How to Dress Like a Royal This Christmas
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If you thought picking out your holiday attire was stressful, imagine knowing that it will be photographed from every angle in public? For the royals, the stakes for the right Christmas outfit are higher than most, even though they have stylists and dressers to assist them. That is why we love to take festive fashion inspo from the royal ladies past and present, including Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Princess Diana—and even the late Queen Elizabeth herself. They model traditional red and green or cozy neutrals (even pale yellow!) ensembles and do it with plenty of holiday flair. See the royal looks we have saved for our next holiday party, below.
Gray with Green Accents
Kate loves to go all at Christmas, and although her gray coat is subdued here, the matching green fascinator pumps are not.
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Sparkles All the Way
For Queen Elizabeth II's first televised Christmas Day message in 1957, she opted for a sparkly fit and flare dress that is equal parts practical and pretty.
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Creamy Neutrals
For Meghan's first official royal Christmas, she opted for neutrals, which are perfect for anyone who doesn't want to be in the center of attention or wants to splurge on a piece with year-round appeal.
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Big Bow Energy
A red-bow dress creates maximum cheer, as Kate illustrates with this look. After last Christmas spent at home, celebrate being (safely) out and about in a bold look.
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Burgundy and Black
Royals don't often take off their coats during public appearances, but we love the idea of taking these ensembles as inspiration for either a burgundy or black velvet look this year (bonus points if you coordinate with your sister-in-law).
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Cheery Casual
Not every Christmas is super formal. Feel festive in a cheery puffer jacket and jeans as you run around this season
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Bright Embroidery
While Diana's look is pure '80s energy, embroidery is a great way to add color and cheer to an outfit if you aren't the type of person who loves lace and bows. We particularly like Mexican Otomi embroidery for Christmas with its bright, bold shapes.
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Christmas Tartan
Wearing a voluminous plaid skirt offers drama without any fuss. Plus it makes a big impact even when paired with a simple black cardigan or bodysuit and black boots.
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Festive Fur Trim
Last year Kate wore one of her many fabulous coats to a holiday event. If you don't have a full royal closet, consider getting a fur collar to elevate your regular outerwear rotation. It is cozy and chic.
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Unexpected Colors
The royals don't always follow a strict green and red color palette (check out Queen Elizabeth's traffic-stopping orange ensemble in 2019) and you shouldn't either. Is a pale yellow more your thing? Will you wear it all winter long? Diana says yes.
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Winter Whites
How come it seems that we only remember how good we look in white when it is someone else's wedding? Monochromatic white, a la Princess Anne, will quickly become a holiday staple.
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Classic Red
While we admire the Queen's commitment to matching hat and outerwear, a classic red coat on its own does a lot of heavy lifting. Plus, as Queen Elizabeth undoubtedly knows, it ensures you always pop in the annual family photo.
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Christmas Cape
Princess Eugenie stepped out this year in a subtly gorgeous wintry cape that can be dressed up or down, and we think we will do the same...
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Holiday Headband
Take your classic camel coat to holiday heights with a festive padded velvet headband. Etsy is our go-to source when we want to copy and paste someone's look while supporting independent makers.
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The "Other" Dress
Diana's revenge dress gets all the media headlines, but her closet was full of flattering frocks. If your hometown is swarming with people you don't want to run into but know you will anyway, slip on a hot velvet number and be on your merry way.
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