“Catherine looked stunning in her tuxedo jacket with its padded shoulders and puffed sleeves,” said a Palace insider. “It’s a gorgeous silhouette and a very of-the-moment look. Rather than play it safe as she’s done in the past, the duchess seems to be embracing more high fashion looks when appropriate. It’s brilliant. She has been wearing blazers and trousers more and more. This seems to signal a new confidence in her that makes her even more attractive and appealing.” It’s no surprise Kate chose Alexander McQueen for this important appearance. After the designer’s sudden death in 2010, Sarah Burton took the helm of the label and designed Kate’s instantly iconic wedding dress for her wedding to William in 2011. Since then, the duchess has chosen to wear Burton’s designs for Alexander McQueen for many important occasions (as you can see in the photos that follow). This also isn’t the first time Kate has surprised royal watchers by reviving what was thought to be a passé fashion trend. Last year, the duchess made headlines when she wore a bespoke headband by Juliette Botterill with her Stella McCartney dress in the official family photograph taken at the christening of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. “Catherine has always had a strong sense of what to wear and when to wear it,” said a Palace insider. “Right now she seems to be telling the world not to underestimate her. She doesn’t have to be out front telling the world that she’s a modern, empowered woman. She’s not a woman who needs a suit to feel powerful, but she’s well aware of the message wearing one conveys.” Read on to see Kate’s best McQueen looks, and for more on this royal favorite, here’s Why Kate Middleton Is the Royal Family’s “Secret Weapon” in 2020. Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style. In Sept. 2018, Kate wore a chic cream Alexander McQueen dress at the baptism and christening of her third child, Prince Louis. And if you can’t enough of the Cambridges, here are William and Kate’s Most Adorable Couples Moments Through the Years. For the wedding between her sister, Pippa Middleton, and James Matthews, in May 2017, Kate was pretty in pink in this blush McQueen dress. And for more on the duchess’ evolution, find out How Kate Middleton Took on a Royal Favorite—And Won. At the royal wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Kate wore a bright pink McQueen gown with velvet heels in a rich jewel tone. And for more on her pre-royal past, check out Kate Middleton Was Bullied in School for Being “Too Skinny and Meek.”
