When the new Princess of Wales arrived at the Order of the Garter service in Windsor last week in a vintage Alessandra Rich polka dot tea dress, I knew it would be moments before she was once again considered Diana’s double.
Diana also wore polka dots!
The two Princesses of Wales have been declared fashion-forward twins from the moment they stepped into the limelight. Diana wore a sheer skirt by Laura Ashley. Kate Middleton walked the runway in a sheer black dress.
They were both awkward, shy and wide-eyed. They both bought ballet flats on the King’s Road, so the word is they could be twins!
When Catherine, Princess of Wales wore polka dots to the Garter Service in Windsor, there were immediate but misplaced comparisons to Diana
Just because Diana occasionally wore polka dots doesn’t mean Kate is her doppelganger, says Liz Jones. Diana is pictured here at Ascot in 1988
Liz Jones suggests that no meaningful comparisons in style can be made between Diana, here in 1986, and Catherine, Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales is her own woman and should be allowed to make her own path. Kate is pictured here at this year’s Commonwealth Day Service
Body language experts call Catherine a “perfect copy” of the late PoW. When she appeared in the tailored Erdem for Commonwealth Day, “the whole look was reminiscent of Diana,” a prominent hairstylist told Newsweek.
No! There are no profound and meaningful similarities in their style, nor should there be.
Yes, Diana and Catherine supported Catherine Walker, Jenny Packham and milliner Philip Treacy. Both wore a puff sleeve, a bit off the shoulder. However, this applies to all women who need to dress formally for certain occasions.
There are only a limited number of designers at the couture level. And to put it bluntly, Diana wasn’t a style icon, but Catherine definitely was. Not Di’s fault, because she grew up in the 80’s. She was often badly advised, not at all worldly.
Even the revenge dress he wore to the Serpentine the night Charles revealed his infidelity on TV was too short and paired with black opaque tights. Those looks should be a thing of the past and Catherine should be able to create her own path.
Because she is her own person.
Just because she could wear Diana’s brooch doesn’t mean she spends every waking moment thinking about her.
She doesn’t live in the past and what good would that do? William was once quoted as saying, “No one will try to follow in my mother’s footsteps and what she did was amazing.” It’s about creating your own future and destiny, and Kate will be in it do a very good job.”
Being myopic about what Catherine is wearing is tantamount to over-analysis of Love Island: the blue of her Erdem skirt suit has been likened to the color of the Commonwealth flag by one expert.
I imagine Catherine just wants to look beautiful and appropriate most days.
To endlessly dwell on Diana is not only unimaginative, it’s sexist. We don’t compare the cut of William’s suits to his father’s; In fact, let’s hope, as Julie Burchill suggested, that William has nothing to do with his father at all.
But with women? We do it all the time. Even comparing Meghan to the late Duchess of Windsor, although nothing could be further from the truth.
Diana wasn’t a style icon, says Liz Jones. Even the so-called “revenge dress” was too short and worn with the wrong tights. Diana wore the Christina Stambolian dress to an event at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994
Some commenters like to point to similarities in the choice of design and designer. Diana is seen here embracing William and Harry aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991
But the truth is, there aren’t many designers at the couture level, says Liz Jones. Pictured is the Princess of Wales welcoming Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2018
Diana, Princess of Wales at Nottingham in 1992
Catherine, then Duchess of Cambridge, at Coatbridge, 2021
Ms Simpson was so fussy that she had her sheets ironed because they were crumpled during a nap. She was truly an ambassador for Dior, as the V&A exhibition proved.
It’s like women don’t have their own ideas that we always have to copy. That we’re living in the past. We need hands held.
Catherine is not like Diana. She radiates sunny optimism, stability and confidence. We used to be scared for Diana.
We thought: if she can’t be happy, then what do we hope for? We look at Catherine and all seems right with the world.