It is a truth universally acknowledged among fashion enthusiasts that, when she isn't busy playing sports or spending some time in nature, Kate Middleton generally likes to turn to romantic knee-length dresses [1] and colourful coats [2], of which she has a pretty impressive collection. Sure, she often wears jeans [3] when she visits centres where she is expected to interact with the public, and she has curated a sneaker collection [4] that would give anyone major shoe envy. But wearing smart trousers on an official outing that doesn't necessarily include any kind of outdoorsy or sporty activity? This used to be quite a rare sight — until recently.
Perhaps influenced by her sister-in-law Meghan, who's more than once worn chic pants [5] during official royal appearances, the Duchess of Cambridge has, over the past few months, started to introduce more variety to her royal ensembles. From tailored high-waisted trousers [6] to sleek flared pants [7] and ankle-revealing culottes [8], Kate has been throwing us a few stylish curveballs [9], and we're already excited to see more. Ahead, get a closer look at all the times the mother of three chose to swap her dresses for sophisticated trousers. We don't know if they're Queen Elizabeth-approved, but we're certainly loving them [10].
Oct 2020
Catherine visited the University of Derby to see how the pandemic was affecting students. She wore a Massimo Dutti brown checked coat and powder blue jumper with smart black trousers.
Sep 2020
Catherine met with families and key organisations at Battersea Park to discuss parental wellbeing. She wore a white Ralph Lauren t-shirt with a pink suit from Marks & Spencer.
Nov 2019
Catherine attended the Shout Crisis Volunteer celebration at Troubadour White City Theatre wearing a Glen check Smythe blazer and wine-red trousers by Joseph.
Oct 2019
Catherine visited The Angela Marmont Centre For UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum wearing a burgundy Warehouse jumper and olive culottes from Jigsaw.
May 2019
To explore the garden that she had co-designed for the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, Kate wore a chic pair of Massimo Dutti culotte trousers with a MiH Jeans shirt, and finished her look with her trusty white Superga sneakers [12].
May 2019
When she and Prince William paid a visit to the Caernarfon Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter Base in Wales, Kate wore a double-breasted Philosophy di Lorenzo blazer, a black turtleneck sweater, a pair of black skinny jeans, and matching suede boots. She finished her look with a top handle bag by Aspinal.
May 2019
For the launch of the King's Cup regatta in London, the Duchess of Cambridge stunned in a black-and-white striped sweater, which she paired with navy high-waisted pants by L.K. Bennett, a red clutch, and navy suede pumps.
March 2019
When she visited a children's centre in London back in May, the duchess gave a chic pair of high-waisted, wide-leg pants a spin. She wore them with a lavender pussy-bow blouse by Gucci, and finished her ensemble with black heels and a beige Aspinal of London top handle bag.
December 2018
Back in December 2018, Kate joined Prince William for an official visit to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. For the occasion, she wore black wide leg trousers and the appropriately named Smythe Duchess blazer, which she paired with a white t-shirt and an L.K.Bennett clutch.
