It's hard to imagine how different the fashion world would be without Kate Middleton's influence. From the moment she became the Duchess of Cambridge after marrying Prince William in 2011, Kate has been a public figure and people have looked to her for style inspiration and to find out what the next trends might be. So far, she hasn't disappointed! So many of her looks have now become iconic, and it's easy to see why.
Earlier in 2021, Tatler rounded up Kate's most defining style moments from her time as a royal. Whether she's dressing up for an evening gala or visiting a new country for the first time, Kate's look is always on point. Somehow, this lady never misses!
Keep scrolling for all the biggest style moments Kate has had so far as a member of the royal family. From the day she and William announced their engagement, to their wedding, and what she's wearing today, it's a fun trip down memory lane that proves that the mark Kate has left on fashion will exist forever. Princess Diana would be so proud!
The Engagement Dress
When Kate and Will first announced their engagement (all the way back in 2010!), she arrived in this blue silk dress from Issa — yes, blue has always been her color. The best part was that it perfectly matched her sapphire engagement ring that she had inherited from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Her Wedding Dress
It was like the second Kate showed up for her 2011 wedding to Prince William, her dress became iconic — it was that good. This custom Alexander McQueen gown is simply unforgettable, and she looked every bit a princess for her big day. That lace is gorgeous on her!
The Reception Dress
Did anyone think Kate was only going to have one show-stopping dress on her big day? When the party moved to Buckingham Palace for the evening, Kate donned a second Alexander McQueen dress, this time with a more satin look and a matching cardigan for the chilly night.
Maternity Style
After her wedding to William, the next big thing in Kate's life was her pregnancy with Prince George. After all, she was carrying the future king of England. Even while expecting, Kate proved that she was also a maternity style icon, posing in dresses like this one from Silvia Fletcher.
Big Patterns
Kate's always been known for keeping it low key, but this look proved that she can also go past her fashion boundaries and still look amazing. In 2015, Kate switched things up with this floral dress from Erdem, showing off how she can flawlessly pull off a large pattern like this.
Lady in Red
Blue might be Kate's color, but she certainly can pull off red, too! Here, she's wearing a red dress from Preen by Thornton Bregazzi at an event at Government House from her 2016 tour of Canada with William (and with Charlotte and George in tow, as well!). She knows how to pull out all the stops on a night out!
A Classy Look
When Queen Elizabeth turned 90 in 2016, it goes without saying that there were plenty of big celebrations to commemorate the milestone. Here, Kate is attending one of them at The Guildhall, wearing a powder blue Catherine Walker dress and coordinating fascinator. This reminds us so much of her annual Trooping the Colour looks!
Nautical Kate
When launching a sailing project, it's absolutely necessary to look the part, and it's safe to say that Kate nailed it! In 2016, she wore this nautical-inspired Alexander McQueen outfit to the 1851 Trust. She paired it with navy blue pumps and proved she was made for the sea.
Rocking the Houndstooth
By the time Kate's pregnancy with Prince Louis rolled around in 2018, it was no surprise at all that she knew exactly how to dress her bump. During a visit to Sweden and Norway with Will that year, she pulled out this houndstooth coat from Catherine Walker.
Floral Perfection
Kate's been known for repeating her favorite outfits, and that includes this floral Emilia Wickstead dress. It first made an appearance at the Back to Nature festival in 2019, but she's worn it since then at least once. This will definitely go down in history as one of her most iconic pieces.
A Gorgeous Gown
These shades of pink and blush look gorgeous on Kate! When she attended a gala in 2019, she pulled out all the stops with this beautiful Gucci dress. After all, as the Duchess of Cambridge, she's gotta know how to dress for plenty of fancy evening events.
Visiting Pakistan
During Will and Kate's 2019 tour of Pakistan, she wore this glittery green Jenny Packham gown to a reception. Kate's looks during this tour constantly made headlines, especially since she dressed to fit in with the country's culture while also still looking like the Kate we know and love.
The BAFTA Gown
Back to Kate Middleton: Outfit Repeater — but we mean that in the best way possible! Kate wore this gold and white Alexander McQueen gown to the 2019 British Academy Film Awards, and it wasn't the first time that this dress had made an appearance. Considering how pretty it is, it's no surprise she wanted to wear it more than once.
A Visit to Ireland
Just like her wardrobe during her tour of Pakistan turned heads, fans were similarly fascinated by everything she wore when she and William toured Ireland in the beginning of 2020. She wore plenty of green, of course, because this is Ireland we're talking about — including this sparkly number from The Vampire's Wife.
Commonwealth Day 2020
When Commonwealth Day 2020 rolled around, all eyes were on the royals since this was Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's final official appearance before walking away from their posts as senior royals forever. As always, Kate rose to the challenge in this red outfit.
Working From Home
As the UK enforced lockdown measures in light of the health crisis in March 2020, Kate still remained fashion forward when she visited with NHS workers, wearing this dusty rose suit from Marks & Spencer. She was also seen wearing this multiple times over the course of the year, including in photos from her home office at Anmer Hall.
Pretty Patterns
Here's even more proof that blue is Kate's color! As 2020 continued, she wore this blue and white collared dress from Beulah London when she and Will visited Queen Elizabeth Hospital that summer. Patterns big or small, Kate always makes sure that she looks her best.
Holiday Style
When Will and Kate went on their train tour in December 2020, she made sure to look as festive as possible in her red coat and coordinating tartan scarf. She may not have been able to make as many public appearances in the 2020 holiday season as possible, but she certainly made this one count!
