Duchess Sophie’s violet dress has made a summery comeback in Paris and we think it's perfect for taking into autumn.
The royals have extensive wardrobe options for all their official events and engagements but it seems even they have their favourite pieces they bring out whenever they can. The Duchess of Edinburgh is no stranger to re-wearing particular pieces and impeccably styling them in slightly different ways. One of these is none other than her fabulous violet Erdem Roisin dress which we first saw her wear for a special event with Prince William in 2023. It seems this dress - which would rival any of the best wedding guest dresses - has gone nowhere in her collection as she brought it back for her *very* exciting appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Duchess Sophie cheered on Team GB as they won the gold medal in the Women’s Sprint event and whilst her facial expressions were a joy to witness, our attention was also caught by her purple midi dress.
Shop Summer To Autumn Dresses
This dress is an investment well worth making as it can easily be styled for summer and right into autumn. Simply layer over a tailored blazer or trench coat and add a pair of ankle boots on cooler days, or stick to flat sandals in hot weather. It's a beautiful lavender shade with a violet cheetah print that's still very subtle and wearable.
This monochrome dress is such a simple yet statement piece to have in your wardrobe, for both summer and autumn. It's made from breathable cotton and has a collared neckline and short puffed sleeves. Pop over a denim jacket and reach for your ankle boots for a chic autumnal look when sandal season is over.
Denim dresses are great for wearing with sandals, ballet flats or wedges in the summer and when the weather gets cooler, boots, tights and a light jacket will become your new go-to way of styling them. This one is a mid-blue tone and comes with a matching tie waist belt.
The floral designs that cover it are inspired by etchings of floral bouquets from the 1600s and keen gardeners might be able to pick out the tulips, daffodils and honeysuckle. The print features deeper indigo and lighter lilac tones which are a lovely contrast to the more vibrant purple base colour of the Duchess of Edinburgh’s dress. This has a beautiful fitted bodice and although it is a sleeveless design, the feminine ruffles edging the straps act like very pretty cap sleeves.
Another ruffle runs along the neckline to form a collar and the skirt of Duchess Sophie’s dress flares out, with stunning pleats. The pleating gives this dress more dimension and movement to it and whether or not you’re a fan of this particular design, it’s well worth having a midi dress in both your summer and autumn capsule wardrobes as they’re so elegant and versatile.
Midi dresses can be layered over with cardigans, blazers or even a trench coat and worn with a pair of ankle boots or knee high boots to add an autumnal edge to an outfit - and extra warmth.
Duchess Sophie could easily have worn her dress with boots and a tailored blazer in cooler weather but there was no need on this particular occasion. In the heat in Paris she went all-out summery with her white leather espadrille wedges from Penelope Chilvers. From the moment the weather started to improve in the UK, the Duchess of Edinburgh was reaching into her wardrobe for her go-to espadrilles and she especially loves those which have an ankle strap rather than tying up your leg.
These can often feel more secure on your feet and her choice of a pair of leather wedges makes them even more durable and practical. The last time we saw Duchess Sophie’s violet dress she wore pinky-beige platform heels and carried a matching purple wrap with her, showing how it can easily be made that bit more formal.
For a day at the Olympics watching the cycling, her more casual, neutral espadrilles were perfect and her best white trainers from Puma would also add a similarly relaxed feel to this look. The Duchess secured her blonde hair in a simple updo and finished off her Paris outfit with some classic plain gold hoop earrings. We were thrilled to see her violet dress make a comeback and can’t help hoping we see some more outfit gems from Duchess Sophie at the Olympics.
-
The Handmaid's Tale: Does June get Hannah back at the end of season 6?It's been June's endgame from the very first moments of The Handmaid's Tale, but will she be reunited with her daughter Hannah at the end of season 6?
-
My decades-long quest for the perfect pillow ends here, but forget what you think you know about memory foamPacked full of tiny pieces of shredded memory foam with a dual-sided cover to keep you cool, this is the next best thing to sleeping on a cloud
-
Kate Middleton's go-to bag for special occasions is a wedding season essential you'll reach for time and time againThe Princess of Wales always reaches for the same elegant style of bag for formal events and it works beautifully for weddings.
-
Kate Middleton declares baker boy hats back for 2025 in new Love Actually-esque outfitThe Princess of Wales's signature style is all about timelessness but that doesn’t mean that she never gets on board with trends.
-
Forget-me-not blue is the pastel Duchess Sophie always comes back to - it might've overtaken pistachio as our favourite this seasonThe royals love wearing a range of colours for engagements and visits, but there are a few hues that each of them gravitate towards the most.
-
Royal style made casual - Zara Tindall's one-shoulder dress, denim jacket and Aspinal bag are the epitome of chic summer comfortZara Tindall's outfit in Bahrain was a more relaxed take on her signature style and was made up of timeless staples.
-
Queen Camilla takes note of Kate Middleton's love of polka dots with charming collared number in RomeIf we had to pick the Princess of Wales’s favourite print it would be polka dots and Queen Camilla just emulated her style in Rome.
-
Don't let white jeans daunt you - Duchess Sophie's recent outfit shows they're just as versatile as blue denimBlue jeans are a wardrobe must-have for so many of us but white denim has a reputation for being a lot more challenging to style.
-
Queen Maxima makes olive green look classy in Amsterdam as she wears co-ord that could pass for a jumpsuitThe Queen of the Netherlands went for a full on green outfit that was so impeccably put-together it looked like a one-piece.
-
We're surprised Meghan Markle just wore an £18 spring knit - and even more surprised it's still in stockMeghan Markle never fails to look put-together and she’s shared a video that proves her off-duty outfits are just as elegant.
