We all know that coatdresses are one of the Duchess of Cambridge's favorite fashion items, but don't sleep on Kate Middleton's blouse collection. She doesn't wear shirts as often — mostly because that often requires pairing them with pants, and Queen Elizabeth prefers skirts and dresses — but when Kate does break out a blouse, it's never boring.
The duchess knows how to take a traditionally snoozy business clothing item and make it fashionable, either via the print of the shirt or the special detailing on the collar or sleeves. Kate's experimented a lot with her style as she's grown into her own in the royal family, and over the past few years that's meant embracing new looks outside of her traditional woolen coats or chiffon dresses. And on these 15 occasions, she rocked an awesome blouse.
Ruffle Detail
This kind of ruffle-down-the-front detail is actually not as much in style now, but it definitely was in 2011 when Kate wore it. It added a visual element and some texture to her outfit, which was otherwise just standard navy and cream. We don't expect her to break this one out again soon, but we can enjoy it for what it was at the time.
Cowboy Chic
Here's another 2011 throwback: Kate at the Calgary Stampede Parade in Canada. She dressed down for the event — in jeans, a giant belt buckle, and a cowboy hat — but her blouse is actually quite fancy. The delicate lace front detail adds some softness to the look, so she appears less like she just hopped off the ranch.
Tiny Details
At another Calgary event, Kate brought back the jeans and western hat, but she went with another intricate blouse to offset the rest of the look. Her white shirt has a small navy diamond pattern on it, as well as lacy, scalloped detailing on the shoulders and collar. She's definitely the prettiest cowgirl we've ever seen.
Safari Style
Maybe it's just us, but we wouldn't want to wear a shirt while traversing the wilderness. But the Duchess of Cambridge makes it look effortless to be business casual in the jungle. Her green blouse fits in well with her surroundings, while her khaki pants keep things a little more down-to-earth. There's that balance again!
Spot On
Black and white polka dots will never go out of style, but they can be updated. In this instance, Kate chose to modernize the rest of her look — with her wide-legged ankle pants — and let the shirt keep things more reserved. It's a delicate balance that the duchess is able to strike with her style that impresses us every time.
Nautical
The duchess is a fan of all things sailing and rowing, so she does tend to go with nautical fashion themes on a regular basis. She wore this white and navy blouse to visit the British team sailing in the America's Cup race. It's business formal, chic, and totally on-theme with what she was doing. Nailed it.
Backwards Blouse
Maybe she did this on purpose and maybe she didn't, but Kate spiced up the style of this purple Gucci bow blouse when she wore it backwards. If it was an intentional style decision, it just goes to show that the duchess totally is trying to shake things up with her businessy blouses. She's always one step ahead of the fashion game.
Snazzy Chevron
There's not much out of the ordinary here in terms of the silhouette and style of this blouse, but the print is what keeps things interesting. The shades of teal chevron pattern is more bold than Kate usually goes for, and it really pops against the plain black color of her slacks. By keeping her pants simple, she allows the top to make a splash.
Florals for Spring
In The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep's character mocks a "florals for spring" article idea with a sarcastic, "Groundbreaking." But Kate's take on the floral spring trend was kind of groundbreaking. Not only did she wear pants to the Chelsea Flower Show a few years ago, but she wore an eyelet blouse that has a design of white flower petals. From far away you can't really tell what the pattern is, but when you get close, it's there in all its glory.
Bell Sleeves
On the surface, yes, this is just a standard white blouse. But the detailing is what makes this piece stand out. For one, it's not a button-down, so it already has a more interesting neckline. It also has a puffed shoulder detail and bell sleeves, so it's different than most of the other blouses she wears. And when paired with her bold skirt, it helps bring the look together in a way that isn't too loud or over-the-top.
Pretty Pattern
Since early 2020, Kate has been doing a lot more virtual engagements, where people only really see the top half of her. So she's stepped up her blouse game even more to keep things interesting for her video chat partners. We like this white one that's covered in a medallion design.
Silky Smooth
Just by looking at this top, we can almost feel how soft and smooth it must be. Kate wore the silky blouse while speaking to families who lost loved ones in the Armed Forces. It was part of her Remembrance Week work, so she made sure to pin a poppy to her top. The red flower symbolizes remembrance and the hope for peace.
Mini Rainbows
Kate and Prince William got to hand out a Pride of Britain award to the health care heroes on the frontlines, and Kate's Lisou blouse held a meaningful detail. The blue top features a small rainbow print, which is a nod to how rainbows came to symbolize support for those frontline National Health Service workers. She's always so thoughtful with her fashion.
Short-Sleeved Blouse
For warm-weather days, the duchess doesn't have to sacrifice her blouse style — she can just wear a short-sleeved version. During an outdoor meeting with frontline workers, she opted for a crisp white shirt decorated with a small blue pattern. It popped against the green pasture backdrop, making her style a splash, as always.
Pretty in Pink
On International Women's Day, the Duchess of Cambridge wore pink for a video call. Her soft blouse has a petal pattern that also looks a little bit like small hearts. Naturally, the $110 Boden design is now sold out in three colors, but that's the Kate Middleton effect on fashion. She wears it, it's gone.
