Kate, Princess of Wales’ choice of accessories for the 2023 BAFTAs caused division amongst royal fans; with some loving the fact she had taken a risk, and others thinking the black gloves and large gold earrings clashed. One social media fashionista suggested there was a symbolic meaning behind Kate’s outfit.
Kate’s one-shoulder gown was by Alexander McQueen – one of her go-to designers – and she tweaked its original design.
When she first wore the dress in 2019, it had flower appliqué detail on the shoulder.
For the 2023 BAFTAs, Kate had removed the appliqué detail and added a shoulder drape complete with a bow instead.
In 2019, Kate wore the dress with cool-tone accessories and the result was a demure, Princess-perfect look.
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This year, she added drama with a mixture of gold and black – notably, large gold floral statement earrings and long black opera gloves.
The earrings were from Zara and are now sold out, and her shoes were Aquazzura’s Fenix 105 style in gold.
Her bag was the Jimmy Choo Celeste Clutch in black, and her gloves are possibly Cornelia James’ Melissa style in black velvet that is priced at £160.
Speaking about her outfit, Romy, also known as @romy_talks_fashion on Instagram said: “Everybody is kind of s******g on Kate’s Middleton’s BAFTA dress, and I don’t know why because I kind of liked this look.
“I guess the first thing that people didn’t like is she recycled the Alexander McQueen dress that she wore at the 2019 BAFTAs.
“But to be honest I feel it’s a statement; started from the bottom, now we’re here,” she said referencing her 2019 look to her 2023 look for the same event.
“The second criticism was that she was wearing Zara earrings, and to that, I’m just going to say why not? It makes her more human in a way than wearing huge diamonds that are only seen in museums.
“Now the pairing of the black gloves with this dress is leading me to think that perhaps there’s a symbolic meaning behind this outfit.
“Doesn’t this whole outfit make you think of a swan? In literature, swans are the symbol of transformation and awakening to the power of self, and this [the 2023 BAFTAs] was her debut as the Princess of Wales – can you connect the dots?” Romy concluded.
As for what some of the criticisms were concerning Kate wearing Zara earrings, there are widespread claims the brand is a fast fashion brand, and many of its pieces are not sustainably made.
According to Good On You, Zara is one of the largest fast-fashion giants on the planet and received a ‘Not Good Enough’ rating when it comes to making efforts to reduce its environmental impact, paying a living wage across its supply chain, and reducing its use of animal furs.
But it is a high street brand Kate wears regularly, for both red carpet events and public engagements.
Kate has worn lots of sustainable brands in the past and even hired a dress for the Earthshot Prize Award in Boston last December.
While the BAFTAs issued a sustainable dress code in 2020, this year’s invite didn’t include any such stipulations; the Princess simply chose to re-wear an old gown.
It’s been noticed that Kate always showcases British designers at the BAFTAs, which makes sense as the event celebrates British film.
Since her first red carpet, she’s opted for Alexander McQueen three times and Jenny Packham once.
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