Sun's out, summer styling is on - and Duchess Sophie's comfy espadrilles and striped dress is the combination worth copying

The sunshine is making it feel like we’ve bypassed spring and gone straight to summer and that means getting to enjoy a style switch-up. The Duchess of Edinburgh has a noticeable fashion formula for warm weather and her most-worn shoes are espadrilles.

Paired with a midi dress and you’ve got yourself an incredibly comfortable yet chic look - and Sophie’s striped frock and tie-up wedges are the epitome of this. She wore them to the Groundswell Regenerative Agricultural Festival at Lannock Farm last July and with a look this timeless, it would be a shock if she didn’t bring them back in 2026.

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Like so many of her outfits, this one championed several of the best British clothing brands and Duchess Sophie’s wedges were by a royal favourite - Penelope Chilvers. They had the classic jute sole, a manageable heel for the daytime and a leather toe.

Whilst some espadrilles fasten with buckled straps, these ones were secured with laces around the leg. Tie-up wedges feel especially elegant and leg-elongating as they draw the eye upwards. However, Mary Jane styles give you added security and Sophie also owns plenty of these. Whatever you choose, the key factor to consider is the colour.

All of the Duchess’s espadrilles are very neutral - including this taupe pair. You already have the woven sole on wedges, so going for a plain white, cream, tan or black design keeps things easy to style. They can then be paired with any of the spring/summer fashion colour trends without concerns about clashing.

The King’s sister-in-law loves fun floral dresses but for the festival she went a little more understated with a Suzannah London white striped shirt dress. The blue pattern was delicate on the white background and the rest of the frock was simple, with a collared neckline, long sleeves and a tie-belt detail at the waist.

You can’t really go wrong with a breathable cotton or linen dress in the warmer months and midi styles complement the elegance of espadrille wedges too. Going for something with slightly longer sleeves means you can adjust the look to suit the weather.

On a cooler day, leave them as they are and layer over a cardigan or light jacket like a trench coat. Duchess Sophie didn’t need anything over her dress last July and this gave us all a great glimpse of it. Stripes are equally as ageless as florals but somehow don’t feel quite as dressy which is perfect if you wanted to recreate the royal’s combination for a BBQ or a coffee with friends.

Black and white or blue and white pieces are especially popular, though you could go bolder with your colour palette if you’ve got some neutral wedges to pair with it. The Duchess of Edinburgh added a pop of electric blue with her Sophie Habsburg shoulder bag and went for plain gold jewellery and brown sunglasses.

This ensemble was sufficiently stylish for an engagement, as Sophie was there in her role as Patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations, and could still be worn to so many other occasions. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for a reappearance of her wedges and midi dress over the next few months.