Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • TIFF's Best-Dressed
    • Low Ponytails
    • 'Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter'
    • Altuzarra
    • Caitlin Clark x Nike
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    How Kate Middleton's Love for Plaid Grew Over a Decade

    Kate Middleton's latest outfit this week in an engagement with William—the to-die-for Emily Wickstead tartan midi skirt and perfectly tailored Brora black button up cardigan—was perfect for the holidays. But as it turns out, Princess Kate's love affair with tartan is actually long and well-documented.

    Katherine J. Igoe#039;s avatar
    By Katherine J. Igoe
    Published 7 December 2018 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Kate Middleton's latest outfit this week for an engagement with William—the to-die-for Emily Wickstead plaid midi skirt and perfectly tailored Brora black button up cardigan—was perfect for the holidays. But, as it turns out, Princess Kate's love affair with plaid is actually long and well-documented.

    Per People, Kate actually wore a similar red skirt with a black blazer and boots a decade ago, styled in almost exactly the same way. Kate loves plaid and has been steadily ramping up her strategic use of the classic, yet stylish pattern since then. Just take a look at some of her plaid outfits over the years (and shop similar pieces below).

    Midi Skirt

    MSGM Pleated Tartan Midi Skirt
    $715.00 AT NET-A-PORTER.COM

    Jeans Long Plaid Coat

    Tommy Jeans Long Plaid Coat
    $179.40 AT NORDSTROM.COM

    Isabel Marant Ebra Wool Coat

    Isabel Marant Ebra Wool Coat
    $426.00 AT MYTHERESA.COM

    Halogen Plaid Tweed Pencil Skirt

    Halogen Plaid Tweed Pencil Skirt
    $39.49 AT NORDSTROM.COM

    As seen from the snap above, where Kate's in a plaid skirt and on her phone (before she married William), the Duchess of Cambridge has come into her own style. From the way she holds her bag, to her posture, to the improvement of the fit and style of her outfits, she's really evolved. (I'm sure having a royal clothes budget helps.)

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    In 2012, Kate showed off this green and blue number at St. Andrew's Day at St. Andrew's School, which she actually attended as a child.

    Sport venue, Games, Design, Stick and Ball Games, Recreation, Golf, Leg, Grass, Golf club, Sports equipment,

    (Image credit: WPA Pool)

    Kate loves a coat-dress—in this case, a navy and beige one she wore in 2013 to tour the Emirates Arena with William.

    You may like
    • Princess Kate in a blue coat Princess Kate Has Embraced Diana-Like Dressing More Than Ever
    • Princess Kate wearing a jacket and sweater standing in front of trees How to Master Princess Kate's "Balmoral Look" This Fall
    • Princess Kate wears a hat with a high-neck white shirt and gray blazer to attend church in Balmoral with Prince George and Prince Louis Princess Kate Delivers Vintage Vibes in a Pie-Crust Collar

    Plaid, Clothing, Tartan, Street fashion, Pattern, Fashion, Outerwear, Textile, Design, Coat,

    (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)

    Polished in navy and pink, Kate tours the National Football Stadium in Manchester in 2016.

    Plaid, Clothing, Street fashion, Fashion, Pattern, Tartan, Outerwear, Fashion model, Design, Textile,

    (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)

    For Christmas 2017, Kate was full of holiday cheer (look at that hat!) for Christmas Day Church service at St. Mary Magdalene in red and green.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Plaid, Tartan, Clothing, Pattern, Textile, Design, Kilt, Street fashion, Plant, Sleeve,

    (Image credit: Chris Jackson)

    Finally, last week's outfit

    Plaid, Tartan, Clothing, Pattern, Fashion, Street fashion, Kilt, Textile, Fashion show, Design,

    (Image credit: Samir Hussein)

    Now that's a plaid style evolution.

    For more celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW

    RELATED STORIES

    The Duke amp;amp; Duchess Of Cambridge Host Christmas Party For Families Of Military Personnel Deployed In Cyprus

    (Image credit: Mark Cuthbert)

    Watch Kate and Will Have a Cute Snowball Fight

    People, Tartan, Pattern, Plaid, Kilt, Design, Fashion, Textile, Tree, Event,

    (Image credit: getty image)

    Shop Kate Middleton's Festive Holiday Party Skirt

    Explore More
    princess catherine
    Katherine J. Igoe
    Katherine J. Igoe
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor

    Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

    Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

    Read more
    Princess Kate wears a hat with a high-neck white shirt and gray blazer to attend church in Balmoral with Prince George and Prince Louis
    Royals Princess Kate Delivers Vintage Vibes in a Pie-Crust Collar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Princess Kate wearing a green dress at Royal Marsden hospital
    Royals Princess Kate Trades Fall's Trendy Moss Green for an Old Favorite Emerald Dress
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Kate sitting in a car wearing a white blouse and brown hat
    Royals Princess Kate’s Summer Hair Switch-Up Has Become a Balmoral Tradition
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate holding an umbrella walking next to Prince George
    Royals Princess Kate's Eton College Jewelry Echoes Princess Diana
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    A split image of Earl Spencer holding Swan Song and Princess Diana in her white Elvis dress and a tiara
    Royals Earl Spencer's New Diana Book Was Part of a "Suspicious" Theft
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
     
     
    Prince Harry looks at Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony as both wear military uniforms
    Royals Prince William's Stance on Prince Harry Has Changed to a "Cold War"
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
     
     
    Latest in News
    A split image of Earl Spencer holding Swan Song and Princess Diana in her white Elvis dress and a tiara
    Royals Earl Spencer's New Diana Book Was Part of a "Suspicious" Theft
    Dakota Johnson styled an everyday T-shirt dress from Toteme in New York for #039;Verity#039;
    Celebrity Style Dakota Johnson Just Found the Perfect T-Shirt Dress for Early Fall
     
     
    campaign photo of The Other September Issue for Substack, written by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson
    Fall fashion Gabriella Karefa-Johnson Wants Fashion to Take Note of the "Underappreciated"
    Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte with their heads together at the Commonwealth Games
    Royals Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Mom Kate
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.