Kate Middleton re-wears her white suit to the Commonwealth Games

Once again, Kate proved she is the Queen of Fashion this week (3rd August 2022), as she attended the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in an all-white suit. She paired a blazer by Alexander McQueen with coordinating trousers and a simple tee. She finished the look with a pair of slingback statement flats by Camillia Elphick and sparkling jewellery from Mappin & Webb. The ensemble was understated yet far from boring—the power of good tailoring and a tone-on-tone colour palette.

Kate arrived at the Games with her husband William and their daughter Charlotte.  It was the family’s debut appearance at the 2022 sporting event, and Princess Charlotte’s first ever solo engagement with her parents.

The three cheered on athletes across a range of events. It’s been reported that Charlotte particularly enjoyed the gymnastics.

William, Kate and Charlotte weren’t the only Royals attending the Commonwealth Games.  Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their children were also in the crowd. 

After, the Cambridges ventured over to SportsAid House to meet with talented young athletes.

As you may recall, Kate became Patron of SportsAid in 2013.  The charity helps British athletes, usually under 18s.  They recognise and nurture the youngsters’ abilities through and beyond sport.  At the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, two-thirds of the British athletes were SportsAid alumni.

Let’s move on to the fashion section of the article now. We’ll take a closer look at Kate’s tonal white ensemble.

About Kate’s white suit at the Commonwealth Games:

Kate looked summer-ready in her white suit, which comprised of a blazer by Alexander McQueen and a pair of trousers by the same designer.

Kate’s worn the pieces together and separately before—this is the third time we’ve seen the Duchess wear the white blazer since its debut five months ago. She also wears the same suit in pink.

The blazer features slanted pockets and a peaked lapel. The blazer is a staple piece for McQueen, who regularly include it in their ready-to-wear offering in different colours.

I’ve found the piece in two separate fabrics: grain de poudre wool and crepe.  Presumably to suit different seasons.  It’s unclear which Kate wears.  The grain de poudre wool retailed at Net-A-Porter but is now sold out.  The crepe version remains available at Alexander McQueen, MyTheresa and Bergdorfs for £1,370 / $1,195.

I presume Kate wore a matching pair of trousers, also by Alexander McQueen. Sadly, I cannot confirm which exact pair.

Of course, Alexander McQueen is practically synonymous with Kate and her style. The Duchess has stepped out in more coats, jackets and dresses by the designer than I care to count (including the four styles below). I haven’t crunched the numbers but I assume McQueen is her most-worn label.

Let’s look at Kate’s shoes now. They’re by Camilla Elphick. They’re the Alicia slingback sandals in taupe. They feature a contrasting black toe, a delicate cross stitch detail on the vamp and an oversized pearl buckle.

Kate first debuted the shoes at a polo match last month.

The slingbacks are now sold out but can be pre-ordered from Camilla Elphick’s website for £195 / $255.

Finally, Kate brought back her Mappin & Webb jewellery. The Duchess wears the Empress white gold and diamond earrings plus the matching necklace from the collection.

The stunning jewellery items are crafted from 18ct white gold and set with diamonds. 

The necklace features a small pendant that is encrusted with sparkling round brilliant cut diamonds suspended from an adjustable chain. The jeweller describes the piece as “sparkling and versatile”. 

The earrings feature disc drops with an intricate cut-out and set brilliant cut diamonds. 

According to Mappin & Webb, the Empress design is from the company’s archives; they say it’s “inspired by an exotic motif” they presented to the Queen of Siam:

Kate first debuted the necklace in 2014 and the earrings in 2015.

Mappin and Webb still sell the Empress line of jewellery today. They stock Kate’s exact necklace, but the earrings are a little different (I’m not a jewellery expert so it’s hard to explain the differences but I’ll try! Kate’s earring posts are diamond encrusted, unlike the currently available version. I believe the available earrings have a higher total diamond weight than Kate’s, presumably they feature clusters of bigger diamonds rather than being decorated with lots of of smaller ones.)

Finally, the Duchess finished her white-on-white look with a coordinating belt. The piece features a silver-tone buckle. Unfortunately, the piece remains unidentified.