Kate is taking more style risks, albeit without compromising the conservative appearance expected of a senior royal. Photo / Getty
Kate is taking more style risks, albeit without compromising the conservative appearance expected of a senior royal. Photo / Getty
She is one of the world's most celebrated style icons, who rarely puts a fashionable foot wrong when it comes to her sartorial choices.
And with two tiny children as well as a busy diary, the Duchess of Cambridge can be forgiven for generally 'playing it safe' when it comes to her wardrobe.
But as Kate's tour of Canada enter its fifth day, fashion watchers are suggesting she's undergone something of a movie-star makeover.
With a little help from her trusted stylist, Natasha Archer, Kate, 34, has been donning flattering silhouettes by London's most esteemed designers - and experts say she is looking more glamorous than ever before, even crediting her style as having Hollywood flair.
Kate had serious movie star appeal when she stepped out in a figure-hugging green dress teamed with nude court shoes. Photo / Getty
Her new look is certainly a far cry from her India tour wardrobe, which was full of an intriguing mix of couture, high street, and even the odd bargain picked up in local markets.
Her Canada tour wardrobe is, however, a much more impressive affair. Never less than appropriately dressed, the trip has seen her take more style risks, albeit without compromising the conservative appearance expected of a senior royal.
She's been cinching in her waist and even displayed her slim arms, but sticking to the royal expectations of not showing too much leg or cleavage. She manages to make grown up sophistication look young and practical and has been tapping into London's most sought-after designer looks but giving them her own spin.
"Has Kate got a new stylist?," asks fashion expert, Simon Glazin. "Has she finally noticed all the eye rolls when she steps out in yet another borrowed frock or something old from Zara?
"Not that there is anything wrong with Zara, but I firmly believe we need more from our Duchess. And finally she is giving us more!"
Celebrity stylist Gayle Rinkoff added: "She looks sensational this tour. It's great to see her pushing her safe boundaries out a little with new shapes and new 'of the moment' designers.
"It feels like she is embracing fashion and finally learning to have some fun with it instead of playing it safe all the time."
The Princess turned heads in a $1,800 Thornton Bregazzi dress with the royal family's diamond maple leaf brooch
Indeed, Kate started the tour as she meant to go on, stepping off the plane in an effortlessly elegant striking royal blue body-contouring dress by her favourite British designer, Jenny Packham, and £495 four-inch suede heels by Gianvito Rossi.
She also offset her look with a bespoke saucer style with a maple-leaf design, which added flair to her otherwise understated ensemble, and was designed by London based Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co.
Whilst we've seen Kate turn to royal blue countless times, the cut of this dress elevated the look entirely.
Most recently, Kate wore a blue Stella McCartney number at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire in July, but it did little to show off her trim new figure and didn't exude as much glamour as her bespoke Jenny Packham gown did in Canada.
Kate chose a dress by Jenny Packham (left), a much sleeker look than earlier this year (right). Photos / Getty
The Duchess then pulled out all the fashion stops in an eye-catching designer dress as she joined Prince William in Vancouver on day two of the royal tour of Canada.
In a nod to the nation's flag, Kate chose a $7,000 red and white Alexander McQueen frock for her first full day of public engagements. It was one of her most flattering looks yet.
Speaking about her outfit choice, Fashion Expert and Stylist, Naomi Isted, said: ''Wow' was the initial reaction when most saw the bold and beautiful Alexander McQueen white and red dress Kate wore. It was such a drastic shift from her usual demure style."
Her hair, shoes and accessories have pushed her usually demure classic English style to more of a movie star chic status compared to this $130 pink and black embroidered smock dress from Topshop, right, which she wore in India earlier this year. Photos / Getty
"She has obviously been working out and is super trim this tour, which this dress showed. Her hair, shoes and accessories have pushed her usually demure classic English style to more of a movie star chic status. It's fair to say that she looks like a movie star. The bespoke Alexander McQueen ruffle and floral detailed dress was simply stunning, but teamed with red accessories, it was definitely a bold, sexier statement look.
"This dress made a clear statement that she has the power to play with her style as one day she will be Queen."
Glazin agrees, adding: "She loves the British label (and rightly so). This dress is definitely her most statement from the brand. Bold in colour and shape, the red and white does wonders for Kate, and the layered skirt, long sleeves and high neck are super chic.
"What's more, this is from next season's collection, you can't even buy it yet. When did Kate [get] so fashion forward?"
The look was a far cry from the dresses she plumped for in India, many of which were off-the-rack high street pieces from the likes of Topshop and even thrifty e-tailer, Glamorous. Her penchant for tailored pieces has given Kate the opportunity to display the figure she appears to have worked hard to hone in the run-up to the tour.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning in a red Preen dress when she joined Prince William for an historic reconciliation ceremony with Canadian First Nations groups on Monday night.
After a dress-down day in the rain forest, Kate was the epitome of glamour at a reception for political and civic leaders from across British Columbia at Government House in Victoria.
"The red Preen dress was another gorgeous choice," mused Glazin. "Kate looked statuesque and elegant. And whereas a year ago she would have chosen a red dress that had not much to it (capped sleeve, just below the knee), this is exactly the opposite.
"Nipped in at the waist, gathered at one shoulder and midi-length, this is a timeless classic. Preen by Thornton Bregazzi (the label's official name) is considered a hot ticket at London Fashion Week, and the collections usually embody a floaty, '70s aesthetic with a tough-girl edge."
By turning to hot-right-now designers loved by the A-list, Kate is tapping into style usually reserved for movie stars and fashion editors - but, of course, she pulls the look off with aplomb.
Despite a stunning array of designer gowns on the first few days of the tour, the Duchess of Cambridge upped the style stakes even higher in a dazzling bottle green dress from Dolce & Gabbana.
Kate wore the $3,500 frock as she joined Prince William in Kelowna, British Columbia, on the fourth day of their week-long tour of Canada.
Kate opted for a green hue, a colour we rarely see her wear, the last time being in a Catherine Walker coat dress at the Chelsea Flower Show back in May. But, once again, Kate proved she can pull off any look.
This Dolce & Gabbana pick is a custom version of the pocket watch dress that made up part of the fairytale-inspired autumn/winter 2016 collection.
This simpler adaption with gold buttons is, however, perfect for a princess who is partial to a classic piece. By plumping for a high-end designer gown but adapting it to suit her style, Kate proved she's experimenting with her look and isn't afraid to put her stamp on a design.
