Catherine, Princess of Wales has re-worn her favourite checked Zara dress again and it’s the versatile style gift that keeps on giving.
We all have those pieces that have been in our wardrobe for years and we reach for time and time again as a failsafe outfit and the Princess of Wales is no different. She loves championing many of the best British clothing brands as well as mixing in high street gems with her luxurious items and her checked Zara dress is an old favourite. We’ve seen the future Queen wear this midi dress on plenty of occasions since she first stepped out in it back in January 2020. Affordable and stunning, it’s got a black and white houndstooth print and Kate just re-wore it in Wales.
The trip on 30th January was the Princess’s first visit to Wales so far in 2025. She was announced as the new Patron of Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice which she visited earlier on in the day before heading to Corgi. Kate tried her hand on some of the machines at the family-run textiles manufacturers and her own dress was such a stunning look for this engagement.
(Image credit: Photo by Rebecca Naden – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Shop Checked Dresses
M&S Checked Ruffle Midi Dress
If you want to add a checked dress to your collection then this affordable option is a beautiful choice with it’s feminine frilled neckline, midi length and long blouson sleeves. It has a fitted waist and would be perfect styled with knee high boots or heels and a long tailored coat like Kate’s.
Whistles Checkerboard Dress
Currently reduced in the sale, this checkerboard dress is such a sophisticated way to wear a monochrome pattern. It has shirred cuffs at the end of the blouson sleeves, a relaxed fit and high neckline. Add a pop of colour with your accessories for a contrast.
Hobbs Monochrome Beaford Dress
Ideal as a day-to-night piece, this flowing shirt dress can be dressed down with flat boots or trainers and a knitted vest or elevated with heeled knee highs and a longline coat. The waist tie is removable and the geometric print is houndstooth-esque but something a little different for winter.
Complete the Princess of Wales’s Look
Abercrombie & Fitch Tailored Coat
A good quality coat is one of those pieces worth investing in and this tailored wool-blend piece can be picked up with 15% off right now. It has a timeless lapel collar, side pockets and a single breasted shape with buttons down the front.
M&S Block Heel Court Shoes
These elegant leather court shoes have a comfy mid-height block heel and rounded toe. M&S’s Insolia® technology redistributes your weight away from the balls of your feet to help reduce pressure. We would wear these with a midi dress or tailored trousers and a jumper.
H&M Brushed-Finish Tie-Belt Coat
This light beige-ivory colour is a stunning shade, especially if you’re tempted to put your own spin on Kate’s look, but this coat also comes in a variety of other equally wearable hues. It falls to calf length and fastens with a detachable waist belt.
The Princess of Wales has previously worn this Zara dress in Wales in April 2023 and we can see why she keeps bringing it back out. A long sleeved midi dress is something that many of us will already have in our winter capsule wardrobes and whilst we love a knitted dress, one like Kate’s is great for wearing well into spring too.
It has flowing blouson sleeves, an elasticated waistband and a detachable belt with a covered buckle. The V-shaped neckline is so elegant and the pussybow detail is something the Princess often gravitates towards with her clothes. It adds femininity to the dress and breaks up the structured feel that the houndstooth gives it.
(Image credit: Photo by Rebecca Naden – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The pattern is small enough that from a distance it looks like a regular check, but even if you prefer a classic check to houndstooth, Kate’s dress can provide plenty of winter/spring outfit inspiration. Monochrome colours are the easiest to style and when you’re wearing a pattern it can help to stick to neutral tones which help balance it.
The amount of times Kate’s worn her Zara dress over the past five years shows how versatile she finds it. You can have fun with a monochrome checked dress and add a pop of colour with your accessories, though the Princess instead went with an all-black-and-white look. She wore a white tailored coat and black Russell & Bromley court shoe pumps.
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Whilst the Princess of Wales loves a stiletto for engagements and big royal events, her shoes for this visit to Corgi had a block heel which is always a good choice when you want a bit more comfort. Adding a touch more glamour, she wore £89 Spells of Love Alia Hoops. These trapezoid-shaped earrings are handcrafted from brass and coated with 18k gold and they’re currently available to pre-order if you fancy picking up a pair yourself.
Kate has also worn these earrings, coat and shoes before and on the other occasions she’s stepped out in the Zara dress she has often kept to a monochrome colour palette. One exception was in Bradford in 2020 when she layered an olive green over the top and for a visit to University College London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies in 2021, she wore her dress without any outerwear and a pair of dove grey court shoes.
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