Duchess of Cambridge Wears Alessandra Rich to Royal Ascot 2022 – WWD – Pen 18

london – It isn’t Royal Ascot without a reference to Princess Diana or “pretty lady.”

The Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Friday’s racecourse wearing a long-sleeved black and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich, who sat above the ankle with a wide-brimmed hat, following the event’s strict dress code.

Middleton’s feminine print was a firm nod to her late mother-in-law at Royal Ascot in 1988.

Princess Diana wearing Victor Edelstein at the Royal Ascot in 1988
AP

Princess Diana’s Victor Edelstein polka dot dress, however, was more daring as it sat with a waist just one centimeter above her knee and “Dynastic”-style shoulder pads, reflecting ’80s style.

Duchess of Cambridge Diana accessorised her outfit with diamond and South Sea pearl earrings to accept her Humanitarian Award from Henry Kissinger at the United Nations in New York.

Middleton first wore them to a public appearance at the 2019 BAFTAs.

From a thank-you service at Westminster Abbey to celebrating the life of Prince Philip in the Bahamas at the end of the Platinum Jubilee tour, the Duchess has often turned to London-based Alessandra Rich for her most important royal events.

The future wife also famously wore a navy polka dot number by Rich in 2018 for a portrait of Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, which she wore again for a D-Day exhibition trip to Bletchley Park.

Princess Diana tribute is a sweet token the Duchess knows will be picked up by royal fans everywhere
AP

The elegance of a polka dot dress is timeless and it is guaranteed that you can never go wrong with it. Julia Roberts’s brown polka dot dress, worn to a polo match in the 1990 classic film “Pretty Woman,” is a pivotal moment in her sartorial narrative and how she wants to appear to others.

Polka dots appeared in spring 2022’s collections from Batsheva, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, but with a royal appearance at Ascot on Friday, they’re bound to pop up everywhere again.

Middleton has been on a strong fashion trajectory over the past few weeks, endorsing British designers including Emilia Wickstead, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and more.

The tribute to Princess Diana is a sweet token the Duchess knows will be picked up by royal fans everywhere, but it also signals her commitment to the monarchy and perhaps a heartfelt tribute to her husband Prince William, who turned 40 on Tuesday .

Originally published at Pen 18