Kate Middleton is the future queen of England, and as such, she's always under pressure to make the royal family look good. The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to make the right choices, say the right things, support the right causes, and, of course, wear the right clothes. For the most part, she nails it, but Kate is still human — she has her own personality and preferences — and, well, she didn't grow up royalty, so royal protocol may not always make sense to her. While she's well-known for making conservative fashion look chic, she does sometimes push the envelope.
From the time she was engaged and just a budding royal, to now being the mother of some of the most famous children in the world, Kate has been serving all sorts of looks. We've seen her in everything from sequined gowns to buttoned-up skirt suits, and she almost always looks flawless.
That said, Kate Middleton's fashion portfolio is anything but predictable. While she always maintains decorum, the duchess has certainly made a few bold and even daring fashion choices. (Well, daring for the royals, that is). Finding new and fresh outfits to wear to the countless meetings, events, and occasions that Kate attends each year as a senior member of the royal family definitely must be a challenge. She probably has to dress for far more public appearances than most Hollywood celebrities, and everything she wears is expected to be perfectly appropriate for the occasion. Sounds a little boring if you ask us, so we totally get why every once in a while Kate steps out in something unexpected.
Check out some of her most daring looks below.
2010: Black Hose
In 2010, Kate stepped out in a white dress and sheer black pantyhose during her and Prince William's first public appearance after announcing their engagement. The couple was attending the Thursford Christmas Spectacular together. Not only was Kate's stocking and dress pairing an interesting one, but her dress fell well above the top of her knees — which is not something we see often at all from women in the royal family.
2010: Intricate Neckline
The dress she wore to the holiday event also had a bold and intricate neckline. We hate to say it, but it made the dress look a bit like a bargain store club 'fit, instead of something a future queen would wear on a date with her future husband. Kate's hair, makeup, and joyful smile were absolutely flawless, though.
2011: High Hemline
At 5'9", Kate is rather tall, so finding dresses that cover her knees — but aren't full-length — probably isn't the easiest. The day after her wedding, Kate was photographed in a prim blue dress, a dark blazer, and wedge shoes … and her hemline was a few inches shorter than we typically see from the royal ladies. She still looked totally appropriate, but the short skirt was a bit of a surprising pick for her first appearance post-royal wedding.
2011: Black Velvet
Kate donned one of her best looks to date to the 2011 Sun Military Awards, which she attended alongside her husband, Prince William, and her brother-in-law, Prince Harry. The newly married Kate's gown was a form fitting, floor-length gown made of rich, black velvet that was strapless, revealing her toned arms. It was definitely a rare va-va-va-voom moment for the Duchess of Cambridge.
2012: Thigh-High Slit
A few months before Kate was pregnant with her first child, Prince George, she really hit her style stride. She attended The Thirty Club in London with William in the most jaw-dropping and glam, cream-colored gown. The most unexpected part of her look? A thigh-high slit. Yup, that's right, the duchess revealed a sliver of thigh on a night out with her husband. She, of course, was perfectly proper and managed to ensure that no one got a glimpse of any more than she wanted them to.
2012: Decolletage
Kate surprised everyone in the cleavage-baring gown she wore to a dinner hosted by the King of Malaysia in 2012. The gorgeous flowing gown was cream with gold and embellishments and seemed to be inspired by the styles of the country she was visiting. But it's sweetheart neckline definitely showed a bit more than we see from most royals.
2013: Bare Belly
Mere months after she gave birth to her first child, Kate attended a youth sports training event for one of her patronages. She wore skinny jeans, a simple white and navy striped tee, and a knit blazer to the event. Her outfit was casual, but still professional. Well, it was quite surprising when Kate decided to get on the volleyball court and bared her (totally flat) postpartum belly to the world. Of course, she couldn't have planned it, but we say it was pretty bold of her to throw caution to the wind and just have a good time even if her wardrobe wasn't well-suited to the activity.
Oh, and she was wearing sky-high wedges.
2013: Leopard Print
While the Duchess of Cambridge was still pregnant with little George, she attended a cruise ship naming ceremony with a bold long-sleeved leopard print shift dress wrapped around her baby bump. Animal print was definitely an unusual choice for the duchess, but she looked lovely and quite comfortable.
2014: High-Low
Kate showed off her gorgeous legs in a short powder blue dress with a floor-length topper at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year ceremony in 2014. The topper had a waist-accentuating faux wrap affect, and a v-neckline that showed off just a hint of her decolletage. Paired with strappy stilettos, it was a pretty daring look for the royal mom. Kate was already pregnant with Princess Charlotte at this point.
2014: Peplum Queen
During an official tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2014, Kate channeled her inner fashionista for a reception hosted by the governor-general at Government House in Canberra, Australia. She wore black and white — one of her favorite color combos — but her chic white dress featured circular cut-outs on the mid-length sleeves, and a subtle peplum made of the same material. This time, she wore barely there stockings, and just her accessories were black. Kate definitely refined her style between 2010 and 2014.
2015: Bold Floral
In 2015, Kate arrived at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala dinner in London, and jaws dropped upon her arrival. She wore a stunning floor-length satin gown, in a jewel-toned floral print, that suited her trademark shiny brunette waves perfectly. The cap-sleeved gown also accentuated her crazy muscular arms and lean figure.
2015: So Hollywood
In 2015, Kate attended the world premiere of the James Bond film Spectre, starring Daniel Craig. She arrived at the even with Prince William and Prince Harry wearing a light-as-a-feather sheer, pale blue gown, chandelier earrings, and a low, loose updo. The gown had a stunning old Hollywood feel that made her look every bit the starlet.
2016: An Illusion
During her and William's tour of India and Bhutan in 2016, Kate's fashion choices were clearly inspired by her destinations. She wore lots of patterns and deep, rich colors. In anticipation of the tour, she and the prince held a reception at Kensington Palace, and Kate wore a stunning blue dress with sheer illusion panels down the entire torso of the dress — as well as the sleeves. Although she was completely covered, the design of the dress created the illusion that something was being revealed.
2016: The Year of Sheer
While in Bhutan on the same tour, Kate donned a long, flowy red gown with a subtle floral print. The dress had loose, sheer sleeves, and a deep v-neckline. She looked absolute stunning in a subtly sexy way, and significantly more casual and free-spirited than we typically see from her. Kate Middleton's wardrobe for much of the trip felt like we were getting a peek at who Kate really is.
2017: Boho Duchess
Kate stepped out in a boho-chic, off-the-shoulder dress with a ruffled hem when she attended a garden party, alongside Prince William, in honor of the Queen's birthday. The bright red dress was outside of Kate's usual comfort zone, but it looked fantastic on her, especially with her cascading shoulder-length waves.
2017: Flowy & Feathered
While in Berlin, Kate continued to push the envelope with her wardrobe choices. Her love of prints was on full display during a reception at the Clarchens Balhuas in this semi-sheer midi dress, covered in a bold bird print paired with glitzy heels. Kate was at once completely appropriate and totally sultry. (She seems to pull that balance off quite often.)
2018: Eye-Catching
Perhaps bored of the many neutral-colored and dark-hued overcoats she's worn over the years, in 2018, while pregnant with Prince Louis, Kate wore an eye-catching red and white houndstooth coat to greet fans during an official visit to Sweden. The coat had a vintage feel to it, and well … made her easy to spot in the crowd.
2018: Fun & Furry
Keeping with the vintage vibe, Kate wore a Victorian-inspired ensemble in Stockholm during the same trip, boldly wearing a large, fur Cossack hat, and looking ultra-confident. We're not sure if the hat is faux fur or real, but Kate has come under fire for wearing real fur in the past. Either way, she owns more than one of this hat style.
2019: Vampy
Kate looked absolutely gorgeous at the 2019 Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium. She gave off major vampy vibes in a full-length black lace gown, with long sleeves, and a slight sweetheart neckline. Kate's pretty fond of lace — and we know she loves wearing black — but this look was definitely one of her most daring.
2019: Goddess Style
For the 2019 BAFTA awards, we got a glimpse at the sort of dress Kate Middleton might have chosen for her 2011 wedding if she had full say. She wore a stunning, all-white, draped goddess dress. The one-shoulder dress featured a tone-on-tone floral shoulder spray, a fitted waist, and a flouncy hemline. Kate totally looked like a bride in the best way possible.
2020: More Leopard
During a visit to a child care center early in 2020, Kate looked super-chic in a lightweight turtleneck, a pleated midi skirt, and black boots. The look reminded us of a style that was popular in the 1970s, but Kate gave it a modern twist. The skirt was a gorgeous animal print, which we haven't seen on her in years. This time, though, the print was a deep brown and black, which complements Kate's coloring really well.
2020: Virtual Style
Kate made headlines when she made a virtual appearance during our new normal wearing a pretty blue dress with a delicate floral print. It wasn't the dress so much that was daring, it was the fact that it's available to the masses at the British department store Marks & Spencer and originally sold for just £36 — eventually dropping to just £15 by the time the spring season was over.
