Kate Middleton's Coat Dresses Are Proof You Should Have a Signature Winter Style
Dressing for chilly temps can be a challenge. The practical concerns—insulating fabrics, minimal skin exposure—often overtake the fashionable ones, leaving even the most chic bundling their carefully curated outfits underneath bulky toppers, and leaving the stylish with an impending sense of identity crisis. However, sticking to a signature look even as the mercury falls is entirely possible, and, as is often the case, nobody does it better than Kate Middleton.
Over the years, the Duchess of Cambridge's coat savvy has become key to her ever-stylish wardrobe. After all, unlike most of us, avoiding photos at outdoor events is hardly an option for her. But rather than suffering through shivers or giving in to a dowdy winter look, Kate has instead adopted a look that she returns to again and again—the coat dress.
Part cozy topper, part one-and-done outfit, the coat dress blends the sharp tailoring one might expect from a suit with a bit of softness and flounce thanks to a swirling skirt. Unlike bulky coats, the coat dress is designed to show off the figure as a dress would—Kate generally selects an A-line style that nips in at the waist—but with a fabric heavy enough to allow for wearing outside, even sans-leggings, as Kate often wears them.
In particular, she appears to be a fan of Catherine Walker's iterations of the style, as well as her go-to house, Alexander McQueen's, often selecting styles that marry bold, solid colors with distinctive coat closures like double-breasted buttons. The all-in-one style lends the duchess an air of being effortlessly put-together; all that's required is a pair of coordinating shoes and possibly a matching hat, and she's ready to take on even formal royal events. (She's worn them for everything from carol services at Westminster Abbey to military parades.)
Best of all, though, her affinity for coat dresses has made the look identifiably "Kate." Like the Queen's monochrome coat and hat duos, the style has become recognizably her own, instantly and intrinsically linked to her particular, much-coveted fashion sense. So the next time you're struggling with how to bring your own trademark look to the bundled-up season, take a page from Kate's book—or should we say a coat from her closet—and set your sights on a coat dress.
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