Matching your nails to your outfit isn’t revolutionary - but Duchess Sophie’s birthday nails prove it’s so sophisticated

Duchess Sophie’s birthday nails prove why we should never underestimate the power of coordinating our polish to our outfit.

Gone are the days when the Royal Family used to only be seen wearing pale pink or beige nail polishes and Duchess Sophie has been embracing different tones. No matter the outfit, she knows exactly what shade will enhance it and her nail polishes always work effortlessly with her clothes. All-too-often we forget how much of an impact our nails can have on our overall look and in the Duchess’s official 60th birthday portraits we saw her go for a dark polish that coordinated with her clothes.

Taken by the brilliant Christina Ebenezer at Bagshot Park where Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward live, the second photo gives us a glimpse at the senior royal wearing a deep brown-red colour on her nails. She tends to keep them short, which is not only practical but ties into the current trend for short winter nails.

Shop Polishes Like Duchess Sophie's

As much as we love a long manicure, shorter nails are so easy and are great if you want to prioritise nail health and focus on styles with a smaller risk of breakage. Darker colours look especially classy and elegant on shorter nails and a brown-red tone like Duchess Sophie’s birthday nails couldn’t be more perfect for January.

The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a tan-coloured roll neck jumper in her second birthday portrait, paired with green wide-leg trousers and a longline coat. Sadly, we can’t see too much of her boots in the celebratory snaps but it looks like they are a reddish brown.

Whatever the exact shade of her nails, the warm undertones work so beautifully with the colours of both her knitwear and her shoes. The brown-burgundy polish adds a subtle amount of contrast whilst still being quite neutral and so is a brilliant colour choice if you want your manicure to work seamlessly with a variety of different staple outfits.

She appeared to have the same nail polish on when she visited The Company Shop - Community Hub on 15th January. On this occasion she wore a dark purple jumper which coordinated sensationally with her nails.

Shop More of Duchess Sophie's Favourite Colours

Picking a nail polish that ties in tonally with your outfit is such a simple way to elevate a look and make it feel more put-together. Although even the Duchess of Edinburgh doesn't do this all the time, when she does, it is noticeable, as woman&home’s Digital Beauty Writer Naomi Jamieson explains.

"Like with a pair of earrings or a watch, our nails can be a small but mighty detail when it comes to elevating an outfit. A point Duchess Sophie can attest to, as she often coordinates her manicure to an element of her look - be it matching the most predominant shade exactly or just the overall colour palette,” she says.

Naomi adds, “Her 60th birthday nails are a prime example of this stylish trick at play, as she opted for a dark brown nail colour to complement both her blackberry-purple turtleneck and the more earthy tones of her green trousers and brown top pairing. In doing so, it creates a sense of cohesion and timelessness, whilst remaining very subtle.”

In the past we’ve also seen the Duchess of Edinburgh wearing dove grey polish to tie in with her grey trousers suit, or opting for a fun candy pink to match a floral dress. Whilst it can be tempting to go for a simple French Manicure for versatility, if you select a shade that works with plenty of your wardrobe staples, your polish can really enhance your outfits and might even become your new favourite January nail design.