No, Kate Middleton Isn’t Stealing Outfit Ideas From Meghan Markle

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge seemingly pulled a page from her sister-in-law’s stylebook and wore a blazer and trousers (gasp!) that look exactly like something Meghan, Duchess of Sussex would wear. And we must say, the look “Suits” her.

The former Kate Middleton stepped out alongside her husband, Prince William, on Wednesday for an in honor of Royal Air Force personnel in Cyprus. She wore high-waisted, wide-legged trousers from Jigsaw with a tucked-in white shirt and an olive blazer (appropriately called the “Duchess wool blazer”) from Smyth, according to Go Fug Yourself, a website devoted to celebrity and royal style.

She added velvet heels and a green clutch to complete her outfit. 

The wide-legged trouser look is similar to outfits the former Meghan Markle has worn before, like when she sported these white pants at Wimbledon earlier this year.

And though Kate has worn pants in public before (she’s donned sweatpants for visits with schoolchildren and these leggings she recently wore on her first outing back from maternity leave), some observers thought this was the first time she’d worn trousers ― as opposed to jeans ― for a public royal event. 

William Hanson, a British etiquette expert and coach, set the record straight in an interview over email with HuffPost, saying, “it’s not the first time she has worn trousers to an official event.”

But he did say the idea royal women could wear trousers is relatively recent. 

“It used to be the rule that ladies shouldn’t wear trousers ― indeed the royal household only let female employees wear them in the last 15 years,” he said.

Hanson added, “Today, we are much more relaxed across the board and ladies wearing trousers to a daytime event is totally acceptable.”

He also didn’t believe that Kate is trying to “pull a Meghan” and copy the Duchess of Sussex’s penchant for pants.

“I doubt that The Duchess of Cambridge is trying to copy anyone,” he said. 

Just to prove the point once and for all, here are a few photos of Kate wearing something other than dresses, skirts and tights.

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