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Ever since she first emerged on the public stage, the Princess of Wales has been wearing her outfits on repeat. While it led to her being dubbed “thrifty Kate” in the tabloid press at first, the royal’s practice of shopping from her own wardrobe increasingly sends out a strong message about the importance of sustainability in fashion.
In fact, the Princess has been making a point of rewearing looks in quick succession, including her white Alexander McQueen suit, which she has worn multiple times in the past year, including at the Rugby World Cup in September. Still, that doesn’t mean she’s afraid to go further back into her archives, as seen at the BAFTAs in February, when Kate brought back out a reworked Alexander McQueen gown that she’d first worn at the same event five years earlier.
From designer go-tos, such as Alexander McQueen and Catherine Walker, to high-street favorites such as Hobbs, Kate’s definitely shown the power of a high-profile rewear over the years. Below, see 38 of the Princess’s best repeat outfits to date.
2011 and 2012
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During her first overseas tour as a newlywed, Kate wore a lilac shift dress by Roksanda Ilinčić on arriving in LA. A year later, she rewore the same dress for a Royal Academy of Arts reception, before bringing it back out for a visit to the Anna Freud Centre in 2016.
2014 and 2014
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After stepping out in a white broderie anglaise dress by Zimmermann during a tour of Australia in April 2014, Kate rewore the same design three months later at Wimbledon.
2012 and 2016
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The Princess has worn this blue Stella McCartney shift dress on no less than four occasions, including at a National Portrait Gallery event in 2012. The royal later rewore the dress during a visit to RAF Fairford with Prince George in 2016 and was most recently seen sporting the number for a video message about her “Hold Still” project in 2020.
2014 and 2016
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Kate opted for a pastel pink peplum dress by Alexander McQueen during a visit to Adelaide, Australia, in 2014, before rewearing the look at the Vogue 100: A Century Of Style exhibition at National Portrait Gallery two years later.
2014 and 2016
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Kate famously arrived in Sydney in a bright yellow shift dress by Roksanda Ilinčić – nicknamed the “banana dress” – in 2014. She later rewore the colour-block piece at Wimbledon two years later.
2014 and 2016
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The royal has worn this vibrant green coat by Catherine Walker on two occasions: firstly, during a tour of Australia in 2014 and again at the Chelsea Flower Show two years later.
2011 and 2017
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Before wedding Prince William in 2011, Kate wore a postbox-red skirt suit by Italian designer Luisa Spagnoli for a visit to St Andrew’s, where the couple famously met. Six years later, she repeated the look at a Place2Be event in London.
2017 and 2018
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With daughter Princess Charlotte in tow, the royal wore a lavender dress by Emilia Wickstead while departing Hamburg in Germany in 2017. A year later, she rewore the pastel number for the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit in London.
2014 and 2019
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Kate first wore this belted blue coat by Alexander McQueen while visiting New Zealand in 2014, later recycling the look at an engagement in Birkenhead five years later.
2017 and 2019
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Always a fan of a suit skirt, Kate first wore this fuchsia set by Oscar de la Renta for the Guild of Health Writers Conference in 2017, before bringing it back out for a visit to the Royal Opera House in 2019.
2012 and 2019
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During her early years as a royal, Kate opted for a tartan coat dress by Alexander McQueen for a visit to a school in Berkshire. She later rewore the same coat for the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham in 2013 and again for a visit to Dundee in 2019.
2018 and 2020
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Kate opted for quintessential royal style in a burgundy coat dress from Catherine Walker for the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham in 2018. She later recycled the outerwear for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in 2020.
2019 and 2020
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Kate wore a white shirt dress by Suzannah at Wimbledon in 2019, opting for the same dress while visiting the Baby Basics baby bank in Sheffield in 2020. She later rewore it at a memorial service marking the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2022.
2011 and 2021
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After first debuting this nautical-inspired blouse by Alexander McQueen in 2011, Kate has worn it a number of times since, including in Portsmouth in 2016. A decade later, the royal paired the top with tailored trousers and a navy coat for a visit to the Imperial War Museum.
2019 and 2022
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Another Catherine Walker favourite, Kate first wore this grey collared coat dress for a series of engagements in London in 2019. She later repeated the look for an event with The Prince’s Foundation in February 2022.
2015 and 2022
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First seen at Princess Charlotte’s christening back in 2015, Kate has worn this white Alexander McQueen coat multiple times since – most recently at a service at Westminster Abbey in April 2022.
2021 and 2022
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The Princess opted for an emerald-green dress from one of her go-to designers, Emilia Wickstead, for an appearance at Wimbledon in 2021. While in Jamaica a year later, she rewore the piece with a hummingbird brooch lent from the Queen.
2019 and 2022
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After opting for a mint-green midi-dress from her private dressmaker at a Buckingham Palace reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of Prince Charles’s Investiture, the Princess recycled the elegant look for a Buckingham Palace garden party in May 2022.
2021 and 2022
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Kate rewore a white coat dress by Alexander McQueen on the first day of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. She previously wore the look at the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
2022 and 2022
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Kate first wore this canary-yellow dress by Roksanda during a visit to Jamaica in March. A few months later, she rewore the bright number while attending the women’s singles final at Wimbledon in July.
2022 and 2022
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The Princess has worn this white suit by Alexander McQueen no less than three times this year, including on her Caribbean tour in March and at the unveiling of the new National Windrush Monument in London in June.
2021 and 2022
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The royal rewore this black military-style coat by Dolce & Gabbana when she met with volunteers who helped with the Queen’s funeral in Windsor in September 2022. She previously wore the piece while meeting air cadets in April 2021, as well as at a Remembrance Day service in 2017.
2020 and 2022
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Kate wearing a double-breasted red coat by Alexander McQueen for the launch of the Hold Stillphotography project in 2020 and again at the England vs Papua New Guinea Rugby League World Cup match in 2022.
2022 and 2022
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The Princess first wore this vintage Chanel blazer from 1995 while visiting the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. She brought it back out a month later for a Boston Celtics basketball match in the US.
2022 and 2023
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During a visit to Boston in December 2022, Kate debuted this burgundy suit by Roland Mouret. A month later, she rewore the tailored jacket and trousers for a reception for England’s wheelchair rugby league players.
2021 and 2023
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The royal first wore this fuchsia coat from Hobbs during a visit to Harrow in 2021, before bringing it back out for an engagement at Windsor Foodshare just over a year later.
2018 and 2023
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While pregnant with Prince Louis, Kate wore this red houndstooth coat by Catherine Walker during a visit to Stockholm. She recycled the piece five years later for a Six Nations rugby match between England and Wales.
2022 and 2023
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The Princess first wore this cobalt-blue coat dress by Catherine Walker at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in 2022, before rewearing it at an Easter Day service in Windsor a year later.
2021 and 2023
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Kate has worn this houndstooth-print dress from Zara on no fewer than three occasions, including for a recent visit to Wales. She first debuted the high-street piece while in Bradford in 2020, before rewearing it again for an engagement at UCL in 2021.
2022 and 2023
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The royal debuted this Eponine coat during a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in May 2021. She rewore the poppy-red outerwear while in Cardiff for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, wearing it again while visiting The Dog and Duck pub in Soho ahead of King Charles’s coronation in May 2023.
2019 and 2023
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The Princess of Wales rounded off a busy weekend of Coronation celebrations at the Buckingham Palace garden party in a bespoke powder blue dress by Elie Saab, which she previously wore to Royal Ascot in 2019.
2021 and 2023
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Kate first wore this pink Me+Em dress during a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, before bringing it back out for the Chelsea Flower Show two years later.
2022 and 2023
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The Princess of Wales first wore this classic navy polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich to the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in 2022, and then re-wore it a year later to the opening of Hope Street (a residential community supporting women in the justice system in Southampton).
2021 and 2023
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After wearing this candy-pink Beulah shirt dress at SW19 in 2021, the Princess wore it again with a pair of white Gianvito Rossi stilettos to officially open the Young V&A.
2022 and 2023
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Kate was first spotted wearing this polka-dot Alessandra Rich dress at a Big Jubilee Lunch in June 2022. She went on to wear it again while at Wimbledon the following month, before bringing it back out for a party celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS a year later.
2022 and 2023
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A familiar silhouette for the royal, the Princess rewore a burgundy coat dress by Eponine London at a private service in St Davids, Wales, commemorating the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2023. She debuted the coat at the “Together At Christmas” carol service in London in December 2022.
2023 and 2023
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Kate brought back out her green suit by Burberry while visiting textiles manufacturers in Leeds and Lancaster in September 2023. She first wore the look while meeting Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway at Windsor Castle in March.
2021 and 2023
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The Princess debuted this red coat dress by Catherine Walker, featuring a large bow on the neckline, for the Together At Christmas carol service in 2021. For a state visit from the South Korean president this month, she rewore the piece beneath a new red cape coat, also by Catherine Walker.
Originally published in Vogue.co.uk
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