It isn’t just that Kate Middleton looks stunningly royal in this white outfit for the Royal Ascot.
Though of course she does.
But her outfit seems perfectly tailored (literally) to be a callback to her wedding dress.
Her white lace ensemble isn’t identical to her wedding dress, but come on.
The similarities can’t be accidental.
She and William had one of the most famous weddings on the whole planet. Ever.
So no, we don’t imagine that a tailor was just sitting around trying out different designs and produced this by accident.
Or even unconsciously.
Whatever the motivation behind it, though, it’s a gorgeous design.
White can be a bold choice in the spring, but it tends to contrast better with rich greens and floral colors and helps you to stand out.
Not that Kate Middleton could ever just fade into the background.
There is one major difference that sets this apart from her wedding dress, and we don’t mean the lack of a veil.
She’s wearing a nametag.
Obviously, she wasn’t wearing anything of the sort on her wedding day.
That would have been silly — she was the bride!
Though … she’s still the Duchess of Cambridge … she’s married to Prince William.
She’s Kate Middleton.
Surely a name tag is just as ridiculous now as it was then.
Who on the planet, let alone who there at the Royal Ascot, is going to fail to notice?
But, if you think about it, maybe Kate was wearing one so that others wouldn’t feel discouraged about wearing theirs.
If Kate Middleton’s wearing a name tag, no one in the world should feel silly wearing one to the same event, you know?
And that seems in keeping with her character.
Though let’s not rule out that maybe she just thought that it would be hilarious if she wore a name tag.
Wearing white has traditionally been a bold statement.
And no, it has nothing to do with virginity — that association came in later.
No; wearing white was historically a status symbol.
Basically, it meant that you could have your clothing cleaned whenever.
Think back to times when clothes getting washed meant that they were scrubbed by the river.
Yeah — it’s hard to picture them getting as white as they first were, ever again.
Royal colors came from expensive dyes — that’s a different thing.
How white came to be part of wedding dresses is its own long story.
But Kate’s wedding dress is one of the world’s most famous.
And her Royal Ascot outfit is letting us relive that signature look.
The monarchy’s continued existence is controversial at best.
But wearing white is no longer indicative of wealth — or poverty.
Or anything silly like virginity — there aren’t many virgin brides around.
We just think that it looks nice on Kate.
But then, doesn’t everything?
She’s come a long way since the days when she was known as Squeak.
