In the early days of her royal career, Catherine, Princess of Wales was known for her love of tailored coat dresses and conservative floral midis. In the past few years, however, Princess Kate began embracing the pantsuit. Some royal fans expressed boredom over the royal's parade of suits last year—at one point she wore 13 (!) consecutive trousered looks—but like it or not, her business-y looks seem here to stay.
It comes as no surprise that Kate Middleton turned to a tried-and-true formula for her first appearance since finishing chemotherapy, wearing a wine red Roland Mouret suit for a meeting with 16-year-old cancer patient Liz Hatton on Oct. 2.
The tailored suit is one the royal first wore during a 2022 visit to Boston, and she's worn it on two subsequent occasions while swapping out her tops to give it a fresh look—something the princess is known to do when repeating her workwear. But even though the Princess of Wales chose an older outfit, it was still perfectly on trend, embracing burgundy, one of fall 2024's biggest color trends.
Every outfit the princess wears is sure to make headlines. In honor of her return to the style spotlight, we're taking a look back at some of Kate Middleton's best suits (so far).
Purple Punch
When Princess Kate chose a royal purple suit by Emilia Wickstead during a 2021 trip to Northern Ireland, she proved a power suit doesn't have to be basic. While she first wore the jacket open with a navy turtleneck, she later wore the buttoned-up blazer without anything underneath for a 2023 appearance, showing us all you can make even the brightest of looks look fresh with some simple styling switches. I'm loving a satin version of Kate's suit for the party season ahead.
Pretty in Pink
The Princess of Wales brought some serious summer energy to London's Foundling Museum when she wore a pale pink Alexander McQueen pantsuit at a June 2022 event, and she repeated the same look (but added a fun pearl belt and a matching pink top) in May 2023. If pink-on-pink feels too much for you, I can relate. Adding a pastel blazer with jeans or pink pants with a white turtleneck adds a pop of color without feeling too Pepto Bismol.
White Hot
We've seen Kate step out in a white suit on a number of occasions ranging from her 2022 Caribbean tour to the 2023 Rugby World Cup. And while us mere mortals might balk at the idea of keeping an all-white Alexander McQueen fit looking fresh, the princess proves that it can be done (just maybe not with toddlers around).
Keeping It Classic
Princess Kate loves this pinstriped look so much that she once wore it twice in one week—and we can see why. The princess chose Holland Cooper's navy double-breasted blazer and matching trousers for a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2023, switching things up by wearing it with a different top at a Black History Month event just four days later. Fortunately for royal fans, this is one look that's actually still in stock and ready for your own autumn workwear moments.
Lady in Red
The princess turned to another Alexander McQueen style in January 2023, wearing a fiery red blazer and matching wide-legged trousers for a pre-campaign launch event for the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood. With the holiday season quickly approaching, why not make like Kate and add a similar scarlet shade into your suit repertoire?
