Carole Middleton’s high-waisted jeans and shimmering satin shirt are a match made in festive styling heaven

Carole Middleton’s high-waisted jeans and elegant satin shirt are a match made in style heaven for party season.

If anyone knows how to take the classic "jeans and a nice top" combination to the next level, surely it has to be Carole Middleton? The Princess of Wales’s mum might be more often seen wearing flowing midi dresses to summer events like Wimbledon, but outside of formal occasions she’s known for loving her denim pieces. We used to see her step out in streamlined skinny jeans which might not be in everyone’s winter capsule wardrobe, but in recent years Carole has mixed up her jeans a lot more. She’s started to love more straight and wide leg designs and her vintage-style high waisted jeans are one of our favourites.

Carole Middleton wore these jeans back in 2021 in a picture posted on the Instagram account of her former business, Party Pieces. Taken by photographer Liz Mcauley, the picture was shared ahead of the Christmas countdown and Carole looked suitably festive but laid-back in blue denim jeans with button detailing and a satin shirt.

Recreate Carole Middleton's Look

Whilst black and indigo jeans might be especially popular in the winter, you should never pack away your blue denim as mid-blue jeans like Carole’s are still such a chic choice. They instantly have a more relaxed edge to them than darker washes, which works so well if you have a smarter top and want to balance it out for the daytime.

Mid-blue jeans are also not quite as casual as light wash blue jeans and so they’re a great choice if you want an all-rounder pair that can easily be dressed up or down. We’re not surprised that Carole favours this tone as her signature style is the epitome of smart-casual and her vintage style jeans had a high waisted cut that’s so flattering if you want to accentuate your waist.

Perhaps their most distinctive feature, though, was the buttons on the front which were made into a stunning feature in their own right, rather than just a fastening. Although we sadly only got a glimpse of Carole’s jeans in the 2021 picture, it appeared as though the buttons were arranged in a square shape and they gave them a vintage feel.

This couldn’t be more different to her sleek skinny jeans, but it shows that whilst it might be tricky to step away from our favourite style when you’ve found the best jeans for your body type, it’s definitely worth trying different options. The buttons were tortoiseshell and were a pretty contrast against the blue of the denim.

It wasn’t clear from the picture what the trouser legs of Carole Middleton’s high-waisted jeans looked like. However, from the way the top of them looked, we think it’s possible that they were straight or wide leg jeans which would work with the vintage style buttons. Wider legs make these jeans so comfortable to wear and they look particularly beautiful with a tighter top.

Carole opted to tuck in her satin blouse which was a soft champagne-gold tone. The sheen of satin instantly gives any outfit a more glamorous edge and the pussybow neckline and flowing sleeves were so elegant. The champagne shade was neutral enough to be easy to style but still felt special. A pair of delicate pearl drop earrings finished off Carole’s look and we would have added a pair of gold heels for the evening or black boots for the daytime.

This outfit was a masterclass in elevating your denim pieces and we'll be taking tips from it as party season draws nearer.