Welcome to the first edition of Casual Fridays here at WWKD where we will be looking at the key pieces that make up the Duchess of Cambridge’s casual wardrobe. After getting feedback from our readers (and the fact that “kate middleton jeans” is a constant top keyword for people finding our site), we discovered that while we all like to ogle Kate’s gala gowns, tiaras and bespoke designer ensembles – it’s the everyday basics that the Duchess wears so well as a casual wardrobe that truly inspire our readers who live lives where a casual staple is going to be a more realistic repliKate than a ballgown.
Without further ado, today we’re going to look at the jeans that make up the foundation of Kate’s casual wardrobe. Ever since photos started to emerge of a possible girlfriend for Prince William back in the early 2000s, Kate has been photographed in a wide variety of figure flattering denim. There are pretty much three main brands of denim that we have seen on the Duchess over the years – Hudson Jeans, J.Brand Jeans and more recently Zara jeans.
Hudson Jeans
Back in 2008, we first saw Kate in a pair of dark denim from Hudson Jeans, identifiable by the Union Jack logo on the rear pockets. A fitting choice for the future royal! She has been identified as wearing three of Hudson’s styles over the years: the Hudson Reilly 5 Pocket Flare in Dark Wash (bottom right), Hudson May 5 Pocket Skinny Jeans (top) and Hudson Collin Signature Skinny Jeans (bottom left).
One of the key features of Hudson denim is their excellent use of stretch in the denim to flatter your assets. They offer clean lines, high quality denim and a flattering fit. As someone who personally owns several pairs of Hudson jeans, I’d highly recommend making sure that you are able to test a pair (or buy a pair from a store with a well-reputed return policy) because their sizing is not consistent between lines – and with the stretch in the jeans, you will likely want to size down one size as they will inevitably stretch out over time and wears.
Why did Kate choose Hudson?
I imagine Kate was very fond of the flattering material in these jeans, which would make casual outings like shopping or hanging out with friends extremely comfortable while also being super stylish. They are the perfect jean for a relaxed outing or laid-back dinner with friends. While we have not seen Kate in a pair of Hudson Jeans for quite some time, I think it is likely due to the fact that when we do see “casual Kate”, it is still “casual engagement Kate” which is very different from the images above where we have seen her in the brand. I would not be surprised if these were her go-to pairs for chasing and running around with the kids. What would Kate do? Choose these to be your casual, everyday, comfortable jean.
Get Kate’s Hudson Jeans
Here are some of the styles Kate chose from Hudson (mostly updated with new style names since she last wore them)
J.Brand Jeans
As the Duchess began her foray into Royal duties, it became obvious that she would still need to embrace her casual past and wear jeans from time to time – especially for engagements that required some athleticism, outdoor walking or just casual nature. As the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate has embraced one denim company quite fondly, specifically J.Brand denim’s skinny fit jeans. We have seen her often wearing the brand’s 811 style skinnies in a dark wash, as well as in the playful, colourful hue of the Red Coral 811s for engagements.
Why did Kate choose J.Brand?
J.Brand have an excellent reputation for being a classic, well-fitted pair of jeans that can easily be dressed up to make a “casual” look more “dressy”. Take how Kate wears hers often with a blouse and a blazer, looking every bit the polished royal we expect while also still being able to enjoy athletic or outdoor engagements. I have worn my J.Brand jeans to work for casual Fridays with a blazer for as long as I can remember owning them – they just look professional, especially when paired with a great pair of shoes. What would Kate do? Choose these to be your go-to dressy jean.
Get Kate’s J.Brand Jeans
Zara Jeans
A more recent addition to the Duchess of Cambridge’s denim style has been high-street brand Zara. Kate has typically been fond of styles in more non-traditional styles or colours from the Spanish brand, opting for a pair of bright blue pants to host a Team Great Britain event with Princes William and Harry in 2012 and a pair of motorcycle inspired pants for a hike in Bhutan on the Royal Tour India/Bhutan in April 2016.
Why did Kate choose Zara?
The Duchess of Cambridge is a master at mixing up her wardrobe with a combination of both high and low price point items and making them work together. Pulling in a pair of pants by Zara accomplishes two things – one, it allows her to incorporate more trendy elements like colour and detailing than a traditional denim brand and two, it allows her fashion to be more accessible to the general public, which is undoubtedly something that she is concerned with. I would choose Zara jeans when I’m looking for a pair that is very trendy and not expected to last for several seasons. What would Kate do? Choose these to be your trendy jean.
Get Kate’s Zara Jeans
We hope you enjoyed this first in the Casual Kate series – if there is a piece of clothing that you’d like us to get into detail sooner rather than later in the series, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments section below.
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