living our dream life once again: Touring the Guinness distillery during a trip to Ireland and sipping on a beer while wearing a gorgeous, glittery dress. She's proving how emerald green is totally her color yet again, and even though the gown is conservative, it still shows off her body in all the right places.
Black With Lace
It's not often that we get to see Kate in black (royals usually reserve that color for times of mourning), but when we do, the duchess really makes it worth the wait! We already know that she loves lace, so it's no surprise that this gown is in her collection. So classic!
Maternity Glam
Even when Kate's expecting — and we'd totally understand if she wanted to wear something more low-key and comfy — she pulls out the stops! This photo was taken while she was heavily pregnant with Prince Louis and visiting Oslo, Norway, and still, she looked amazing.
Wimbledon Ready
Every time Kate has attended Wimbledon, she's pulled off some amazing looks, but this definitely has to be one of her best — and definitely her most elegant. She paired this Cinderella blue dress with a pair of nude pumps, and she looked perfect to hand out the trophy.
