It's easy to tell that Kate Middleton cares a lot about fashion. The Duchess of Cambridge puts together some of the most stylish outfits we've ever seen. Even if she's using a stylist behind the scenes, we can't help but think that a lot of her fashion choices are hers alone. But she probably does get some extra tips when it comes to dressing for her royal tours. Kate pays tribute to the host countries in various ways with her outfit decisions.
Sometimes she'll use a specific fabric from a country, other times she'll honor a country's flag with her color choices. And she's also a fan of highlighting symbols from a nation with her jewelry pieces. So much thought goes into each and every one of her tour outfits. Just see for yourself.
Canadian Flag
During a 2016 visit to Canada, Kate showed off this pretty Alexander McQueen dress. She loves the McQueen brand, and the bright red and white paid homage to the Canadian flag. Kate then matched the dress with her cherry red clutch and heels. Her mom, Carole Middleton, actually owns a similar tiered dress but in the color blue.
Maple Leaf Pin
Also while in Canada, Kate stuck to the red motif for an elegant dinner. She dressed up her red gown with a dazzling silver brooch in the shape of a maple leaf. The maple leaf is the national emblem of Canada, and it sits proudly on their flag. The brooch was a chic and sophisticated way of paying tribute to that little detail.
When in Scotland, Wear a Kilt
When the duchess visited Scotland in 2016, she didn't just wear a tweed skirt — she wore a kilt in honor of the country. It was fittingly designed by a Scottish brand, Le Kilt, so she both honored the country and supported its economy. That's the kind of effect Kate can have; she wears an item one time and moves markets.
Scottish Tartan
Wearing a kilt isn't the only way Kate has paid tribute to Scotland. On another visit to the neighboring country, she pulled out a green and navy tartan dress. Each of Scotland's clans has its own tartan pattern. It's just a bonus that the duchess looks so good in this color combination, called Black Watch, which has traditionally been worn by Scottish soldiers.
Honoring the Scottish Flag
During her train tour in 2020, Kate made a visit to Edinburgh in Scotland and she again made a point to salute the country via her wardrobe. This time, she dressed in a pretty blue coat and matching white and blue floral face mask. Scotland's flag is blue and white, so you know that her color choices that day were carefully planned.
Green for Ireland
A big part of Irish pride is the color green, and Kate had that on full display when she visited the country in early 2020. She wore a number of green outfits, including this pretty patterned dress with a matching clutch. Since the other part of the Irish flag is orange, and Kate rarely wears orange, her all-green wardrobe made a lot of sense for this trip.
Shamrock Jewelry
The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland, and Kate also paid homage to that during her Irish tour. She paired this printed green dress with gold shamrock earrings and a matching shamrock necklace. The jewelry was subtle and chic, and it will be so easy to rewear again for her annual St. Patrick's Day parade appearance.
Fern Dress
Speaking of symbolism, Kate had that on full display when she visited New Zealand in 2014. She wore this simple black dress from Jenny Packham, one of the duchess' favorite designers. The dress was embroidered with silver ferns at the neckline in a nod to the national emblem of New Zealand. Queen Elizabeth always wore something fern-related when she visited the nation, and Kate did, too.
Polish Colors
Kate got creative to honor the red and white flag of Poland when she visited in 2017. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a creamy white dress and she put Princess Charlotte in a red dress. Together, they made up the colors of the Polish flag, so whenever Kate carried her daughter, they were a walking tribute to the country.
Cornflower Blue
After Poland, Kate and the kids jetted over to Germany to begin a brief tour there. The duchess was quick to show her love of the nation with her outfit again — and also with George and Charlotte's outfits. The duchess chose a powder blue color scheme for the family as a nod to the German national flower, the blue cornflower.
Green for Pakistan
During her trip to Pakistan, the duchess wowed in a glittery green gown from Jenny Packham. Not only was it a total jaw-dropper of a dress, but it paid tribute to the country the duchess was visiting. Green is the primary color of the Pakistani flag, and she definitely knew that when she picked this outfit.
Local Customs
Also while in Pakistan, Kate and Prince William had some fun with local headwear. The couple is always down to try out customs and outfits that are special to the countries they visit. On this occasion, they wore elaborate feather hats to show their passion for the people of the country. Such a sweet gesture that they get so involved on a local level.
Bhutanese Fabric
Bhutan is well-known for its textile industry, particularly its woven silk fabrics. The Duchess of Cambridge found this out firsthand when she wore a Bhutanese fabric skirt while visiting the country a few years ago. The pretty purple and blue totally popped against the white of her top. She looked fabulous.
Poppy Dress
Technically, Bhutan's national flower is the blue poppy, but we'll let that slide since Kate did still wear a poppy dress while in the country. She donned this fiery orange gown (yes, orange!) for the final night of her Bhutan trip, and she certainly went out with a splash. We love this pretty print.
Orchids in Singapore
Speaking of national flowers, Kate also paid tribute to the national one of Singapore when she visited that country several years ago. The orchid is Singapore's flower emblem, and so the duchess wore a pretty pink dress covered in orchids for a trip to a botanical garden. So on theme.
