Kate Middleton looked relaxed yet polished in earthy tones today as she joined First Lady Melania Trump for a joint engagement with the Scouts at Frogmore Gardens, Windsor.
Wearing an olive jacket by British label ME+EM and a brown skirt from American designer Ralph Lauren, the Princess of Wales showcased diplomatic dressing at its finest—subtly nodding to both nations through her outfit. (I also have more thoughts about her look today, and the possible reasons behind her choices. Click here to jump to that section.)
The joint engagement is one of Melania’s final engagements during her two-day visit to the United Kingdom alongside President Trump.
It was also quite the contrast to last night’s state banquet, which saw the Princess and FLOTUS in all their finery.
During the engagement today, the pair met with Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and 22 members of the Squirrel Scouts programme who were busy taking part in nature-based activities to earn their ‘Go Wild’ badge.
The Squirrels is a programme for four to six-year-old children, which is operated by The Scout Association in the United Kingdom. The programme was launched in September 2021. There are now 25,000 Squirrel Scouts across the UK.
Together, Kate and Melania joined the children in a range of outdoor activities—from creating leaf art to building bug hotels.
They discussed their favourite microbeasts and played team games with a giant parachute.
Both women handed out the ‘Go Wild’ badges to the young Scouts after they’d learnt about animals and their habitats, and how they use plants for food and shelter. They both received special Squirrels badges in return.
Before her departure, the First Lady received a gift—one of the Scouts’ trademark scarves/neckers.
The Princess of Wales has been Joint President of the Scout Association since 2020.
Kate’s Outfit Today:
For the relaxed, outdoor engagement, Kate chose a chic outfit in earthy tones of mossy green and rugged brown, which nicely tied into the natural surroundings and nature-themed activities.
In photographs, the look held its own against the Scouts’ vivid red uniforms and the bright colours of the parachute.
While we can’t know for certain if today’s colour palette was deliberate, it wouldn’t be out of character. The Princess’s wardrobe is famously strategic, and high-profile visits are almost always planned down to the last detail. In fact, it’s been reported that royal “recce” teams are sent ahead of overseas tours to research the location ahead of time, which helps her to ensure her outfits strike just the right note. It wouldn’t be surprising if the same level of thought went into today’s engagement
It was also the perfect look for an autumn day, with the suede jacket providing warmth from the wind.
I also like that the earthy palette, formalness of the skirt, and scarf tied with a bow give an almost practical Scout-leader feel to the ensemble—while keeping the spotlight on the children.
The Princess paired the green cropped jacket with a midi-length skirt and boots, finishing the look with a silk scarf. Let’s look at each piece in turn.
The jacket is from ME&EM (thanks to Gabi for the quick ID). It’s the British brand’s Suede Cropped Military Jacket in a dark olive green.
The jacket is designed with a cropped, boxy shape. It features a double-breasted button fastening, deep-lined suede cuffs (so the cuffs can be turned up if preferred) and practical pockets on the front.
The relaxed fit, olive green colour and fabric texture make this the perfect jacket for embracing chilly temperatures in the autumn.
Each jacket is made from 100% leather in Mauritius.
The jacket is from a past season, sadly and is no longer available on ME+EM’s website, unfortunately. It retailed for £550.00 before going on sale at 50% off.
ME+EM confirmed the princess is also wearing their Brushed Cashmere Straight Sweater Vest in Chestnut Brown.
The straight fit knitted sweater vest features a crew neckline and set-in armhole positioning. It’s sleeveless and features a level hem. I’m not sure if Kate wore hers over a shirt, but I think it looks great with one, as shown on the model, below.
The vest is made in China from 100% luxuriously soft cashmere.
Hoping to buy the vest? You’ll be pleased to know it remains available at meandem.com. It costs £195 / $345 USD.
It also comes in Rhubarb pink (WHICH I LOVE). I’m literally only sharing this here to manifest Kate into wearing it.
ME+EM is a brand that we see the Princess wear from time to time. She has several items from the company in her closet, including three Breton striped tops, a pink ombre dress and a white ‘layering top’.
ME+EM create luxury, contemporary, minimalist pieces. Earlier this year, Elle called the brand “the sleeper hit of the year”, noting that amid a declining high street and several pandemic casualties, ME+EM has bucked the trend and “quietly become its own shopping phenomenon.”
The MO of the brand is to create functional but stylish clothes for busy working women, with a modern approach to office-wear.
Elle
Over the sweater and jacket, the Princess wore a green and blue printed scarf tied into a bow. It’s from the Sudbury Silk Mills‘ shop.
Below, a closer look at the floral print on the fabric, shared by the mill on their Instagram page:
You’ll probably remember that Kate visited Sudbury Silk Mill last week? She toured the mill and spent time with the design team, learning more about their creative process, before viewing the looms in operation on the weaving floor.
The company say the 100% fabric is from Stephen Walters’ latest collection; it was woven especially for the Princess and presented to her as a gift during last week’s visit.
As Sudbury Silk Mill uses surplus fabric for items like the scarves available in their shop, they do not have this particular design available to buy at the moment. This scarf was created bespoke for Kate. However, they have many other fabrics and scarves available. On Instagram, the mill says that they’re happy to arrange distance sales; you just need to contact them directly to discuss what’s available. They’ll send images and take payment over the phone.
On her lower half, the Princess gave a nod to the First Lady of the United States by wearing a skirt from one of the country’s best-known fashion exports, Ralph Lauren.
It’s the Evilyn Birdseye Skirt in dark brown tweed.
Described by the brand as “an elevated wardrobe essential”, the A-line skirt is designed to hit at mid-calf length and features “trouser-inspired elements”, including belt loops and a zip fly with a buttoned waist tab.
The skirt also has numerous pockets on the front and back, and is finished with genuine horn buttons, a signature for the brand. The garment has been tailored with front waist pleats and back waist darts.
Do we think Kate had this picture on her Pinterest board for today’s look?
The skirt is crafted from a neutral, yarn-dyed Italian tweed—a fabric custom-developed with soft wool yarns woven in a birdseye structure to create a light, jumper-like hand feel.
Although Kate chose Ralph Lauren for diplomatic reasons today, it doesn’t mean she is a stranger to the American label. Ralph Lauren is a brand she wears regularly. We’ve seen her wear the company’s dresses, sweaters, tops, blouses, coats and footwear and more over the years.
Let’s move on to footwear now. The Princess chose her brown suede Gianvito Rossi boots for today’s engagement.
A couple of years ago, Gianvito Rossi confirmed that they made the boots for the Princess. I understand they’re bespoke, commissioned by Kate. They feature a pointed toe and a large block heel. She owns the style in two other colours.
You’d be hard-pressed to buy the same pair, as they’re bespoke. At the time of writing, the closest match is this pair of the designer’s 85mm boots from Farfetch in black suede (£777), or the Glen style in ‘Texas brown’ or ‘Red’ (which is more of a dark brown-burgundy to my eye) RRP £1,465.00. All shown below:
The Princess debuted the boots in 2022, and she’s worn them on nine other public engagements to date.
She’s a long-time devotee of Gianvito Rossi footwear, owning an impressive 23 pairs of shoes and boots from the Italian designer.
Gianvito Rossi, son of renowned shoe designer Sergio Rossi, launched his eponymous brand in 2006 and quickly established himself as a master of refined, elegant footwear. His shoes are celebrated for their sleek silhouettes, impeccable craftsmanship and enduring appeal—qualities that have clearly won the Princess’s loyalty.
Let’s talk about Kate’s earrings now.
They’re the Spells of Love Teardrop Hoop Earrings in Garnet and Gold.
Another repeat item that we’ve seen her wear before. I think this is the sixth time we’ve spotted her wearing them.
Crafted from 18K gold vermeil on sterling silver, the earrings can be worn as classic hoops or with the ethically sourced garnet drop.
Kate’s embraced Spells of Love jewellery in recent years, adding three pairs of earrings and two necklaces to her jewellery box.
Spells of Love specialises in high-quality, ethically crafted jewellery. It’s designed and handcrafted in Wales.
I don’t know anything about Kate’s belt. I will update if I remember if I’ve seen it before or if somebody identifies the item.
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