Princess Kate's Top 5 Wardrobe Upcycles

Since her introduction into the royal family in 2011, Princess Kate has become one of its most highly celebrated members in terms of fashion.

From her Alexander McQueen wedding gown to classic coat dresses and vintage-inspired evening gowns, Kate's fashion choices inspire trends, generate column inches, and direct traffic to brands and outlets. Her reported value to the British fashion industry is over $1 billion.

Though the royal has amassed a vast collection of clothing over the course of her 13-year marriage, there are times when she not only re-wears pieces but also revamps them, upcycling styles, cuts, hemlines, and necklines to reflect a more modern aesthetic.

In keeping with her interest, along with Prince William, in sustainability and eco-initiatives, Kate's upcycling moments not only generate interest from fans who scan back images from past engagements to identify any potential changes but also highlight a more ethical way to consume fashion.

Here, Newsweek examines five of Princess Kate's most memorable wardrobe upcycles, from evening gowns to day looks.

Added Glamour

Kate's most recent upcycle moment was debuted on June 15 for the Trooping the Colour celebrations in London.

The princess wore a white Jenny Packham-designed dress with black piping around the neckline. She had first worn it for a lunch party held for Commonwealth leaders at King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation in 2023.

For the Trooping the Colour appearance, Kate upcycled the design to incorporate a new black and white striped belt and a bow embellishment.

Braver Bow

In 2023, Kate walked the red carpet at the BAFTA Film Awards in London for the first time in two years, wearing a flowing Alexander McQueen evening gown with an asymmetric neckline and oversized shoulder bow detail.

The dress was an upcycled version of a gown first worn for the 2019 BAFTAs. It had originally had a floral corsage element at the shoulder instead of the bow, as seen on the updated version.

Flattering Floral Bodice

In 2019, the princess attended a gala at the National Portrait Gallery in London wearing a floral print Alexander McQueen gown that she had first debuted at the BAFTAs in 2017.

The dress originally had an open neckline with fallen shoulder strap details. In the 2019 version, Kate updated the bodice to feature capped sleeves, allowing for more coverage.

Streamlined Sleeves

Sleeves were also an upcycled element in an elegant white Alexander McQueen evening gown with gold appliqué embroidery, which was worn by Kate to the BAFTAs in 2020.

The dress had originally been made for a visit to Malaysia in 2012 and featured the country's national flower, the hibiscus blossom. For the 2012 visit, the dress featured white straps with an organza-overlaid sleeve covered in embroidery.

For the 2020 re-wear, Kate had the sleeves altered so that they were lined with fabric, making them no longer see-through, and featured a new gold embroidered border.

Subtle Subtraction

As adding elements to an already established outfit can be a subtle way of upcycling (such as the 2024 Trooping the Colour outfit) so too can removing elements.

In 2019, Kate debuted a new emerald green sequin embellished evening gown by Jenny Packham during a trip to Pakistan. The dress featured a scarf element falling from the shoulder, a tribute to traditional dress worn in the area.

Kate wore the dress again in an updated form for the Royal Variety Performance in 2021, this time with the shoulder draping removed.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.