Kate Middleton looked stylish in a vintage Chanel jacket as she sat court-side at an NBA basketball game on Wednesday (30th November 2022). The Princess of Wales wore the blue tweed design to watch the Boston Celtics beat Miami Heat at the TD Garden arena.
Kate attended the basketball game with her husband William—the pair stayed to watch the entire game.
It sounds like they had fun:
Kate and Will were seated next to former basketball pro and Massachusetts Governor-Elect Maura Healey, Celtics legend Thomas “Satch” Sanders, and the team’s owners and their wives. The royal couple enthusiastically cheered, shared a few laughs, and, at one point, were even featured on the Jumbotron.
InStyle
The couple flew to Boston for the Earthshot Prize Awards. They spent three days in the city, visiting charities, projects and non-profits with missions that closely align with their work.
Let’s dive into the fashion part of this post now and look at Kate’s smart-casual outfit in detail.
Kate’s outfit at the NBA game:
Vogue called Kate’s NBA appearance a “thoughtfully constructed fashion moment”. The magazine also mused that the Princess has ditched her usual “girl next door daywear … in favour of a polished look in line with her new senior royal title.” It’s true, this certainly appears to be the case.
The Princess rewore her vintage Chanel blazer. The result? An elegant, polished yet relaxed look.
Kate first wore the jacket at an event celebrating Coach Core’s tenth anniversary back in October, pictured below.
At the time, FarFetch listed an identical jacket on their website. They referred to it as the “1995 trimmed double-breasted jacket.” It features a contrasting black trim on the cuffs, lapel and pockets, a signature touch of the iconic fashion house.
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer wore the blue blazer down the Chanel runway in 1995.
The palace has not commented on how Kate came into possession of the jacket, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn she purchased it privately. The Princess has embraced vintage fashion in recent months. During a visit to the Caribbean earlier in the year, Kate wore three vintage items (a vintage YSL jacket that she bought at university, plus a pre-loved beaded bag and a colourful sundress from Willow Hilson, a vintage boutique in Cheltenham). Kate’s also worn and carried a handful of vintage items at past engagements—but they were few and far between.
The jacket at FarFetch sold shortly after I identified it. The company does stock similar pre-owned Chanel jackets for anybody looking to invest in a vintage piece.
Kate completed her smart-casual look with a pair of black skinny jeans (ID unknown) and her black suede Gianvito 105 pumps by Gianvito Rossi, pictured below.
The Princess has owned the black suede pumps for quite a while now. She owns the style in a range of heel heights, colours and materials (to be honest, I’ve lost count how many pairs she owns). The pumps feature an elegant, slim heel and a pointed toe.
They’re made in Italy and remain available to buy at Net-A-Porter and MyTheresa.
Kate debuted a new gold chain necklace from New York designer Laura Lombardi. The designer confirmed the Princess wore the “Portrait” necklace on her social media page. I assume Kate wore it with the clasp at the back.
The necklace is made from 14kt gold plated brass. It features interlocking round and oval links. Laura Lombardi sells the design in two different lengths (18 and 20 inches). It also comes in a platinum plated style too.
Laura Lombardi is a conscious brand. The designer sources materials responsibly, uses recycled brass and vintage dead stock materials. All plating is done in a zero-waste closed filtration system. The brand is built upon the principle of sustainability and contributes a share of sales to organisations dedicated to marginalised and at-risk communities and individuals. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn Kate chose to buy and wear pieces from this brand for those exact reasons.
The necklace retails for $168 USD at lauralombardi.com.
Let’s finish by looking at Kate’s earrings. They’re from this side of the pond, from a brand called Shyla London. The Princess wears their Biaritz Squiggle Earrings. RRP: £74. I am not able to licence a good photo to show the earrings, but they’re visible in the embed below. You should be able to zoom in:
The earrings (RRP £74) are crafted from multiple layers of exquisite 22 carat gold plated on silver. The designer calls them “timeless and elegant and feminine.”
Shyla is another ethically motivated conscious company that uses sustainable practises where possible. The company works with some of the poorest communities in India. The women learn a craft that will support and sustain their families. Shyla use recycled gold and silver, plus all of their packaging is recycled too. Again, I think Kate is carefully choosing which brands to support at high profile public events—it looks like she’s choosing to work with companies that make ethical and eco considerations.
I love this jacket so much. Not a fan of the skinny jeans with it, however. I think the previous time she wore it, looked better with a looser pant. Any details on the necklace?
It might be Luisa Lombardi, who is an American designer I believe. I haven’t double checked yet. But Kate wore one of her necklaces a couple of months back & she’s known for making big gold chains.
Though, I would have expected the palace to confirm if it was.
I am a huge fan of Chanel blazers and handbags! This blue jacket on Catherine is absolutely stunning! BTW, I just found your blog and I am SO happy with it! Thank you so much for writing it!
Thank you for the lovely comment, sorry I’m so behind with the the tour. The timezone difference plus a poorly toddler full of cold is a killer!
Oh my goodness! There’s no need to apologize! You do lovely work!
Being from Canada, I understand about the time difference!
‘Get Well soon’ wishes sent to your toddler. It’s not fun for child or Mum!