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Royal fashion is still in the spotlight and just as easy to follow despite palace announcement

The decision of the Princess of Wales not to formally announce which labels she’s wearing on public engagements has caused quite a stir but in reality, Catherine’s pick will change little when it comes to analysing her fashion.

As February 2025 got under way, the public profile of the Princess took an upturn as she announced she was in remission from cancer. And as she slowly took on more events, always with her health in mind, she also said she wanted the spotlight on her work rather than her clothes. For that reason, the royal press office would no longer put out details of her outfits.

The Princess of Wales has been a royal style icon since her marriage in 2011
(Photo by Andrew Parsons MOD © Crown copyright 2022)

After years of facing criticism for some for being more style than substance, Catherine was faced with another barrage of barracking, this time for denying smaller designers the chance to profit from her patronage. The voices of dissent said the silence would damage the fashion industry which boomed by association with the Princess.

Outfits for big events like Royal Ascot might still get mentioned in press releases
(Screen grab/ fair use)

However, it’s time to stop clutching the pearls. There are plenty of social media accounts, blogs and websites that already go into fantastic detail about all the style picks of the Princess. In fact, the information here is far more detailed than any official press release.

The Princess of Wales in a Jenny Packham gown – the designer is a royal favourite

Whenever Catherine appears, there are style IDs online within moments and it takes little more than minutes for a complete run down of the outfit to be put out there by bloggers who often become the main source for main news sources who want to write fully about the Princess of Wales’ style.

The Princess of Wales wants a focus on her work rather than her style in 2025
(Sgt Donald C Todd/ UK MOD © Crown copyright 2023)

Every brand with royal backing will still get its moment in the sun. The famous ‘Kate effect’ which has seen some pieces sell out when worn by the Princess is going nowhere fast. The past twelve months have been a time of huge challenge and change for Catherine. As she begins her public role again, mindful of her health at all times, she wants to set her own agenda. And if that means staying quiet on her style picks, then so be it.

But nothing in the public perception of what she is wearing will change at all. For those clothes have all been identified, labelled and shared by others almost as soon as she wears them. A press release might take seconds off the analysis but, in reality, the majority of what we know about Catherine’s wardrobe comes from royal watchers who are like Poirot when it comes to dress decoding.

And if this means they get a bit more credit for their, often very hard, work, then more the better.

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