Duchess Kate wore jeans & a £1,795 Chloe blazer to the Natural History Museum

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visiting the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum

The Duchess of Cambridge does love her “surprise visits.” I suspect that part of the reason why she does so many surprise events is because of security, although I also suspect that Kate doesn’t like to make too many firm announcements about her plans because she likes to skip work whenever possible. Who needs stories about “Kate shrugging off a scheduled event” when you can just do “surprise” events? Today, Kate made a surprise visit to the Natural History Museum in London. She’s patron to the museum and she was last there in October 2020, where she cosplayed a very specific look from Meghan.

For today’s event, Kate decided to forgo her usual “casual” styling of skinny jeans (or jeggings). She wore actual proper jeans, a Ralph Lauren top and a £1,795 pink Chloe blazer. She also wore £90 Veja trainers and a necklace by Daniella Draper. The cost of the Chloe blazer is… ridiculous. I get that it’s a trendy piece but there’s no reason for that price tag. That being said, I don’t hate the fact that Kate mixed it up a bit. We’ve been begging her to wear proper jeans for so long, and to just wear simple mix-and-match sportswear. So here we go.

The museum was closed for a time during the pandemic, and I think Kate’s visit is supposed to highlight the reopening. Plus, she got to pose with some kids and breathe on people. She’s had one of her coronavirus shots, has she gotten the second shot?

Embed from Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visiting the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visiting the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty.

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133 Responses to “Duchess Kate wore jeans & a £1,795 Chloe blazer to the Natural History Museum”

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  1. kgeo says:

    She has the same problem I have. Jeans that hit me right there don’t look intentional, they just look an inch too short. My good friend can do it, I cannot. I’m so glad that true ankle length is coming back for everyone else. It means jeans finally hit at the right spot on me.

    • Cessily says:

      I can’t do it either, I order longs in all my jeans. I do not like the look on her, people with long legs and that are tall look like the borrowed their short friends pants.. (my personal opinion) I like the look on shorter people.
      The cost of the blazer is laughable.. it is not even cute. Only nice thing I will say is she looks better when she dresses more her age and casual.

      • Yup, Me says:

        Yeah – I think she looks good at first glance but thr specific pieces don’t hold up under closer inspection.

        That blazer confuses me. Is she going on safari with Barbie and Ken? Did she borrow her meemaw’s jacket? What’s the deal with that very noncommittal color and the gathered back and the mini shoulder straps?

        I can’t figure out what’s going on or why it cost so much just to confuse me.

      • kgeo says:

        Yes! I love the look on shorter people. I tried to make it work for a few years, but mine really need to barely show ankle skin, maybe even graze the top of my shoe to not look too short. I am proud of her for trying jeans other than jeggings.

      • minx says:

        I don’t think she has long legs, particularly for her height. She’s all torso. Either way it’s not a good look. I like the blazer well enough.

    • My Two Cents says:

      these jeans are supposed to be cropped 🙂

      I actually think she looks good, but I did notice she did the rolled up blazer sleeves like someone else!

  2. Elizabeth says:

    I can’t get on board with this trend of cropped jeans. My lord.

    • BothSidesNow says:

      Neither can I. They look awful on her and that blazer was a bad choice too, especially for all of the jackets she has!

    • cropped AND high waisted?! big NO!!

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      Long blazer and short pants. Just doesn’t look “right”. Plus, with her shorter legs, the cropped pants just shorten her, even with the higher waist.

      Now if she paired the jeans with a *cropped* jacket, it would’ve looked WAY better.

  3. Red Snapper says:

    High waist is a bad look for her torso. Should have gone for low rise.

  4. Lauren says:

    She looks cute here, but 1795£ for that blazer?! Too basic to justify that price tag.

    • Becks1 says:

      The price tag is insane, esp considering she has other blazers she could have worn.

      When was the last time we saw her wear a complete repeat outfit? And I dont mean just her jeggings or a pair of shoes. It feels like every time we see her now she’s wearing at least one new article of clothing that was $$$.

    • schmootc says:

      That blazer looks like something you could get at Macy’s for $125. Nope.

    • GrnieWnie says:

      my God, I love that blazer. The fit! The sweatshirt cuffs!

      • Philly says:

        Me too. Sadly they’re out of my size but I’ll keep an eye out for a high street dupe.

  5. whatever. says:

    Best outfit she has ever worn. More of this please.

  6. Julia K says:

    Like the casual look here. Nice jeans and they fit well. She has so many blazers in her closet that would have worked better but A for effort.

  7. Noki says:

    That engaement ring is so outdated now,but she sure loves it. Where i come from women either wear just their wedding bands or their engagement rings and band on top. Never seen someoene just rock their engagement ring when they are married.

    • Abby says:

      What is the point of an engagement ring if not to wear it? I only have an engagement ring, decided not to have a wedding band because it would cover up some of the stones. I wear it every day, been married 11 years. I can nitpick all kinds of things about Kate, but not wearing her own engagement ring? Sheesh.

      • Merricat says:

        What is nitpicky about saying what the custom is where you are from? This did not sound like a criticism to me. You sound a little sensitive.
        Where I’m from, it’s customary to match the wedding band to the engagement ring, so both are worn.

    • Becks1 says:

      She does wear her wedding band, its just hard to see sometimes. But in the last picture in the post you can see the multiple bands on her finger.

    • Kay says:

      If you zoom in on the main photo, she’s clearly wearing the engagement ring, her wedding band, and her eternity band. I’m sure she only wears the engagement ring out an about, given how large it is…I have a much more normal sized engagement ring, and it’s never on at home. But yeah, it’s very normal to wear your wedding set? All engagement rings end up looking dated after some time, but most people don’t care.

    • Eh says:

      Wedding bands don’t go on top, they’re supposed to go on first, then the engagement ring.

      • Courtney B says:

        Yep. The wedding band is supposed to be ‘closer to the heart’.

      • JT says:

        Unpopular opinion, but I think her engagement ring is ugly. It looks like costume jewelry to me.

      • Dillesca says:

        Against custom, I wear my engagement ring first, then wedding ring. They are the same size, but the wedding ring stops my engagement ring from shifting around too much (especially as your fingers change in size depending on temperature, water retention, etc.) I guess I am paranoid that my engagement ring will fall off (I’m the third generation to wear it)!

    • Robin says:

      I’m with JT. I think the engagement ring, and I know it was Diana’s, is awful. It always looks too big and bulky and ‘in the way’. I don’t know how she finds it comfortable. I think that’s why it has no intrinsic beauty for me – it just looks over sized and a bit silly.

      • Noki says:

        I think Wills wanted that ring just for bragging rights. Charles apparently couldnt even be ars*d to pick it himself and Diana picked it because it was the biggest? Does not even have a romantic connection.

      • Nic919 says:

        The engagement ring is a symbol of one of the most famous disastrous marriages in the last 40 years so I don’t understand why anyone would want to wear that ring. It could have been turned into a necklace or altered so that it’s less gaudy. It just symbolizes so many bad things.

    • kgeo says:

      I only wear my engagement ring. Of course, I never got the wedding band. Never saw the point in having both, I guess.

    • Emily says:

      From the minute this ring went on her finger, it was intended to be worn forever.

  8. ShazBot says:

    I will never get onboard with high waisted jeans. My god. She is TINY and doesn’t even look it in these jeans.

    She does always look better/more comfortable when she’s going casual.

    • Sof says:

      I hate high waisted trousers! Besides the way they look, I don’t understand people who find them super comfortable: I had one pair and even though they were loose at the waist, whenever I sat down they would crush my stomach, I had to eat with them undone in order to avoid belly aches!

      Also, mom jeans: is it me or do they attract attention to the crotch area?

      • Yup, Me says:

        It’s not just you. It doesn’t look good on most people. It’s very “pelvis/crotch” focused.

      • Thirtynine says:

        I’m super high waisted, so I love them, because they’re the only times pants or jeans sit at my natural waist. I feel comfy in them.

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      😄 And I LOVE high waisted jeans: holds in a bit of the tummy role you get as you get older, and as a shorter person, they make my legs look longer! Wide legged jeans are worn with platform sandals (shades of my teen aged years, when we called them “Elephant Bells”), “skinnier” jeans worn with “regular” shoes/heels/tennies depending on the ankle length and occasion.

  9. Abby says:

    Personally I’m not ready for mom jeans. If they look this way on her, as thin as she is, there’s no way it will look good on me.

    I love the blazer though. It’s a beautiful color and I love the fit.

  10. Seraphina says:

    she just cannot get it right. someone needs to save her from herself. Those jeans do not look like a good fit for her body. For the love of God, she could do so much better. And the sneakers, paired with the shoes, do not help this look. And yes, the price tag for this jacket is crazy.

    • Anne Marie says:

      + 1 You’d think with all of Charles’ money, she could hire a stylist who can recommend the best types of clothing/fits for her body. She’s got Amal Clooney Syndrome — for fancy events, she mostly gets it right b/c she only has to pick a dress, but her “street style” is TERRRRIBBBBBLE. Just a bunch of super expensive pieces that don’t go together.

      And can you imagine if Meghan showed up in an outfit like this? DM would be pearl-clutching for weeks about how wearing jeans to an event is a complete, total, disrespectful, “American” insult to the Queen and violation of centuries of royal protocol that spits in the face of the British public and is the direct cause of climate change and the destruction of rainforests!!!!

    • notasugarhere says:

      Nor are these jeans appropriate for a work visit to a Museum, unless she was digging up flowers in their garden. Oh wait, she wore a brand new expensive dress to plant a tree last year. She never gets it right.

  11. Eenie Googles says:

    I am so happy these aren’t 2009-style skinny jeans.

    This is a nice outfit.

  12. girl_ninja says:

    Eye roll.

  13. Becks1 says:

    Well, points for breaking out of her typical “casual visit” uniform! I like the overall look here, even if I don’t love how the jeans fit her at the waist – but at least this is a more modern look.

    The surprise visits are weird at this point, right? I get that some visits are embargoed, and I get that visits to places like Northern Ireland are never announced in advance. But lately it feels like every visit of Kate’s is a “surprise” visit. Does she refuse to set her schedule in advance? They say that you have to book people like Charles months in advance. Something tells me that’s not true for Kate.

    • Sofia says:

      Honestly I doubt any royal visit is a true “surprise”. It is for us because we didn’t know she would go there but it would be a logistic and security nightmare if a royal just decided to show up on the day.

      • Becks1 says:

        Oh I don’t think they’re a surprise for the place being visited (here, the museum), just a surprise for “us” – but it didn’t use to happen this often. Visits were announced, took place, end of story. Now it seems like everything is a surprise or embargoed.

    • Yup, Me says:

      It seems like another (poor quality) copycat of Meghan, to me. Except that Megan’s surprises were rollouts of fully developed projects (with a clear purpose, a call to action, and a way for the public to contribute) while Kate’s surprises are pop up visits and not much else.

    • Nic919 says:

      I suspect the places know by now how Kate can cancel last minute so they are told to keep quiet in case she decides to flake out. Even one of the zoolander research events was “embargoed” for no real reason outside of the fact that she might have cancelled it.

      Charles is booked in advance and so are most of the others. We don’t even hear of William doing surprise events. I think this is just code for showing how unreliable Kate can be for the few events she bothered with.

    • Calibration says:

      there are a lot of new commenters saying how amazing she looks. She is photoshopped to hell and back and wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket. other than lengths etc hard to screw that up. I think she would at this point find it hard to find jeans that fit her. She’s too underweight. that’s the first thing I noticed.

  14. LaraW" says:

    I am now convinced more than ever that Kate’s position in the monarchy is extremely precarious. This is the most I’ve ever seen her work in recent memory. Perhaps it’s just a phase and Kate will get bored again, going off to get her face done and vacationing. But this sudden engagement and burst of work feels like her singing for her supper to keep William and the crown that comes with him.

    CBers with more knowledge than me, please let me know if Kate has worked like this before. I didn’t really follow her in her early years as William’s wife.

    • Sofia says:

      Looking at the court circular, it’s pretty common for Kate to be ghost for a week-10 days + longer, come back and do engagements in a span of 2-3 days and then start the cycle again.

    • Becks1 says:

      It happens sporadically. Like she’ll go dark for a month, then she does a flurry of engagements over 2-3 days, so it seems like she’s working, and then you won’t see her again for weeks. The engagements are usually timed around vacations – as in, I’m sure they’re planning to go away for a few weeks in July so she’s going to do some work now, and we won’t see all the pictures of it, they’ll spread it out so it seems like she’s working more (like she’ll do another event this afternoon that we won’t hear about for another week.) So if you look at her schedules in normal years, she’s “busy” in October/ November, usually February/March she works, and then again from late May to July she works. And by “works” for that last set its usually garden parties, ascot, trooping, and Wimbledon. So the term “work” is a little subjective, as is the term “busy” when talking about Kate.

      • Nic919 says:

        I’m a bit surprised that she didn’t do Ascot this year but then again that is usually done with William present and he probably didn’t want to go.

        She will likely to one more event before she shows up for Wimbledon and then we won’t see her for the summer.

    • LaraW" says:

      Thanks all for your replies!

      • EllenOlenska says:

        I felt like she was wearing the same shirt in the vaccination photos as she wore for her video announcement of “big crap signifying nothing”….like maybe she knocked it all out in a single day and ran home.

  15. Sofia says:

    I like this outfit. Kate always does the casual/outdoorsey stuff best. Wish she would lean into that instead of the buttons

  16. L4Frimaire says:

    This look might have worked if she’d worn a less casual, more stylish shoe. Looks so basic and 80s Anaheim mall. What a waste of a pricey jacket.

  17. Amy Bee says:

    Why is wearing an expensive blazer to an event in the forest/garden? Just a T shirt or one her Barbour jackets would have been more suitable. And how is it a surprise event if there is official video and photographers waiting to take her picture?

  18. Eh says:

    This is a cute outfit and she looks like a normal person instead of an alien like in the Dr. Biden photos.

  19. molly says:

    I loathe those jeans on everyone, but props to her for wearing them. They’re fashionable right now, for some reason.

    • Merricat says:

      No, if something looks terrible on you, you should not wear it, regardless of the current fashion.

  20. CrystalBall says:

    A registered nurse working 37.5 hours per week earns between £1300 and £1500 a month in the UK, after tax etc. Kate’s blazer alone costs more than that. I don’t think she has the mental capacity to even remotely understand the struggles of the ordinary person, let alone the most vulnerable.
    Alleging to care about the early years of the disadvantaged while the price tag of her clothes says ‘I really don’t care, do you’ reveals the truth about this fraudulent Mother Theresa constantly virtue-signalling in her designer clothes and expensive jewels.

    • Merricat says:

      Good point.

    • Myra says:

      People lost their livelihoods and the government was looking to cut food programmes for kids, but somehow people have stopped caring about the optics. It used to be a huge issue in 2018/2019 pre-pandemic era.

      • ABritGuest says:

        Kate looks cute. When she got her jab was the best she had looked in ages. And she looks happier in solo engagements.

        And yes even commentators on this site used to go on about optics of Meghan’s spending so it’s interesting that there’s very little talk of that now when Britain’s economic position is even more precarious.

      • Demi says:

        Why no one is pointing out that’s the bigger problem. Meghan no longer taking money from the public purse this woman is.. her centre won’t provide anything tangible to those struggling families.. her centre operates with the advice from Anna Freud Centre so what’s the point of her centre? sure it’s good to raise public awareness of early childhood but there’s no need for her centre when there are more competent people out there already doing the same thing!

    • Nic919 says:

      There is no real difference between Kate and Melania on many levels. They have both lived very selfish existences. The only slight difference is that Melania wasn’t in her position for life.

  21. Merricat says:

    The blazer isn’t right with the denim, and the style of the jeans is wrong for her body, but she does look more comfortable in sporty fashions.

  22. JillyBeann says:

    I do love that blazer though…. it’s spring summer Chloé 2021 – and of course it sold out!

  23. Cate says:

    I think it looks cute, definitely better than jeggings. There is something about it that looks a bit Diana cosplay, maybe the lighter color and the big lapel giving it a slight 80s vibe? But…she already has quite a few cute blazers, did she really need one more? I’m not even in the UK but on behalf of their taxpayers I do wish she would recycle pieces more regularly. I think regular recycling might give the impression that she’s got more of a personal style also. Constantly showing up in new clothes makes it seem like she’s just chasing trends and doesn’t know what looks good on her.

  24. Digital Unicorn says:

    I like her in those jeans – not a fan of the jacket in terms of the style and colour. Overall a good look for her.

  25. Emily says:

    If you hadn’t told me, I would have assumed that the blazer was from her pink M&S Elle Woods suit set. Missed opportunity for a “thrifty” repeat moment.

  26. Pocket Litter says:

    Fugly jacket at an exorbitant price. Ill-fitting jeans. Nice top and shoes. Pretty hard to f up such a simple idea for a casual outfit, but it’s business as usual.

  27. Asking for a friend says:

    I think these jeans would have looked better if the rest of the outfit was more chic (although agree with Red Snapper that low rise would be better for her frame). I do think the blazer is nice, but the color combination is a bit juvenile IMO and I think either a baggier t-shirt or a silk cami would have been a more polished look. Add pointy toed flats and voila.

  28. Jais says:

    Love wearing sneakers with jeans and a blazer. VP Kamala Harris can rock that but somethings not hitting quite right here. Would love to actually see this outfit with a pair of converse? Maybe that would help. But in this case a cute pair of flats might have worked better.

  29. SarahCS says:

    Ooh I cannot stand that blazer even before you get to the £££££££ price tag. Clearly my taste differs from other commenters on here but it’s giving me Matalan vibes. Would that be Target for US readers?

  30. Chaine says:

    Seriously fugly blazer, my god! The color, the fit, the cheap looking cuffs! And then paired with that ostentatious ring, makes it all worse. The mom jeans are not a good look for her, either. I guess I’m in the minority, but I think that when she wears jeggings, they suit her and she looks relaxed and younger.

  31. Mooney says:

    Veja sneakers 👀 Meghan is not giving any new ideas, so let’s go back to the oldies 😜

  32. Over it says:

    That’s a lot of money for ugliness. Kate face is aging like cottage cheese.

  33. luna says:

    I have a similar body type with Kate Middleton and I avoid mom jeans, or jeans in general except skinnies. I always thought the reason why she still sticks to the skinny jeans must have been the fact that she looks horrendous in mom jeans. My guess was right, she really does. Stick to the skinnies, Katie.

  34. candy says:

    I really love this outfit.

    • CrystalBall says:

      There are children in the UK whose parents can’t afford the price of their lunch. Kate has declared herself a champion for the Early Years. Whether she looks nice is completely irrelevant to me – the question is: ‘Is she believable, authentic, sincere?’
      Her clothes speak for themselves, making the answer a resounding ‘NO!’
      She is the Marie Antoinette of modern Britain.

      • Nic919 says:

        The standards for Kate are so low. If she has a cute outfit I guess most people don’t care that the money used to sustain her spendthrift lifestyle is taken from the less fortunate.

      • Haylie says:

        The bar for human decency is in hell when your only real job is to look thin and uphold white supremacy.

    • Linda says:

      I do too, she looks stunning.

  35. VICKYISHERETOSTAY says:

    I think she looks decentish They make her thighs look thick but in a healthy way. It’s everything else I don’t like.

  36. Bea says:

    I love Chloe but I hate the jacket. I know it’s a a luxury brand but it is WAY too much money for a jacket that is not a classic. But I guess she needs to have her new clothes to work.

    I read someone saying here that it was crazy that a woman like Kate (thin, tall) looks bad in a lot of her clothes. There’s something about her that can’t make clothes flattering. I see Mary of Denmark who is always so elegant and put together and Kate just falls flat.

    I like the jeans. The style gives me a Parisian vibe. French girls really like this type of jeans.

    • L84Tea says:

      I’m 100% with you on Mary of Denmark. She always looks put together, even when she’s very casual. She puts Kate to shame.

  37. Kit says:

    Good God, how on earth did she think this was a good look, what is de story with those jeans and that overly priced jacket, seriously elastic on de back, only Carol would pick this out !!!

  38. Smices says:

    I like the blazer except for the cuffs. I don’t understand the cuffs.

  39. Amelia says:

    These people need to chill with their stupid so called engagements. Cases are rising again in the U.K. because of the Delta variant. Where are these peoples’ brain cells? If God has given you a brain, please do us all a favour and USE IT

  40. Eating Popcorn says:

    Please – if you tuck your shirt into jeans – WEAR A BELT or button the blazer… I think she chose this blazer because it has a little bit of a Jurassic Park vibe without being too cosplay.

  41. Lili says:

    What a waste of fuel this is a 20min walk from Kensington Palace

    • Aidevee says:

      You are right, BUT – this is my theory.
      When I saw these pics I thought, ooh, that’s like the top and jeans she had on when she got her covid vaccine. Didn’t she get jabbed at the Natural History Museum?!

      I reckon this visit happened on the same day she was jabbed and it’s been embargoed in the press until today. That’s my theory! But, it I’m right, then why on earth the need???

  42. Liz version 700 says:

    She seems to be spending even more than usual. Does she go shopping whenever Will is mean to her?

  43. Daphne says:

    I like this outfit a lot! But her hair makes her look frumpy somehow even though it’s immaculate? I don’t know, something about that big wiggy looking hair is just ageing :-/

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      A ponytail would’ve been way more “in vibe” and youthful, esp. with this casual outfit/outing.

  44. Eurydice says:

    I think she looks fine – natural and not like she’s trying too hard. But I have to laugh a little at the blazer. A few years ago I was on a business trip to Paris and the wife of one of my colleagues wanted a Chloe jacket that cost $3,500. He told her, “Unless you can put a steering wheel on it and four tires, don’t even think about it.”

  45. Mina_Nur says:

    Someone teach this woman to accessorize to elevate her look, STAT!

  46. EveV says:

    She looks cute but the price on that blazer is absolutely insane. This woman is so wasteful it makes me sick. Like Becks1 stated above, when is the last time she repeated a whole outfit? I mean, she has literally dozens of blazers that have only been worm once that she could have worn here. Her wardrobe is just comical at this point for how much money she spends to do so little.

  47. Ann says:

    I like the idea of the outfit, right down to the color of the jacket. But I don’t care for that wide elasticized waist, it looks bulky. And yes, that’s a crazy price. That style of jean does make her legs look shorter, but she’s tall so I guess she can get away with it? I think a more streamlined cut for the blazer and a ponytail or less voluminous hair would have pulled it all together.

  48. Margaret says:

    My goodness, when kate is featured, the conversation is all about what she is wearing. Question why?. What about what she is doing?. What are her plans during the visit?. Will it benefit anyone, but her as a photo op?. I really, really just can’t with her, I think you can tell. Oh i see jeans and jackets everyday, nothing new here, sorry girls.

  49. Thirtynine says:

    Modern clothes good, but the proportions are all unbalanced. She tried, though.

  50. Marigold says:

    I love jackets with jeans. It was a hot look when I was younger in the 90’s.

  51. Bethany Karger says:

    I hate this jacket. I think it looks polyester cheap.

    And can she ever open her mouth without those claw-like hands waving around? I wish someone would tie her hands behind her back.

  52. christina says:

    I think she looks good, not as thin as usual.

  53. lucylee says:

    Big News!!!!!
    Kate was wearing clothes to an event. Was this a photography event to be seen with a group of children from several ethnic groups? Was she raising awareness for something? I have sadly concluded that the people on that island are clueless and unaware because they pay millions of dollars to a family whose main job is to dress up and tell them to be aware of stuff.

  54. Lizzie says:

    I just cant with big wigs and unattractive clothes.

  55. Calibration says:

    So many new commenters saying how amazing she looks. Stunning even! In jeans and a jacket??? and photoshopped to hell and back. Yeah, we know you’re stans or paid. so obvious.

  56. Likeyoucare says:

    The pictures taken from front of her face are heavily photoshop but from the side.. is she morphing into Baldimort?
    Those two pigeons really get the face that they deserve.

  57. Ewissa says:

    She even wore Veja trainers as M!!
    M wore hers I think when she dated H and by that time that brand wasnt very popular in UK ( I dare to say M introduced it to UK and become very popular especially with middle class mums)Look at K little miss copycat….its beyond ridiculous