While visiting Long Meadow Cider in Northern Ireland with Prince William on October 14, Middleton wore three popular fall trends—a granny cardigan, a barn jacket, and a long skirt with tall boots—at once. Altogether, the ensemble was similar to countryside ‘fits worn by her predecessors, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, who had mastered the art of sporty but still feminine dressing for the UK’s chillier climates.
Granny cardigans, with their crewnecks and cropped fit, have come for the V-neck cardigan’s title of Most Beloved Fall Sweater. The trend is perfect for layering, as the Princess of Wales demonstrated, wearing her warm gray cardi over a black turtleneck.
Barn jackets are still going strong this season, which is great news for the Waleses, who helped popularize Barbour’s prototype throughout the mid-twentieth century. Finally, the boots-and-skirts combo feels especially “right now,” and also especially practical for cooler temperatures. Paired with a wool skirt, Middleton’s suede, chocolate brown boots add a touch more texture to her woodsy look, as does the braided leather belt she wore at her waist.
Another element of Kate Middleton’s new look that we can’t help but notice: Her blonde hair seems to have settled into the perfect buttery shade for autumn. The princess shocked the public when she debuted the vibrant hue last month, however, it appeared she quickly doubled back to a darker, more familiar shade. Was it perhaps just a gloss that has since faded? Middleton will (probably) never tell. But at least she gifted us this Pinterest-worthy photo to share with our hairdressers:
