Despite wearing a noticeably longer Catherine Walker coat and dress on her arrival in Australia, the Duchess of Cambridge still managed to be caught out by a gust of windy weather.
Although the outfit’s hemline was around three inches lower than normal, it seemed Kate still hasn’t picked up on the Queen’s trick of sewing lead curtain weights into her outfits.
No sooner had Kate stepped off the plane than she managed to flash a length of shapely thigh.
Marilyn moment: The Duchess Of Cambridge nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction as she touched down in Wellington, New Zealand on Monday with Prince William and baby George
Kate, pictured here in Canada in 2011, has had trouble with the wind before as she favours shorter dresses
Walker, a great favourite of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, designed the scarlet coat with two rows of pearlised buttons especially for Kate’s first formal appearance on tour.
The eye-catching colour and striking style ensured that Kate stood out on a grey and blustery day in Wellington. It was also the perfect foil for her son’s all-cream and white ensemble.
The Duchess clearly continues to be strongly influenced by Diana. The outfit was almost identical to the red skirt suit Diana wore in October 1989 to visit RAF Wittering - from the vivid shade right down to the the buttons, pointy collar and sharp shoulders.
At the height of her fame, the reticent, late Chelsea-based couturier Catherine Walker was synonymous with Diana’s glamorous dresses. She made over 1,000 outfits for her Royal client; the first three months after her wedding to Charles and the last a little black dress ordered a few weeks before she died; Diana was buried in it.
Some of them – such as the white ‘Elvis’ dress, pearl-studded with a bolero jacket – were among Diana’s most memorable and showstopping looks.
Kate has become the darling of the world's media in much the same way as Princess Diana did, and echoes her chic style 30 years later in a very similar outfit. She was wearing Catherine Walker, favoured by Diana
Late Chelsea-based couturier Catherine Walker was synonymous with Diana’s glamorous dresses, including these piece. She made over 1,000 outfits for her Royal client, even the little black dress she was buried in
She wore a Walker smock to leave hospital with baby Prince William, and Walker gowns – one white silk, another with a black halter neck - when she was photographed by Mario Testino for Vanity Fair in 1997.
Walker’s particular talent - and one which will appeal to Kate as much as it did Diana - was for making outfits that showed off the woman rather than the frock. They were dignifed yet - particularly post Charles and Diana’s divorce - more than a little daring.
Her clothes are statements of style rather than fashion, and the fabric and cut are always perfect.
So it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise when Carole Middleton chose the fashion house, run since Catherine’s death in 2010 by her second husband and business partner, Sayeed Ismail, to make her triumphant pale blue coat and dress for the Royal Wedding.
The young prince wore a cream cardigan over a white shirt, matching shorts and leather shoes
Smart: Meanwhile, a hands-free William disembarked the plane looking dapper in a navy blue suit
The House of Walker clearly won Middleton loyalty on that day. Carole wore Catherine Walker again to George’s christening.
It wasn’t long before Kate turned to Walker too, choosing the label to make two stunning outfits for her first official trip to Canada.
One, a grey wool pencil dress, was particularly striking, showing off Kate’s slender post-wedding figure to perfection.
However, this week’s outfit won’t win as many fashion plaudits. It looked more Virgin air hostess than royal style icon - add a slash of red lipstick and a jauntily-tied scarf and she’d be offering you a glass of champagne before take-off.
Diana isn’t the only royal from whom Kate is taking style inspiration. She is also wearing the Queen’s diamond fern brooch, a gift from the Women of Auckland in 1954 and what appear to be American tan tights.
Hands full: Kate was carrying baby George and holding onto the railing of the plane's stairs at the same time
However, where were the hemline weights which preserve Her Majesty modesty on even the most blustery days? Instead, Kate’s fabulous thighs had another airing as she walked down the aeroplane steps, which sadly detracted from what could have otherwise been a polished look.
The Gina Foster pillbox hat, too – a little bit Jackie O, but a lot more Queen Mum – marks her out as one of the family, part of the Royal lineage, mother and wife to heirs to the throne. Her £400 shoes from London boutique Emmy (with a matching £200 clutch) make a welcome change from those nude LK Bennet heels she’s so attached to, and lengthen her already fabulous legs.
Her red coat and dress also showcased her neat waist and slender limbs beautifully.
Kate clearly knows - just as her late mother-in-law did - that a Catherine Walker ensemble shows a woman’s figure off to its best advantage.
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