Kate Middleton is a beacon of sophistication—even in jeans!
The Princess has a solid collection of jeans that hangs alongside the formal dresses and tailored suits in her wardrobe. In this guide, I’ll provide insight into her denim—spotlighting the brands she buys and the styles she adopts.
Whether you’re seeking to break free from a fashion rut or seeking inspiration from Kate’s relaxed styling, you’ll discover tips and ideas to elevate your denim game. Let’s start by looking at some of the different styles of jeans Kate wears first:
Kate’s Signature Denim Styles:
To date, we’ve seen the Princess wear five different styles of jeans during public engagements: skinny, cropped flared, bootcut, mom and straight. Let’s take a closer look at each:
#1 – The Skinny Jean
We have to start with the style most associated with the Princess: the skinny jean. Kate’s loyal to her skinnies. While everybody else debates whether or not they’re still fashionable, she just gets on with it.
She wore her first pair of skinny jeans at a public engagement just three months after marrying Prince William in 2011, and most recently wore a pair in public last year, proving that they are a versatile staple that transcends trends.
Skinny jeans are comfortable and familiar; you can’t deny they look great on her. It’s clear she has no intention of ditching the skinnies and giving them up for good. And if it’s good enough for a Princess, it’s good enough for us mere mortals, too. I’m certainly going to keep wearing mine!
Kate’s styled her skinny jeans with everything from heels and a blazer to simple striped tees and sneakers. Who says your denim has to be blue, or black even? Kate’s worn her skinny jeans in many colours over the years. We’ve seen her wear coral pink:
Khaki green:
Royal blue:
And in her younger days, there are photos of her wearing white jeans too.
Skinny jean brands Kate’s worn to date: Zara, J Brand, Topshop and FRAME.
#2 – The Cropped Flared Jean
While skinny jeans are Kate’s safe go-to, it’s clear she’s not afraid of playing around with new trends. The Princess debuted a pair of cropped flared jeans in Scotland last year.
She teamed the black jeans with a check jacket, brown boots with chunky soles and a 1970s-inspired “Farrah Fawcett” hairstyle. The look was a departure from the norm but we loved it.
Eagle-eyed fashion fans spotted Kate chose “The Weekender” jeans by Mother Denim in the wash ‘Deep End’. Deep End is a washed dark black hue with black hardware. The jeans are made in the USA.
#3 – The Bootcut Jean
Dig through image archives from William and Kate’s dating days and you’ll find multiple photos of the-then Miss Middleton in bootcut jeans. There are several pictures of the Princess-in-waiting wearing a pair of Diesel Ronhar bootcuts with pretty blouses.
However, since marrying William, Kate’s only worn bootcut jeans on one public occasion, at the Calgary Stampede in 2011 (pictured above). We believe the Princess wore the Goldsign Passion bootcut jeans – they were the perfect cut to fit over her cowboy boots!
Bootcut jeans reigned supreme in the early ’00s, only to be sidelined by the skinny jean revolution. But the tide is now turning – fashion icons like Jennifer Lopez, Queen Letizia, Katie Holmes, and Bella Hadid have all been spotted rocking bootcuts in recent weeks. Could this be the ultimate denim comeback? Who knows – maybe Kate has her favourite Goldsigns tucked away, ready to make a stylish reappearance.
#4 – The Cropped ’Mom’ Jean
Gen-Z propelled high-waist, straight-leg, loose-fit ‘mom’ jeans back into fashion a few years ago. Kate added a pair to her wardrobe in 2021, and she’s worn them on a handful of public occasions since.
Kate wears the ‘Favourite Cut’ jeans by & Other Stories in the ‘mid wash’ blue. They come in two lengths; I think Kate wears the cropped style.
Fun fact: this whole look (the jeans, paired with the coral blazer and white Veja sneakers) made it into my list of Kate’s best outfits.
#5 – Straight Leg Jeans
Kate added a pair of straight-leg mid-rise jeans to her wardrobe in 2023. The ankle-length jeans were a dark shade of inky blue. Eagle-eyed fashion fans quickly identified the brand: they’re by Mother Denim.
Specifically, Kate wears “The Dazzler” style in the wash is named “Now or Never”. Kate’s worn the jeans on two public occasions over the last twelve months, at a SportsAid event (pictured above) and to meet the ‘Dadvengers‘ group (pictured below).
I take a lot of inspiration from Kate’s outfits (as I’m sure you do too, otherwise, why would you be here?!). I love it when she’s in casual, everyday styles.
Where does Kate Middleton buy her jeans?
Let’s end on a question I do get asked a lot. What brands and designers of denim does Kate gravitate towards? To date, we’ve identified her wearing jeans from:
Zara – The Princess has purchased multiple pairs of Skinny Jeans from the Spanish brand.
J Brand – Kate wore the 811 style multiple times during the earlier years of her marriage until around 2014.
& Other Stories – Kate added one pair of the brand’s ‘mom’ jeans to her wardrobe in 2021.
Frame – Kate has one pair of Skinnies from Frame.
Mother Denim – Kate wore two pairs by this brand, in public, in the last year.
Topshop – The Princess wore a pair of the brand’s maternity jeans while pregnant.
Diesel – Kate was photographed wearing this pair of diesel jeans in her pre-Princess days.
Goldsign – Kate has worn a pair of bootleg jeans from this brand.
7 for all Mankind – Kate was styled in the brand’s Belted Palazzo jeans for her 2016 Vogue spread. They were provided for the shoot and didn’t belong to Kate. Similar pair linked here.
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Comments
3 responses to “Kate Middleton’s Jeans Show How to Do Sophisticated Casual Wear Right”
Carly,
Once again, it’s so refreshing to see Princess Kate dressed elegantly “to the nines” even in simple denim.
Thank you for sharing those marvelous styles !
Lisa G
I have been watching Kate’s jean choices since the 2011 Canada trip. She manages to get fit, style and color correct each time.
I discovered J Brand jeans from Catherine. It’s unfortunate they are no longer in business.
Thank you for this! Exactly the thing I needed to see this morning.