Carole Middleton's styling trick to create a polished outfit is the 'sophisticated shortcut' we all need

Carole Middleton's easy styling trick helps her create a polished outfit in a matter of moments and is a “shortcut" to a "sophisticated look".

Carole Middleton’s outfits are always the epitome of elegance and whilst she doesn’t attend as many events with a formal dress code as her daughter the Princess of Wales, she tends to favour a smart casual approach with her outfits. As many of us long for a sunny spring day that doesn’t require our best wellies or waterproof items, we might turn to Carole’s easy styling trick for some inspiration. She’s a huge fan of matching her bag and her shoe colours, which helps to tie her whole look together, no matter what other items she’s wearing. 

Simple as it sounds, matching accessories can elevate an outfit in a matter of moments and is often incredibly effective. Carole Middleton has proved this time and time again over the years and we’ve regularly seen her do this at Wimbledon but she’s also used the same clever trick in the winter.

Acting Fashion Editor for woman&home digital, Amelia Yeomans, believes that keeping a “theme” going like Carole Middleton does is an easy way to give your look a sophisticated feel to it.

“The shortcut to a cohesive, sophisticated look is keeping a theme running throughout your outfit. Opting for matching accessories will instantly make your ensemble look thought out and put together, and it's one of the simplest wardrobe tricks that anyone can pull off,” Amelia explained.

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She added, “Sticking to the same hue or pattern with your shoes and handbag will not only help to pull your look together in an instant but also give your wardrobe an elegant, elevated feel.”

It certainly has this effect whenever Carole puts her easy styling trick to good use, instantly making her outfits look even more polished and put-together. Matching your handbag to your shoes is something that’s also the work of moments depending on what’s in your spring/summer or autumn/winter capsule wardrobe. Alternatively, you could choose to invest in a few key pairs of shoes or a bag that matches what you already have perfectly. 

In the warmer months Carole’s often gone for a light, neutral colour palette with her matching accessories, though this isn’t always the case. For Wimbledon in 2017 we saw two outfits from the Princess of Wales’s mother on separate days, both featuring a handbag and shoes that were very similar in tone. 

She went bold in blue on Day 9 with a patterned midi dress, navy blue sandals with a matching navy clutch bag. On Day 13 Carole switched things up whilst keeping to her styling theme and wore a beautiful pink and coral floral dress with beige accessories. 

Her top-handle bag was a slightly different colour to her wedge sandals but both had a similar tone to them. The year before at Wimbledon she again wore a beige bag (this time with a fun croc-effect texture) and classic mid-heel court shoes in the same shade. In the winter months Carole has often worn black shoes and a bag and in December 2023 she showed that she’s still very much in favour of this matching approach years later.

Stepping out with her husband Michael to attend the Princess of Wales’s carol concert at Westminster Abbey in December 2023, Carole was a vision in velvet. To complement her black velvet trousers she wore black heels and a black velvet clutch bag, giving the final look a luxurious, sophisticated feel.