Carole Middleton’s cropped checked jacket and black trousers were a striking pairing that’s reignited our love for monochrome styling

Carole Middleton’s cropped checked jacket and black trousers from 2022 were a striking pairing that has reignited our love for monochrome styling.

After a summer of wearing vibrant colours and fun florals, we’re ready to embrace a shift in tones and patterns with our autumn capsule wardrobe. Monochrome outfits are gorgeous all year round, though in autumn/winter many of us will naturally be drawn to wearing black and white even more, alongside other neutrals and jewel tones. When it comes to monochrome inspiration we can’t help but turn to Carole Middleton, who wowed in a full black and white outfit back in October 2022 that we've been casting our minds back to. She visited a few Saker Shoprite Stores in the US to mark the launch of her former business, Party Pieces, across the pond.

In a picture shared at the time on the Party Pieces Instagram, Carole viewed product ranges on the selves and stepped out in a black and white checked cropped jacket, black trousers and heels.

Recreate Carole Middleton's Monochrome Look

The jacket was collarless and cropped, with long sleeves and a fitted silhouette and this is the kind of timeless jacket we’ve seen Carole wear multiple times over the years. She wore a navy one with a very similar shape after Prince William and Kate announced their engagement in 2010 and collarless boucle jackets in particular are very popular right now. They look amazing at special events worn over your best jumpsuits or dresses, but also day-to-day as Carole showed in 2022. 

The shape gives these jackets a more sophisticated, polished edge to them that instantly dresses up an outfit. Like her daughter the Princess of Wales, Carole Middleton tends to err on the more smart-casual side with her clothing and if this works for you too then you might want to consider adding a cropped jacket to your wardrobe. Even if you prefer a more blazer style jacket, a cropped design is fabulously flattering worn with high-rise trousers if you want to accentuate your waist.

Carole’s black and white check jacket had real impact to it without being a bold colour and it worked so well with her simple black trousers. Like her outerwear, her trousers were cropped and they had a straight leg fit. The tailored design was so chic and with the checked jacket they had a professional feel that was perfect for Carole’s big US trip. 

To make an outfit like this a little more casual day-to-day, simply add a pair of your best white trainers or flat black ankle boots. On this occasion, though, the Princess of Wales’s mother went for a pair of her trusty court shoe heels. Keeping to the monochrome styling theme, these were black and had a pointed toe and stiletto heel. They looked stunning with the rest of her outfit and the pared-back design meant that Carole’s cropped checked jacket remained the star of the show. 

As autumnal monochrome looks go, it doesn’t come much more elegant than this and it can take you from a day at work to an evening out so seamlessly. This is why we’re still drawing inspiration from Carole Middleton’s 2022 style and we can’t help hoping we’ll see another monochrome look from her this autumn/winter.

She attended Kate’s Together at Christmas carol concert last year wearing a pair of black velvet trousers and a matching top. Over the top she wore a black cropped coat and it even looked like she wore possibly the same black court shoes with this ensemble. It’s clear that when Carole wears a monochrome look, she really likes to go all out with it in the best way.