The Tamesis
When it comes to her outfits, Kate Middleton has a tried-and-true engagement formula, from her Catherine Walker coat dress to her sharp Alexander McQueen tailoring. Today, however, the royal showed she’s not afraid to push her sartorial boundaries as she visited Castle Hill Academy in Croydon to mark Children’s Mental Health Week.
For the occasion, Kate wore a chocolate brown blazer with matching belted trousers and a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. While brown has been a favorite of the royal family lately, this particular color combination (a popular pairing on the fall 2026 runways from brands like Prada and Stella McCartney) adds a fresh twist to Kate’s usual monochromatic palette.
The most surprising part of the look? Instead of the royal’s signature nude heels, she opted for a pair of chocolate brown loafers from Boden, which also happen to be on-trend right now. In fact, this look can be said to be one of the princess’s most fashionable looks recently. British VogueDaniel Rodgers described the group as “almost Celine-adjacent”.
While Kate has always favored practical wardrobe staples, the look she chose showcases a more modern approach to royal dressing — with just a few simple tweaks. Will we next see the princess carrying Michael Rider’s tongue-in-cheek smiley bag? We’d love to see it.
