Alongside her official title as Catherine, Princess of Wales, it's no secret that Kate Middleton is also widely considered Queen of the Re-wear. Whether it's a regal coat dress and Queen Elizabeth's pearls or a high street camel coat, Kate rarely misses an opportunity to recycle her clothes. Ultimate confirmation if ever there was that outfit repeating is indeed more than okay.
The Princess again took the sustainable approach for her latest outing to visit Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland in Pontypridd, Wales alongside Prince William yesterday [Wednesday 26 February]. Although she was first photographed wearing a bright Welsh red coat, Kate later switched her outerwear for a short brown tweed jacket that she layered over a brown roll-neck knit jumper and a checked midi skirt. Slouchy brown suede knee-high boots and a yellow daffodil (the Welsh national flower) brooch pinned to her lapel completed her ensemble.
While it wasn't the first time Kate had worn the red coat – the same festive red number by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen worn to the 2024 Together at Christmas carol concert – it was the brown tweed design that really caught our attention. In what might be Kate's oldest re-wear ever, the Ralph Lauren jacket has been in her wardrobe for almost 20 years.
Kate first debuted the tweed jacket all the way back in 2007, wearing it as part of a coordinating tweed midi skirt suit to attend Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival on 13 March with her then-boyfriend, William. Yep, the 18-year-old jacket is older than her marriage!
The princess stayed largely out of the spotlight the past year as she battled cancer, but we're so glad to see her and her trademark style back and better than ever.
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Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!
