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Does Kate Middleton Dress Too ‘Old Lady’? Fashion Stylists Accuse Duchess Of Copying Elderly Royals

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 01:55 PST, Apr 9, 2017

Does Kate Middleton dress too “old lady”? This is the accusation of two high-profile fashion stylists who accuse the Duchess of Cambridge of copying the fashion style of established members of the royal family who are twice her age. Who are these royals that Duchess Kate is accused of copying? This list includes Anne, the Princess Royal, Camilla, the future Queen of England, and even Queen Elizabeth!

For years now, Kate Middleton has changed the fashion world. Her fashion style is loved and copied and even given a dashing name: “The Kate Effect.” Now, the Daily Mail has reported that two fashion stylists believe that Kate shows a “lack of confidence” with the clothes she chooses to wear, and she tends to go more conservative in her style.

Stylist and fashion blogger Naomi Isted spoke to Femail about Kate MIddleton’s fashion style. The famed celebrity stylist boldly stated her belief that Kate is telling the world that she is not confident based on her choice of clothes that she wears.

“She has to opt for classic and traditional styles. However, as it can be very formal this can at times age her unnecessarily. At times where she’s lacking in confidence she might opt for overly formal options.”

Expounding her expertise, Isted stated, “Tailoring is key to dressing the part of a royal, but she could be more playful with fabrics, colors and cuts.” She then boldly mentioned a princess from another realm–Monaco.

“I think Charlotte Casiraghi is a perfect example of how to look chic but youthful at all times – not surprising as she’s the muse of Karl Lagerfeld. She likes experimenting with bold colors, tweeds and unusual fabrics.”

Charlotte Casiraghi, the granddaughter of the late American actress Grace Kelly, is surely a lovely comparison, yet to compare Kate Middleton to the eighth in line to the throne of Monaco is hardly fair. Casiraghi is a private citizen and rarely attends royal functions, while the Duchess of Cambridge is almost always seen in public as part of her royal functions.

In addition, while it is lovely that French and Italian-speaking Casiraghi is Karl Lagerfeld’s muse, Kate Middleton prefers to mostly wear British designers like Jenny Packham and Alexander McQueen. If Kate should give up her British designers to exclusively become Lagerfeld’s muse, the British people could possibly retaliate.

Ironically, contrary to what Naomi Isted has suggested about Kate’s style, Lagerfeld is quite a fan of how Duchess Catherine dresses.

“She knows pretty well what to wear and what to do. She has a divine silhouette so she can wear anything.”

Contradicting Isted’s recent comments, Lagerfeld stated several years ago that Kate knows how to dress properly and even hints that Kate is confident in her fashion choices.

“She has a sense of what’s right for the moment because you can not dress like a mad woman in those situations.”

Isted failed to mention that Kate Middleton did wear Chanel during her recent trip to France and absolutely wowed everyone. She looked spectacular.

Another fashion stylist, Natalie Robinson, believes that Kate Middleton should follow the style inspiration of either Olivia Palermo or 71-year old actress Helen Mirren.

‘”Such women like Olivia Palermo or Helen Mirren could potentially inspire the Duchess in the style stakes. Despite the difference in their age, both Olivia and Helen always look modern in their own unique way without showing too much flesh.”

Robinson has her own take on how she feels Kate could improve her personal style. She believes more jewels or a shorter hem would elevate Kate’s look.

‘The Duchess consistently dresses in an appropriate manner, which sometimes replicates an older style, to remain in keeping with her royal duties. But she could incorporate stand-out accessories into her outfit to look more youthful but still suitable in public. Perhaps she could add a subtle pop of color in the form of stunning jewels or by wearing a dress with a shorter hem which she sometimes does.

Obviously, Robinson did not read in Elle that Queen Elizabeth has mandated that Kate no longer wears shorter skirts. And should Kate wear more showy jewels during this anxious time of Brexit? Flaunting wealth is not something that the royal family does.

So what do these stylists mean by Kate dressing in “an older style”? The Daily Mail points out that Kate favors “mossy green” coats like the Princess Royal, a green lace dress like Camilla, and a blue and white patterned dress like the Queen of England.

Anyone could say that green is one of Kate’s favorite colors, and she looks ravishing in this color. As for copying Anne, Princess Royal, the two have a similar coloring. But what Kate has seemed to learn from Prince William’s aunt is that she will recycle her garments and is happy to wear them again and again.

Princess Anne is famous for her thrift and for recycling her clothing. Two years ago, at Royal Ascot, Express reported that Prince Charles’ only sister was decked out in a mustard-colored dress that she originally wore 35 years ago! To put things into greater perspective, she wore this before Charles and Diana even married! While she is known to go deep into her closet, royal watchers found it fascinatingly frugal and also amazing that she could still fit into the same size 10 garment that she wore in her early 30s.

Considered the hardest working royal, E News reported that in 2016, Prince Charles’ only sister worked 179 days. Not only is she active in over 300 charities, the Princess Royal has taken over some of her mother’s functions, due to Queen Elizabeth’s advanced age and recent illness during the holidays. As Kate Middleton continues to increase the number of royal appearances she makes, she can certainly learn the art of royal frugality from the expert.

So do you agree with the two stylists? Do you believe that Kate Middleton is wearing clothes befitting an older lady?

[Featured Image by Neil Hall/WPA Pool/Getty Images]

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