Princess Kate’s iconic fashion move takes royal cue

Since stepping into public life in 2011, Catherine, Princess Kate, has proven herself to be one of the most recognized figures in fashion worldwide.

The visual language of contemporary royal dressing, according to biographer Catherine Mayer, actually has a playbook. “There is some truth to the idea that Princess Kate follows a model quite close to Queen Elizabeth’s in terms of letting images do the talking…”

Image is (sometimes) more powerful than words For monarchs and their direct representatives, the rule of neutrality often outweighs any urge to vocalize opinions, and for that reason, a reliance on “visual diplomacy – color palettes, symbolic jewellery, and subtle sartorial gestures – become key tools to ensure dignity, respect and a sense of tradition while remaining apolitical,” writes Mayer.

Image allows the Palace to: Maintain Political neutrality Represent the Crown throughout the15 Commonwealth Realms Honour the past Wear and proudly showcase heirloom jewels, be they the family’s famous stones, State Jewels, or symbolic objects of each nation as she represents them, even from a high-street gown.

Facilitate Unity Ensure a steady, stable image for public perception that bypasses divisive discourse.

2 Learn from a Seven-decade visual legacy … although we often think of Queen Elizabeth as impeccably put-together now (particularly by way of her iconic monochrome look), during her early years she also came under attack for her clothing “being too safe/too ‘safe’/too sensible,” states Mayer.

Indeed, she writes that she herself saw criticisms lobbied against the late monarch that seem “odd” today as “we regard the QUEEN today not just as a sovereign and sovereign duty, but as… [a master of]… visual strategy.”

The“Kate Effect”-and the modern image of royalty3. When Prince William and Kate go for official trips that require dressing down, she does her due diligence.

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While royal dressing may typically revolve around tradition and legacy, in many ways, with her reign – both as part of William’s and when out as the future Queen – she is rewriting the royal image, by staying the course her grandmother-in-law’s reign established as much through her clothes as through any actions at all.