On the 19th of September 2019, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) visited Evelina London’s Sunshine House in Peckham, London to learn more about the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP).
The engagement hadn’t been announced to the public ahead of time, making it a nice surprise for fans of the Duchess (this is usually for security and logistical reasons).
The Family Nurse Partnership is an NHS-supported programme that works with first-time mums under the age of 24.
The scheme is voluntary and young parents can ask to be partnered with a specially trained family nurse who will visit them regularly at home throughout pregnancy and until their child is two.
Kensington Palace said the visit furthered Kate’s research into and engagement with the Early Years sector.
The Duchess learnt more about the FNP, spoke with nurses who work on the specialist team and chatted with mums who’ve accessed the service.
Of course, Kate is Royal Patron of Evelina London, which is one of only two specialist children’s hospitals in the city. The organisation is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.
Kate’s outfit for the FNP visit:
The Duchess looked chic in a navy blue and white polka dot blouse by Equipment.
It’s the company’s Slim Signature Silk Shirt in the colourway ‘Eclipse/Bright White’. It features front buttons, double chest pockets and a fitted silhouette.
It retails for $280 USD on Equipment’s website. You can also find it in stock in various sizes at Bloomingdales and Shopbop (which offers worldwide delivery).
Kate paired the blouse with a pair of black cropped trousers by Zara. The company call them ‘Culottes‘ on their website. The high waist wide-leg style retail for £29.99. At the time of writing, they remain in stock in many sizes.
On her feet, Kate wore her black suede Gianvito Rossi Piper Pumps. They feature an 85mm block heel and a severely pointed toe.
The Italian-made shoes can be found in lots of sizes at Net-A-Porter for £490 GBP / $695 USD.
Finally, Kate finished the look with a pair of gold earrings by British high street brand Accessorize.
The £5 gold-coloured earrings feature an intricate cut-out filigree pattern and scalloped edges. Sadly, they’re no longer in stock.
Final word:
I thought the ensemble created a strong, professional and polished look for the Duchess. However, she still managed to look youthful, trendy and approachable. I’m also a fan of how she mixes pieces from different price points too: from the expensive designer shoes to the affordable-on-a-budget earrings.
What’s your verdict? Love? Like? Loathe? Let me know in the comments section below:
The Duchess looks lovely, but I am not a fan of the Culottes. The silk shirt however is beautiful. Sling back pumps would have looked great, these shoes are too chunky and don’t go with the outfit. The Duchess’s hair looks fantastic..
I’m also loving her hair at the moment. I’d probably not wear the culottes myself (and quite frankly, don’t have the figure for them – especially not at 7 months pregnant!)
I could take or leave the shoes but I agree, slingbacks would look good. In fact, Zara styled them with slingbacks in their website images too!
Perfection as always!
Totally love
Each piece pitch perfect
Elegant, young, professional
Well done!
Simple yet stylish. Not a great fan of culottes but she has the figure for them so she looks great!
I absolutely loved it. Even the culottes, and I’m usually not a fan. Heading over to the Zara site to see if the US still has any in stock!
I think that this outfit is great, as usual. From top to bottom. Sleek, elegant, polished, sophisticated, yet easygoing. The blouse is perfection. I love culottes – they’re a fun twist on pants, and different types can be found – casual ones or dressy – with elastic waist, side zip, or zip front. I think her chunky pumps look good with the outfit because they add a professional and formal look to the outfit. Slingbacks would work well too, for a professional look. The wearing of only one type of shoe style for this outfit is not necessary – different shoe styles are appropriate. Maybe she can wear slingbacks the next time she wears the culottes! As a repeat wearer of her clothes, I’m sure that she will!