It was wonderful to see the Princess of Wales back by Duchess Sophie’s side as they waited for the procession before the Order of the Garter service on 16th June. Unlike the King, their husbands and several other royals, including Queen Camilla, they aren’t in the order but they do still attend the service at St George’s Chapel.
Such a special occasion means pulling out the style stops and the future Queen stepped out at Windsor Castle wearing an oldie but a goodie. Her white Self Portrait tailored boucle dress has been in her collection for years and resembles a classic blazer worn over a pleated midi skirt.
The beauty of it is that it’s an all-in-one design and the textured bodice with its crisp lapels drapes over the flowing chiffon skirt underneath. Delicate lace with a scalloped hem runs along the bottom and this is one of two things about Kate’s look that surprised me.
Shop White Dresses
Featuring contemporary puffed sleeves, zip-up detailing and silver accents on the belt, this lightweight linen blend dress is so versatile. It has a shirt dress silhouette and the material has been crafted to help minimise creasing. Add a pair of sandals and a woven bag and you're good to go.
If you love the layered two-in-one look and structure of the Princess of Wales's dress then this is a pretty option to consider adding to your collection. It's made from linen and ramie fabric and has a tie waist belt and two side welt pockets. The wrap design and V-neckline are beautiful and it resembles a waistcoat and skirt combination.
Sometimes you just want a simple white dress that can be dressed up or down with ease and I think this is one of them. It has a square neckline and the flared hemline has a stunning amount of volume. White trainers and a denim jacket would make this daytime appropriate, but swap for metallic heels and a blazer for the evening.
Technically, this dress is a soft cream hue rather than white, but it's equally easy to style and would look gorgeous with tan accessories. It's made from a textured jacquard jersey and has a smart collared neckline. You can unzip the neckline as much or as little as you like.
A scalloped border of embroidered eyelets gives a feminine edge to this stretchy knitted midi dress. The U-neckline is unusual and elegant, bringing something a little different to the pared-back design.
This tiered midi dress balances soft volume with a relaxed silhouette. The waist is elasticated for ease and comfort and the seer-sucker texture breaks up the white colour and gives it more depth.
Lace is one of those fabrics that can be tricky to style. I often find lace-focused designs a bit too twee, or else look too much like nightwear.
The Princess of Wales effortlessly avoided this with her midi dress, as the structure of the blazer-style bodice balanced the feminine, whimsical lace. Lace is still not something she tends to wear, though, making this dress stand out to me.
It was a subtle way to wear a sheer material and still felt modest and sophisticated. The underskirt helped with this, as did the fact that the lace was minimal.
Although a white frock isn’t going to make many people’s list of the best wedding guest dresses for obvious reasons, they do work for so many other occasions like garden parties, picnics and the races.
Many of us get a lot of wear out of black dresses for date nights and parties and a Little White Dress is a fabulous summer alternative. They don’t have to be quite as formal as hers, either. A smart-casual outfit of a white midi dress and raffia accessories is a failsafe, and if you prefer bright bags and sandals then you have a neutral base to pair with them.
Kate’s Self Portrait dress had multiple textures to add dimension to the otherwise plain white dress, and this was a clever choice. She matched her hat to her clothes and accessorised with timeless court shoe heels in a soft beige tone.
For a comfier option, white trainers would also work but stilettos brought the sophistication we’d expect from the Order of the Garter service.
These were stunning finishing touches, though the second aspect of her look that really caught my attention was her hair. The Princess used to wear her brunette tresses loose a lot but since becoming more senior within the Royal Family this has changed.
She now favours sleek up-dos for official events and occasions - as we saw a few days earlier at Trooping the Colour. Her decision to leave her hair down in loose waves was unusual and felt more relaxed. It worked with the smart white dress and softened the tailored silhouette.
This was a chic look for the service, which honours the Order of the Garter as the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
