Duchess Sophie was a vision of elegance in slinky black dress styled with fluffy jacket and glittery clutch bag

Duchess Sophie’s slinky black dress styled with a fluffy jacket and glittery clutch bag is a look from 2016 that will never go out of style.

Duchess Sophie never fails to deliver style inspiration, whether with her tailored trousers and gorgeous shirts or with her beautiful midi dresses. So it’s perhaps no surprise that as we start to think about the Christmas party outfits we have once again turned to her for some ideas - and we certainly haven’t been disappointed. The Duchess of Edinburgh has worn some sensational winter evening outfits over the years, though one of the simplest but most effective surely has to be her slinky black dress from 2016. Styled with a fluffy jacket and glittery bag, Duchess Sophie’s dress showed how the most timeless of pieces can be so impactful when she arrived at Buck’s Club on a chilly November night.

She and Prince Edward were there to view an exhibition of the Opal Collection of the late John Adie and reportedly later headed to a dinner to mark the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

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The Duchess went all-out with her maxi-length dress which appeared to have a slight, satin-like sheen to it. Unlike many of the floral dresses we’ve seen the Duchess of Edinburgh wear in the warmer months which have flared skirts, the shape of this dress was streamlined. It flowed downwards to the floor in such a beautiful way and the more form-fitting silhouette gave it a slinky feel that worked so well for an evening event.

Sadly, it wasn’t clear from the pictures what the rest of Duchess Sophie’s dress looked like under her fluffy jacket, but a piece like this would be fabulous both sleeveless or with longer, fitted sleeves. We can often overlook a plain black dress in our winter capsule wardrobe but Duchess Sophie has reminded us that they make the perfect outfit base for a more formal event.

The neutral tone means you can have fun with your accessories and layers, adding pops of colour or sparkle without worrying about them overwhelming your outfit. Alternatively, an all-black look is just as gorgeous and the Duchess of Edinburgh wore her slinky black dress with a fluffy cropped jacket over the top.

A piece like this isn’t something you see members of the Royal Family wear everyday as they tend to favour more formal designs when it comes to coats - or else go for a practical option with their best Barbour jackets. However, Duchess Sophie is one of those royals who’s never been afraid to switch up her style and embrace different colours, patterns and textures.

Faux fur jackets have been very popular in recent years and although not everyone will be as much of a fan, they do add a sense of cosiness and glamour to a look. Duchess Sophie’s jacket had a crew neckline and long sleeves and the texture was a lovely contrast against her dress.

She finished off her outfit for the evening with black court shoes and a glittery clutch bag with a gold-toned clasp. Just like her dress and jacket, the shape of her bag was very pared-back and simple, but the finish made it that bit more special. The glimmer of the bag was stunning and echoed the sparkle of her jewellery too.

This was a simple but stand-out look from Duchess Sophie that would work for everything from Christmas parties to winter weddings. To emulate her style and make it slightly less formal, you could easily opt for a midi length dress and a different style of cropped black jacket.