It’s A Hat - Not A Coded Message.
The Princess of Wales & Clothing Send the World Crazy - Again
Since the beginning of this year and her re-entry into “normal” royal work since finishing her cancer treatment, the Princess of Wales has committed the most outrageous of crimes. She has repeated outfits and gently suggested (through her staff) that she would prefer that the focus be on her work rather than her clothing. Truly heinous behaviour.
I know that we have talked endlessly here about the noise surrounding Catherine’s style choices but there’s a need to do it again. I started to write about the repeats issue but then realised that this actually goes much deeper than that. There is a whole universe of commentary surrounding what Catherine wears that has made me increasingly irritated. I am continually gobsmacked at the level of expectation and judgment placed on what this woman chooses to wear every time she leaves the house.
I say all of this as someone who loves Kate’s fashion - loves talking about it, posting about it, writing about it, looking at it. People can obviously enjoy Kate’s fashion and what she wears, you can even say you don’t like a particular outfit. You absolutely do not have to like everything a person does or wears. The issue occurs when expectation, and her ugly stepsister entitlement, enter the chat. People seem to believe that they have a right to expect things of Catherine and then are entitled to be disappointed and outraged when she doesn’t precisely meet those expectations. The difference is all in the wording - there’s a huge difference between “I don’t like” and “she should/she shouldn’t”. Language is everything.
Never has a person had so much pressure on them when they get dressed in the morning. You think I’m exaggerating? These are the factors that the internet and the media have deemed that Catherine must consider when choosing her outfits: (I also want to say that the following are all things that I have seen OTHERS say online and in the press. Sprinkled with my own sarcasm and snark. I do not think any of these things myself. And yes, I really do have to add that disclaimer 🤦🏻♀️🙄).
Catherine must not wear repeated outfits. That is boring and repetitive. It also hurts the fashion industry - they need her to wear new clothes so that people will see them and buy them. Not to mention the harm done to royal and fashion content creators. What will they write about if she doesn’t wear new clothes?! Her charities and engagements would get so much more attention if she wore more new outfits! But she must also not wear too many new outfits - that would be out of touch, insensitive and extravagant.
She needs to wear more modern styles. But oh no, not too many pantsuits. What happened to the coat dresses? Those suit her so much better.