Kate Middleton truly rivals Princess Diana for style icon status. As the years have gone on, Kate's taken more and more fashion risks, and she likes to play around with fashion more than she used to. She's still always good for a well-tailored coatdress moment, but sometimes, she'll shake things up, and that includes Kate Middleton wearing pants. (Shocking, we know.)
Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth prefers the royal women to wear dresses and skirts instead of pants. But if the Queen isn't actively at the event, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right? Even the rule-following Duchess of Cambridge has bent the pants protocol from time to time.
Often, Kate wears trousers if she's going to some sort of athletic event where she may need to move around. But she's also recently embraced business casual slacks for everyday events. They look dressy and cool at the same time, and the duchess has leaned into the trend in recent years.
Here are Kate's best pants moments over the years, including some fun throwback styles.
Summer White
They say not to wear white after Labor Day, and Kate Middleton was firmly within that timeline when she wore these pants to a polo match in July 2006. These trousers are totally indicative of the style at the time, which was super low-rise. Fortunately for her, current modest royal wardrobe, high-rise pants are in now.
Boot Cut
Here's another pants style that's not as popular now: boot cut jeans. Kate donned the trend in 2011 for an event at a rodeo. She paired the look with a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and a big belt buckle. It's a little bit like she's wearing a rodeo costume, but she still looks fabulous.
Chilling in Cargo Pants
We're pretty used to seeing the duchess in formal wear these days, but she's not afraid to get a little dirty either. Kate went with utilitarian cargo pants for a trip to the rain forest in Borneo. Her usual heels and coatdress wouldn't really have worked for the activities they had planned, which included climbing trees.
Patriotic Princess
For the 2012 Olympics in London, Will and Kate were able to attend the torch relay. She dressed in patriotic blue and white with a little flag on her shirt to show her British pride. The pants were from Zara and had a fun zipper detail on the back calf. They cost only about $60, which is pretty inexpensive for the duchess' wardrobe.
Vibrant Velvet
Skinny pants are a staple in Kate Middleton's wardrobe, but she rocked a slightly more unique look in 2013, when she wore velvet skinny pants. The event she was at took place in December, so this fabric would have kept her a little warmer on the chilly England day. Plus, it's just really stylish.
Trendy Details
For a visit to a farm, Kate, once again, went with a more utilitarian look like she did in Borneo — this time she went with a sweater, jacket, work boots, and brown pants. (The trousers have a fun detail on the knee that makes them more like motorcycle pants.) The duchess still has fun with fashion, even when she's being practical.
Bold Color Choice
The Duchess of Cambridge is not afraid of a rainbow color palette. However, she usually expresses her colorful side in her dresses and prefers her pants to be more neutral in tone. But for a field hockey event, she brightened up things with salmon-colored pants. Pippa Middleton has a very similar pair herself.
Casual Day
Jeans aren't necessarily against royal protocol, but they're typically reserved only for the most active and casual of events. On her days off, Kate likes to dress down like she did here for one of William's polo matches. She's wearing just a simple shirt, jeans, and flats. Even a style icon like Kate needs a break every once in a while.
Meghan Markle-Inspired
Once Meghan Markle entered the royal family, people noticed that Kate Middleton's style started to change a bit. She was taking more risks with her clothes, such as by wearing these wide-legged navy trousers instead of her usual skinny pants. They're not dissimilar to the wide-legged white pants Meghan wore to Wimbledon. Maybe Kate was inspired?
Athleisure
The duchess dressed way down for a tennis event in 2018. (She's wearing track pants and everything!) Athleisure has been in for a few years, so she's right on trend. Even though she was wearing this sporty look for a sporty purpose, she should consider bringing the track pants back just for fun.
All Green
This outfit almost passes for a jumpsuit — which the duchess should definitely try — but it's really just a matching green sweater and flowy pants. Kate actually wore this to compete in a short sprint, which is kind of surprising because it's a much dressier look than her usual athletic clothes.
Patterned Duchess
Printed pants are really outside Kate's usual clothing comfort zone, but she looks so good in them! They stand out but are classy and chic at the same time. The trousers are from Gap, and cost about $70. That print is sold out, but the same style of pants comes in a ton of different colors.
Flowy Fashion
This whole look is so '70s vibes between the bow on the blouse and flowy trousers. Kate even mixed things up on the purse front and went with a handbag instead of her usual clutch. Whatever has been inspiring Kate's fashion lately, we hope it's here to stay, because it's so fun to see what she might wear next.
Sailor Style
The King's Cup Regatta is a sailing competition, so Kate's sailor-style look makes so much sense for this event. (She's nautical from head to toe in a navy and cream striped sweater and navy pants with a button-front detail.) We love the pop of red from her clutch to round out the outfit.
Buttoned Up
These J. Crew capris were another style switch-up for the duchess. The length on these trousers is shorter than Kate Middleton usually goes for, and we love the little flare at the end. The pants also have a fun side button detail. It's a nod to nautical, without being too obvious about the theme as she has been in the past.
Colorful Cranberry
For this November 2019 event, cranberry pants set the perfect fall tone. Kate looks like a walking Thanksgiving dinner, and the ensemble is really just a more autumnal version of her salmon pants from years ago. Whenever she shakes things up and wears a colorful trouser, Kate always looks so great — but she could honestly wear a potato sack and still look amazing.
Breezy Linen
The royals are reportedly discouraged from wearing fabrics that wrinkle easily, but we're glad Kate ignored that rule for these pants. The dusty trousers color and her white floral blouse fit in perfectly with the Chelsea Flower Show event where Kate wore the outfit. It was fun to see her in another flowy pant — this time for the summer weather.
Chic Silhouette
Speaking of flowy, wide-legged trousers, these green pants were such a fun style option for the duchess. She paired the olive slacks with a rich, purple sweater, and the form-fitting top and exaggerated pants make for a chic silhouette. Kate wore this look last October, and we hope she brings a variation of it back again some time.
Pink Pantsuit
Pantsuits used to be Meghan Markle's turf, but Kate gave the style a try herself this past spring. The dusty rose color is gorgeous on the duchess, and it was exciting to see her try out a new fashion trend. Plus, having separates is a totally practical style choice. She's already reworn the pants once, and Kate can throw the blazer on with another outfit whenever she wants.
Business Casual
Kate kept it business casual chic for an event last year at the Sunshine House for children. She again went with some flowy slacks, but they're a little more tapered than usual. Kate paired those with a pretty polka-dot blouse, all of which look great with the yellow bouquet she was handed upon her arrival. Must be nice to get flowers everywhere she goes.
