Kate in her 40s: how the Duchess of Cambridge’s style evolved from boyish brilliance to timeless elegance

(CNN) – Since joining the royal family in 2011, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, known to many as Kate, has rarely wavered in her unwritten obligation to appear neat and immaculately dressed to the public. And although the Duchess is famous for her tweed Tasteful and tailored blazers, he earned his true credentials in fashion thanks to his keen eye for the occasion.

Take, for example, Jenny Packham’s gold gown that she wore to the 2021 premiere of “No Time to Die” that ignited the internet, or her wedding dress, a personalized Alexander McQueen with details so precise that seamstresses had to replace their sewing needles every three hours, depending on British Vogue.

But even before she became a duchess, a young Kate Middleton kept her wardrobe well-stocked with eye-catching outfits. For the awaiting queen consort’s 40th birthday, we recall some of her best outfits, from her heady college days to the more formal royal occasions.

College years

While a pre-royal Kate was studying at the University of St Andrew in Scotland, her social life seemed similar to that of many people her age. Huddled in the back of taxis, she may have worn shorter hems than now, but Kate’s love of dressing was evident from the start.

Kate Middleton wears sequins to a London charity party in 2008. Credit: Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images

Paparazzi photos taken of Kate as a sparkling-eyed twenty-something suggest a penchant for glitter – glittery black minidresses and emerald green sequin halterneck tops were the thing. looks favorites. Even before she became one of the most photographed women in the world, her dress sensitivity leaned toward being daring; For example, if her friends wore all-black outfits for a night out on the town, Kate would don a baroque print silk dress.

Real commitments

Today, a decade after marrying a member of the royal family, the Duchess is still searching for sequins. At the UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace in January 2020, she wore a sparkling red sequin and lace dress from Needle & Thread, and last year she arrived at London’s Royal Albert Hall in a stunning malachite-colored gown. .

But not all royal engagements require the same level of dynamism: On many official occasions, the Duchess has opted for understated elegance. On the first day of last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, she stepped out in a conservative Eponine wrap dress that ended just above her ankles. With structured shoulders and single-breasted button detailing at the waist, it was a masterclass in sleek minimalism that impressed without being distracted from the important issues at hand.

The duchess wore a simple and structured wrap dress for the climate summit. Credit: Daniel Leal / AFP / Pool / Getty Images

Red carpet moments

When the occasion calls for opulence, the Duchess turns to trusted designers like Jenny Packham and Alexander McQueen. In 2011, just months after her Westminster Abbey wedding, Kate established herself as an evening wear aficionado when she wore a strapless black velvet McQueen classic dress to a military ball.

Her classic velvet McQueen with lace details cemented Middleton as someone to watch in the fashion space. Credit: Arthur Edwards / AFP / Getty Images

Since then, every event has been an opportunity to debut a new silhouette, from imperial waists and off-the-shoulder details to Jenny Packham’s ethereal light blue robe that she wore to the 2015 “Specter” premiere. Her luxurious looks too. It is often used to communicate broader values, particularly when it comes to the climate crisis. In 2020, the Duchess was one of the few BAFTA attendees who paid attention to the award ceremony’s recycled dress code and selected an Alexander McQueen gown trimmed in white and gold that she had first worn to a state dinner. in 2012.