After a busy few months, the Prince and Princess of Wales are currently taking a well-earned break during Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s school holidays. This happens annually and means that we tend not to see the family as summer draws to a close.
However, Kate has just treated us to a surprise video taken back in June and let’s just say, it’s got me a little excited for autumn dressing. Stepping out in a green Veronica Beard suit that made me forget my summer outfit ideas for a moment, she attended a creative workshop hosted by her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood for a big project.
They are releasing a new series of animations designed to be used by people who work with babies, children and families. Early childhood is close to Kate’s heart and she looked like she meant business in her smart blazer and trousers.
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You can currently get 15% off this and other new womenswear styles with the code T3D7 and it's a beautiful jacket to add to your collection. The green tone is perfect for autumn and it could also be styled in a more summery way with raffia accessories.
This rich maroon colour screams autumn to me and would look sensational with tan, brown and white tones. It has a notched lapel collar, a welt pocket on the chest and two side pockets with flaps. The design is double-breasted, with a unique crossed button fastening.
Single-breasted and timeless, this suit jacket can be styled with the matching trousers to make a smart suit look, or thrown over dresses and T-shirts and jeans. It has a lapel collar, pockets and fastens at the front with one button.
Like the matching blazer, you can currently get 15% off these trousers which come in petite, regular and long lengths. They're designed to be full-length when worn with flats and have handy pockets and a wide-leg silhouette.
Fastening with a zip at the side, these straight-leg trousers combined with the maroon blazer would make a chic evening look or work outfit. They're mid-rise and you could easily wear these without the jacket and with a T-shirt, vest-top or jumper.
Coming in regular and petite sizes, these khaki trousers have a streamlined leg shape which is perfect if you're not such a fan of wide-leg styles. The soft khaki green nods to autumn but in a more understated way and it wouldn't look out of place in summer.
When she’s not wearing summer dresses, tailoring remains a key part of the Princess’s wardrobe this season and brightly coloured suits are something of a uniform for her. The shade of this one, though, is far more autumnal than summery.
It’s a deep forest green and the boldness of the tone works so well with the structured simplicity of the double-breasted Kora blazer and wide-leg trousers. Jewel tones like this are so popular in the colder months and I can instantly imagine the senior royal wearing this suit with a black or white polo neck knit.
As it was, she opted for a Joseph vest top to make her outfit more appropriate for cooler June weather. If you’ve not ventured into wearing dark greens or other rich tones like plum, burgundy or navy blue, Kate has shown exactly how to style them.
Her top was plain white and her tri-colour earrings were subtle. Keeping the rest of your look pared-back and sticking to neutral hues ensures that jewel tones aren’t overpowering but still deliver a lot of style impact.
The Princess of Wales takes this approach a lot and she always looks so put-together and professional. This look hit the right note for her important workshop, but women’s trouser suits aren’t strictly for work.
Add a pair of sporty white trainers or flat sandals and a suit will instantly feel more cool and casual than corporate. Wide-leg trousers like Kate’s Marbeau pants are my favourite as you can wear them with T-shirts without the blazer and the looser silhouette again feels quite relaxed.
However you want to style it, a tailored suit is such a useful piece to have in your collection and after seeing the Princess’s outfit I’m already searching high and low for a forest green one. Sadly, the Veronica Beard Kora jacket and Marbeau trousers aren’t available in that colour anymore, though they still come in a gorgeous navy.
It was still lovely to see Kate wearing her green suit in the video as she and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood announced the animation series. As they remarked upon, the "science is clear: little moments matter". The films explore "how early brain development is influenced by the relationships babies and young children experience every day".
“Loving, responsive interactions with trusted adults help shape how children learn and grow, laying the foundations for future life health and happiness,” the caption explained.
