Fashion

Duchess Catherine wore a brand new dress to her surprise Christmas appearance, but the petal print frock has a history

Another style win - with a twist.
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Duchess Catherine is known for recycling her old, yet no-less-glamorous outfits time and time again.

It’s a feat we absolutely love about her, especially as mass produced fashion continues to be a major offender to our war on waste.

And while we’ve come to expect to see the Duchess in an outfit she’s worn previously (with a few tweaks, of course), she’s managed to surprise us with another fashion twist in her latest appearance.

On Friday evening, Kate accompanied her husband Prince William and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to a special Christmas Pantomime play at London’s The Palladium.

The appearance itself was absolutely glorious.

It marked the first time we’d seen the royal children in at least 12 months – George and Charlotte made an appearance at last year’s Christmas service, while our last glimpse of baby Louis (though you might have noticed he’s not quite a baby anymore…!) was in June 2019.

The family were all smiles as they walked the red carpet – Duchess Catherine held Louis’ hand tightly while William held onto Prince George and Princess Charlotte (until she decided she was independent enough to wander the carpet on her own, thank you very much).

The royals walked the red carpet hand in hand.

(Getty)

Of course, along with the glorious family appearance, there was the usual frenzy around Duchess Catherine’s outfit of choice for the night.

The royal mum opted for a fetching ensemble on this occasion – an Alessandra Rich dress in navy, featuring a beautiful white petal print.

Midi in length, long sleeved and clinched at the waist, the dress was a perfect call from the royal – a style we’d all recreate in a heartbeat.

Kate nailed the fashion portion of the evening with this simple Alessandra Rich dress.

(Getty)

And interestingly, it appears this dress was from a previous season – and has not been in stock for some time.

That means it has been sitting in Kate’s wardrobe for several seasons, just biding its time for its grand debut.

We must say – this was the perfect occasion for it.

The beautiful petal print style was from a previous season, meaning Kate’s been biding her time to wear it.

(Getty)

As mentioned, we wouldn’t be mad about recreating the look ourselves – and just because the dress is no longer in stock doesn’t mean we can’t do so.

We decided to take it upon ourselves to find the very best similar styles to shop. And take note, these options have a summery twist so you can wear them right now.

Who doesn’t love an excuse to buy a brand new dress for Christmas Day Down Under?

Goddiva halter neck polka dot dress, $70 (on sale). Buy it online via ASOS here.

Mint Velvet spotted shirt midi dress, $129 (on sale). Buy it online via David Jones here.

Forever New shirred smock dress, $129.99. Buy it online here.

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