Last week the Duchess turned 31 and the media revisited her most stylish looks. Like her Grandmother-in-law, she is not afraid of colour and knows how to wear it well. In the UK Vogue, February issue, Kate’s colours are reviewed and the statistics show us that she knows what works for her best.
According to Vogue, the colour Kate wears most is blue at 24%. We do see her in blue a great deal, particularly vibrant blues which are most flattering on her colouring. In Colour Me Beautiful terms, Kate is a CLEAR. In fact, she is the perfect example of an a-typical Clear with dark hair and bright eyes. CLEARS can have any eye colour, but it is the clarity that dominates, so whether their eyes are bright blue like the Duchess’, green or hazel, they will create a striking contrast against her dark hair. This clarity and brightness needs to be complimented by colours with the same clarity and brightness. Blue works particularly well for her because it highlights her blue eyes, and it seems to have become her staple bright colour.
CLEARS can really go for bold colours from head to toe, which Kate also does and carries off beautifully. It is no surprise, then, that her second most worn colour is red at 13%. Red looks amazing on Clears and because Kate’s style is chic and understated, she never makes it look over the top.
When CLEARS choose to wear two colours – or indeed a print – together, they should choose two contrasting colours to re-create that contrast as seen between the hair and the eyes. When choosing to wear black, which is good on Kate, she ought to think about accessorising with colours (shoes, handbags, jewellery.). A good alternative for Kate is to wear black with a contrasting colour – whether a soft white or another bright colour.
The Duchess does enjoy her pale, neutral shades, particularly grey and white which came up as her third and fourth most worn in the Vogue list. Neutrals are particularly good for occasions when she doesn’t want to make a statement and prefers to downplay her outfits. Again, because of her bright blue eye colour and cooler skin tone, grey is a very good neutral staple for her.
Green also appears on the list, although further down. Greens and all the aqua family are a brilliant shade for Kate particularly when used on a silk fabric which reflects the light. We will no doubt see a lot more green in Kate’s life in 2013 as Emerald is THE colour of the year.
Happy 31st year Kate, we love your colourful wardrobe!