It’s not easy looking perfect, but when you’re in line to be the Queen it’s the only option. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has used her seven years of royal life to finesse a few hacks that help avoid any mishaps in the public eye.
While Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, may be able to get away with a messy bun and the odd bra strap on show, Kate (for better or worse) is held to a higher standard. If you’d like to look as flawless as this royal family member, then you need to live by these rules…
1. Static is a good thing
Reportedly the royal sisters-in-law like to wear Spanx to increase static to decrease the risk of their clothes flying up. Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, told The Sun, “Often they wear body suits and clothes that actually increase static so it’s much harder for something to fly up. So you have an undergarment that is almost like a body suit that is one tactic that is used.”
2. Weight matters
To ensure Marilyn Monroe moments are few and far between, Meier has suggested that royals sew weights into the hem of their skirt to stop them flying up.
3. Well-heeled
Hidden beneath the royal foot is a £5 (roughly NZD$10) hack that helps Kate keep her heels in place. Avid style watchers of this royal will know she is rarely without hosiery. The reason for this may be her penchant for a style of John Lewis non-slip tights that have built-in sticky pads, which not only stop shoes slipping off the feet but will add a soupcon of padding beneath the sole. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle is rumoured to wear shoes a size too big to stop them rubbing and causing blisters.
4. That’s fascinating
Though trends come and go, pillbox hats, headbands and fascinators have remained Kate’s preferred choice of headwear. As a royal, she is obliged to wear hats more than your regular person and with this in mind, she’s picked three styles that not only stay in place (with the assistance of a comb or elastic), to ensure they never slip out of place but also are comfortable for a full days wear. And, when the opportunity does come to remove them, the likely chance of hat hair is very slim, or so it’s been suggested.
5. Back of the net
It’s not just for lunch ladies anymore as the Duchess has done wonders to reinvent the hairnet. To be certain her updo’s don’t move this royal has been known to wear a super fine, nearly transparent hairnet that blends seamlessly with her dark hair colouring.
6. Hit refresh
It’s a well-known fact that Kate likes to ‘shop’ her wardrobe and re-wear certain favoured pieces. However, to keep things feeling fresh she tends to update to recreate, by which we mean she’ll buckle-up an old coat with a new belt for a different spin.
7. Nailed it
Chipped nails look sloppy, which might explain why Kate’s favoured nail varnish is so close to nude that one would struggle to tell if a little has flaked away. It’s been reported that the Queen’s favourite shade is Essies’ pale blush Ballet Slippers polish, which just so happens to be the same as Kate.
8. Coat tails
You might have noticed that the Duchess has a penchant for coat dresses. It’s been said that this is down to etiquette as it is seen as unladylike for a woman of Kate’s status to be seen disrobing in public, no matter how sophisticated her outfit beneath is.
9. Diplomatic dresser
On a smaller scale, one could argue we have all been a diplomatic dresser at one time or another. While Kate may choose to wear the colours of a country or a local designer from whichever nation-state she is visiting at the time, I myself have been known to wear the sweater my grandmother knitted me only in her presence.
10. Tailor made
While not all of us have access to Sarah Burton or Emilia Wickstead, Kate’s affection for a small pool of labels and dressmakers means she has a strong relationship with the people who make her clothes. Therefore, she can be sure they always fit just right.
Via our sister site Grazia.
