Duchess Kate’s prim Dolce & Gabbana dress is being reissued as ‘The Middleton’

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit The University of British Columbia in Kelowna

These are some photos of the Duchess of Cambridge from 2016. She wore this green Dolce & Gabbana dress in British Columbia, in the middle of the Cambridges’ uninspiring Canadian tour, which was more like a state-sponsored vacation. Kate’s style during the tour was notable because it was mostly appropriate, albeit very sedate and very “Kate.” There was only one Marilyn Moment-ish, when a skirt-wearing Kate happily kneeled down with her children at a garden party and photographers got several shots up her dress (she wore a slip). She wore her beloved jeggings a few times, but all in all, she seemed to have figured out (finally) how to look professional on a royal tour. This D&G dress was not the best, and not the worst. But that’s good enough for the house of Dolce & Gabbana, because they’re reissuing this dress with a new name: The Middleton.

The Duchess of Cambridge now has the ability to inspire designers to change the names of their pieces once she has worn them. A Dolce & Gabbana dress the Duchess wore in Kelowna, British Columbia, last fall during the Royal Tour of Canada has been restocked and renamed the “Middleton” after its most famous wearer. The Middleton georgette-trimmed crepe midi dress retails exclusively on Net-a-Porter for £2,150. A similar style, the Middleton bow-embellished cady midi dress, in cream, is sold on the Dolce & Gabbana website.

“Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Middleton’ dress is named after the Duchess of Cambridge,” reads the Net-a-Porter website, “who wore hers on a recent visit to Canada. This forest-green crepe piece has puffed sleeves, a pretty bow tie and white buttons, evocative of styles from the ‘40s. We like how the stitched seams and raw georgette trims playfully emphasize the craftmanship.”

When the Duchess of Cambridge first wore the dress last fall, she was wearing a bespoke version of a Fall 2016 Dolce & Gabbana runway dress inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The original dress featured an embroidered pocket-watch design that she opted to remove for the Royal Tour of Canada.

[From Royal Central]

Several parts of this amuse me. One, I sort of love that people still refer to her as Kate Middleton. “Middleton” is her brand. A lot of British papers still call her Kate Middleton too. Notice that D&G isn’t calling this “the Cambridge” or “the Catherine.” Nope, it’s the Middleton, and the Middleton brand is all about BUTTONS, puffy sleeves and prim little-girl vibes. As for an Italian design house naming a dress after a British duchess… I actually don’t mind it.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit The University of British Columbia in Kelowna

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit The University of British Columbia in Kelowna

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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38 Responses to “Duchess Kate’s prim Dolce & Gabbana dress is being reissued as ‘The Middleton’”

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  1. Moxie Remon says:

    I wish she’d ditched these hideous skin toned tights. They do not for any outfit she wears.

    • kaiko says:

      really? i’m usually more distracted by her incredibly fat free, uber-masculine physique–wowsa! there is nothing feminine or soft about her.

      • Original T.C. says:

        I don’t think she looks masculine, just athletic which is sexy on men and women. Seeing a more athletic small waist is actually more reassuring to me than the usual waif-like thinness, it implies that her muscle and bone strength is good. What I worry about women who over-diet to stay thin is bone weakness and future fractures.

      • Jennie Hix says:

        Hey Kaiko, can you post a picture of yourself so we can body shame you too?

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        Totally agree.

        Masculine, boney frump – with bonetight, fitted unroyal expensive wear. This college agelike adult has learn nothing in 16 years stalking/representing the RF, people of GB – what a waste!

    • Geekychick says:

      I think it has to do with old-timey class. All my aunts consider bare legs very unprofessional/tacky/not classy. They come from the time of debutant’s ball proms and actual bonton classes for (upper?) middle class in Europe, so maybe that’s part of it?

    • Lex says:

      Fairly sure it’s royal protocol. The princesses always wear pantyhose too.

  2. KLO says:

    THis dress is hella ugly.

  3. minx says:

    What’s with the stitching on her right shoulder? Also, that hem….I would never guess this was an expensive designer dress, to me it looks not well made.

    • Imqrious2 says:

      My grandfather was a tailor; he made all my clothes through high school years (wish I still had some, it’s all back in style! Lol). That shoulder stitching looks like a gathered baste thread that’s ready to be pulled out lol.

      For over $2000, that dress is *awfully* amateurish. It puckers (though that may just be Kate wanting it tighter than it should be, or it could just be bad construction of the garment. Who knows?), and that hem isn’t flat, look machine, not hand stitched. I wouldn’t pay $30 for it.

    • minx says:

      I see it’s both shoulders.

  4. boobytrap says:

    Librarian chic? It’s just SO boring. Also, is there some sort of policy on wearing hose? If she must wear it, can she do better at finding the right colour? She has access and money and yet she’s still wearing cheap, shiny hose in a nude shade that is too light for her skin tone.

    • Geekychick says:

      I think it’s part of the policy, or bonton. All my older female cousins always wear hose, in every proffesional or important Situation. They consider it inapropriate to wear a dress bare legged.

  5. Joannie says:

    I like the dress actually. For the record she didn’t flash anyone when she knelt down with her daughter. She tucked her dress beneath her prior to kneeling. No one saw anything improper.

  6. Rapunzel says:

    I like this dress but do believe Kate ruined it in tailoring. It’s my belief all her bespoke outfits are off the racks modified by her personal tailor. It’s the only explanation for why these designer dresses look so poorly constructed.

    This dress originally had a clock on the chest, iirc.

    • minx says:

      You’re right about the tailoring. The three lowest buttons, above her waist–that fabric is pulling. Looks too tight. The whole dress is just a shade too tight.

    • LaMaitresse says:

      I agree. I have a couple of Dolce dresses and the tailoring is superb, just flawless. It’s obvious someone very inexperienced retailored that dress, because a top designer or retailer’s alterations department would not make such a balls of a alterations job like that. The dress was probably quite smart until the line was ruined by someone’s mad idea of fit.

      • Rapunzel says:

        If you go to net-a-porter and look at the picture of the dress on their site, you can immediately see how much better tailored it is and how much better it fits the model.

  7. Tough Cookie says:

    Poor thing…she always looks so awkward. I think her clothes would look better if she wore them with more confidence and yes, better tailoring.

    • RoyalSparkle says:

      Or worn better on someone else…

      That is a simple dress considering the intricate worn by other royals, and should fit tailored; if worn more elegant on the likes of Princess henry in waiting, CP Mary/Victoria, Princess Maddie, Sofia; C/Sophie or Q Leticia – Maxima. Just not on this boney waste.

      Her attitude of do nothing/ don’t care laziness, shines through all her expensive entitled pretense (sticking to her groin without proper underclothes).

  8. CynicalAnn says:

    It’s so wrinkly and puckered. And those damn beige shoes!

  9. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    Am sure there will be a licensing deal in there for the use of the family name. Grifters gotta grift. Her ego will love this.

    I like the dress as I’m really into vintage but I have to agree with other posters who say that the tailoring is sh!t and there is no way the brand did it (it would have fitted better for a start if they did). Green is def her colour and she does suit the style but those shoes! Urgh!!!

    • minx says:

      I try to imagine someone wearing better shoes and more stylish hair…it would improve the whole look.

  10. graymatters says:

    I don’t get the hate for nylons. Cheerleader/Hooter waitress shiny tan pantyhose are horrible, no argument, but the right shade of low denier hose do for the legs what foundation does for the face. The right denier isn’t uncomfortable even in the summer and always makes shoes fit better and smell less.

    I know I’m not the only woman who looks better in hose. Since the minimalist 90’s popularized the no-nylons look, I’ve seen a lot of women who look underdressed in a nice skirt/dress/suit and heels with bare legs.

    • Delta Juliet says:

      I miss hose being a thing. I looked so much better in it, even though they are expensive and don’t hold up very well.

      • Zaratustra says:

        I think that hose is a thing, still. There are some women who want to prove they had “it” just like Anna no-hose Wintour has “it”. I don’t think they manage.

    • Zaratustra says:

      I am not stuffy. I am not fashionable. But even I think it is “wrong” to not wear nylon panty hose when you are doing business. It is kind of wrong. Let me explain why:
      When a woman doesn’t wear hose under some business costume that makes me think “nude underneath”. A lacking hose is some kind of reference to your underwear / missing underwear. There is only one person who is an exception to that impression: Anna Wintour. When I see her bare legs I don’t want to think about what is underneath her clothes.

      And showing too much skin just isn’t okay in business. Unless you are in a certain kind of business.

      • twinkies says:

        Yes. I always wear sheer, nude hose when I’m wearing a dress or skirt in a professional setting. It could be that I’m old and started dressing for professional functions in the late 80’s and I was raised by three very formal and proper women. I have very pale legs and my leg hair grows back quickly. I don’t like how my skirts feel on my body without hose and I definitely don’t like how my heels feel on bare feet.

  11. Zaratustra says:

    The green dress: One deep breath and those seams split.

    Honestly that dress makes Kate look unfeminine. She has no curves and that dress does emphasise that. At the same time that dress is too tight. If you are a VIP and get pictured you should make sure your clothes don’t fit too tight.

    And observe how Kate walks: 3rd pic. As if she were all muscle and no softness nor elegance. As if she were carrying a heavy load: upper body totally stiffed up and unelegantly walking like a sailor on a rolling ship / construction worker carrying something heavy.

  12. twinkies says:

    How is it possible for such a slender woman to look so large and hulking in that dress? I don’t know how to explain it. It looks uncomfortable in the back and shoulders. Her posture makes me think she is trying to climb back inside of herself. All if it is just a sad mess. Something with an A line skirt to balance out the shoulders and create the illusion of hips and a bum would be much more flattering. Maybe some ruching around the waist as well. Something.

    Yes! This dress looks like she is half Incredible Hulk on top. That’s it. I’m waiting for her to throw her shoulders back, open her chest and have the dress tear down the middle and underneath she is wearing something sportier and more suited for her personality and body type.

    • msthang says:

      Me thinks folks still call her Middleton because most folks don’t give the marriage its weight in paper. I cracked up over the GQ article where Chopper said he would have loved for his mum to have met Chutney. Diana would have dropped kicked Chutney and MaMidds to the curb in a New York minute!!!!

  13. Patricia says:

    Why would she want her dress fitted so tightly that it puckers? Looks so uncomfortable.

  14. PettyRiperton says:

    The dress is ugly it matches her horrible style.

  15. Achoo! says:

    Looks like something out of a BBC 1940s based TV series and something worn by the house keeper or secretary, definitely not the heroine.

  16. KBeth says:

    Poor Kate, I do think she’s quite lovely but without a good stylist she will never realize her potential.

  17. Starlight says:

    “The Middleton” – I suppose the fashion sense of Kate and Pippa is unique as I don’t know anyone who dresses like these two.

  18. Lizabeth says:

    I don’t understand the extremely poor fit of this dress as well as other very high-priced dresses Kate has worn. I did read somewhere that even when dresses are bespoke, she rarely goes in for fittings. Perhaps the fitting is done on a mannequin with too small “vanity” measurements and garments are delivered to her unhemmed. It doesn’t seem to matter who the designer is–Kate’s hems are almost always uneven so it seems the hemming must be done by someone on her staff who lacks the necessary skills. Certainly the Queen’s dressmaker manages to hem her dresses properly!