Tartan season is here, and nobody wears the design better than the Princess of Wales.
With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to celebrate Kate’s best checked, plaid and tartan looks*.
From crisp Blackwatch coats to vivid tartan skirts and cosy winter checks, here are some of her standout plaid moments over the years:
The Bold Red Tartan Moment
Kate wore this bold and festive look to a Christmas festival at Cardiff Castle, during the 2020 Royal Train Tour.
She enhanced her beautifully tailored, vibrant red Alexander McQueen coat with a tartan maxi skirt by Emilia Wickstead, layering on a matching scarf for warmth.
She added black accents to contrast with the red—a cosy roll-neck sweater, suede pointed Ralph Lauren boots and a smart leather bag by Grace Han. Her gold hoops by Spells of Love—a Welsh designer—were a thoughtful finishing touch.
I can’t close this section without including the similar look she wore years earlier at a Christmas party for military families:
On that occasion, Kate styled the dramatic red skirt in a similar way, pairing it with a simple black knit by Brora and the same pointed boots. She added a touch of Christmas sparkle with her diamond Mappin & Webb earrings.
Such a gorgeous look!
Staying in the festive spirit, let’s move on to the Christmas Day look that fans still talk about…
The Fan-Favourite Tartan Coat Everyone Remembers
Kate could not have found a more literal festive coat for the traditional church service at Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2017.
The playful green-and-red tartan coat from Miu Miu was an instant hit with fans—and remains a firm favourite to this day.
She styled the coat with black suede TOD’s pumps, bow-topped Cornelia James gloves, her Mulberry Bayswater clutch and Kiki McDonough earrings, finishing the look with a cosy black alpaca hat. A perfect festive flourish.
This coat resurfaces every winter on social media — it’s one of the most recognisable Christmas Day looks she’s worn.
Fast forward a few years, and Kate reached for tartan again—this time across the Atlantic…
The Chic Green Tartan Look Seen Around The World
The Princess showcased a handful of iconic British brands during her visit to Boston for the 2022 Earthshot Awards:
The standout item? A super chic tartan dress from Burberry. She wore the garment under an Alexander McQueen coat, completing the polished look with a matching Mulberry satchel, Emmy London heels and Shyla London pearl earrings.
One to never shy away from a literal dressing moment, Kate kept her entire ensemble green as a nod to Earthshot—the global environmental initiative launched by her husband.
The Polished Blackwatch Moment
For her first engagement of 2023, Kate kicked off the year in a striking blue-and-green Blackwatch coat by Holland Cooper:
She layered the coat over a navy Cefinn dress and styled it with her green Mulberry handbag, navy Gianvito Rossi pumps and sapphire earrings.
It’s one of her strongest winter looks to date in my opinion—crisp tailoring, classic colours and a sleek silhouette.
And on the Scotland tour, she reached for checks once more—this time with a little luxe…
The Check Coat in Edinburgh
For the Cruella screening at Holyroodhouse in 2021, Kate chose a refined checked coat by Holland Cooper.
The head-turning blue, purple and green print made a statement on its own. It’s a gem of a coat—and I sincerely hope she’ll wear it again soon.
No evening look is complete without a hint of sparkle, which her gold lurex pleated skirt from Joseph provided beautifully. Forest-green Manolos and sapphire-and-diamond earrings loaned by the late Queen tied it all together.
Finally, the tartan touch that deserves to be included…
The Subtle Strathearn Scarf Accent
While visiting Orkney in 2021, Kate wore a camel Massimo Dutti coat and gold Temperley London knit, letting her Strathearn tartan silk scarf take centre stage.
I wanted to include this look because it moves away from the usual reds, greens and blues strongly associated with plaid. The tonal camel outfit was elevated, modern and stylish. A very replicable and wearable look for us non-royals, I think.
Kate paired the outfit with Emmy London accessories and earrings from Hamilton & Inches, an Edinburgh-based jeweller.
That’s the end of my round-up. Is there a look I missed that you think ought to be here? Do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments below!
*A quick note on terminology:
In modern usage — especially American fashion terms — tartan is considered a type of plaid. But technically, the words have distinct meanings:
Tartan
A specific woven pattern of intersecting stripes, traditionally linked to Scottish clans. Each tartan has a named “sett” — the official sequence of colours and line placements. Not all tartans are clan tartans; many modern tartans are created purely for fashion.
Plaid
Originally a Scottish word for a blanket or wrap. Today, particularly in North America, “plaid” is used as a broad term for criss-cross patterns, including tartans.
In everyday UK usage, people often use “plaid” and “tartan” interchangeably.
Checks
Simpler repeating square patterns such as gingham, windowpane or graph checks. These fall under the wider umbrella of “checked fabrics” but are not tartan.
A small extra:
Modern tartans can be officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, though fashion tartans don’t need to be registered.
Comments
13 responses to “Kate Middleton’s Most Iconic Tartan Looks—And the Fan-Favourite Outfit Everyone Still Talks About”
I believe she wore the Burberry dress in a promo for Together at Christmas, and I managed to find a tea party picture showing this but can’t find the actual video or any references to it. Do you know anything about it?
She did, I forgot to mention that. I am sure it was part of a segment broadcast during the show. I can’t find anything after searching either… i just have vague memories of it.
Curious that it has disappeared. Do you remember if it was 2022 or 2023?
Thanks for all the hard work and love you put into this!
Every look is stunning! I think that my personal favourite, though, is the Blackwatch coat. I adore blue and green together.
Thanks again, Carly!
The Holland Cooper coat seems to be a favorite among many Kate style watchers. I noticed about a month ago that it was on sale, but the smallest size at that time was a U.S. size 8.
My favorite tartan moment on Kate is the red tartan skirt and the black top. Especially, the pic when she was walking with her husband and it was snowing.
You forgot to mention that she accessorised her Black Watch coat with William, also dressed in green and blue to match!
Haha!!! Very good point!
Yes! How wonderful he looked, as well!
Such a fun post! I love all of these looks. One small correction, though- I believe she wore the green and red coat in December 2017 when she was pregnant with Prince Louis.
Oh yeah, you’re right. I’ll update that now. Thank you.
Great article! As usual! But you forgot the most iconic, I believe: the Black Watch Alexander McQueen she wad wearing while playing hockey at Saint Andrews when she discovered she was pregnant with Prince George! It is my favorite! And she rewore it many times…
Thank you for these photos – such a pleasure to see all the elegant tartans worn so beautifully!!!
Once again a great article and analysis. Absolutely love your work♡
Do you think it would be possible for you to make an article about what makeup products and perfumes she uses? I’m very curious to know.