Kate Middleton Just Proved She's Queen of the Re-Wear in a Jacket Older Than Her Marriage

Exactly how big is her closet?

Kate Middleton and Prince William standing in front of a bare tree smiling and wearing daffodil pins
(Image credit: Getty Images)

We all know that Kate Middleton isn't afraid of a royal re-wear (especially in recent days). But the Princess of Wales took her sensible approach to fashion to the next level on Wednesday, Feb. 26, bringing a nearly 20-year-old jacket out of the vaults during a trip to Wales.

The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the country ahead of its national holiday, St. David's Day, with Kate kicking off their visit in meaningful pieces that tied into the Welsh flag. While she wore the same red coat she showed off at the 2024 Together at Christmas concert, the royal later swapped the wool topper for a cropped brown tweed Ralph Lauren jacket she owned before she was even married to Prince William.

Princess Kate revealed her new look while stopping by the Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland in Pontypridd, Wales. For longtime royal fashion fans, it was an instantly recognizable piece, even though Kate hasn't worn the structured jacket since the 2007 Cheltenham Horse Festival. At the time, Prince William's then-girlfriend paired the fitted style with a matching midi skirt and tall boots, but for Wednesday's outing, she updated it with a brown turtleneck and pleated tartan Gucci skirt.

Kate Middleton wearig a brown jacket and long skirt with boots walking through grass in 2007

Middleton wore the Ralph Lauren style to the 2007 Cheltenham Horse Festival.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton wearing a long plaid skirt and cropped jacket with a daffodil pin walking on a sidewalk with Prince William, also wearing a daffodil pin

The princess updated her old jacket with a plaid Gucci skirt on Feb. 26.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton wearing a long plaid skirt and short jacket with a daffodil pin smiling while standing next to Prince William on a muddy garden path

The couple visited a community garden during their trip to Wales.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This isn't the first time in recent memory that the princess has worn a decades-old piece; she brought back a checked Aquascutum scarf she's owned since at least 2011 while shopping in London last month.

As for the rest of Kate's outfit in Wales, she honored St. David's Day with a daffodil pin—the country's national flower—and wore a pair of garnet hoops by Welsh small business Spells of Love. She also debuted a new bag, carrying a tan leather tote by royal fave handbag brand Aspinal of London.

Kate Middleton wearing a red coat walking next to Prince William on a street with Welsh flags

She wore a red Alexander McQueen coat earlier in the day while visiting a Welsh market.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kensington Palace recently made headlines when a source said that they'd no longer release details about Kate's outfits, as the princess felt the focus should be on her work. However, the insider later backtracked and said that the comments never came from Kate. In the following days, she leaned heavily into repeat looks, even wearing the same plaid coat she debuted in January just a few weeks later.

The "Royal Dress Code" podcast recently released data revealing that the princess gets less attention in the press and on social media when she wears a repeat look. However, her strategy to bring back decades-old pieces is a smart one. Instead of gravitating to the same parade of trouser suits she wore in 2023, digging into her wardrobe for a "vintage" outfit that some fans might not remember is not only fun to see, but a sustainable choice, too.

While her Ralph Lauren jacket is at least 18 years old, naturally, it's tough to find the exact look. However, the brand offers a 2025 update in the form of a brown tweed moto jacket—pair it with a plaid skirt for an office-ready spring outfit.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Read more
Kate Middleton wearing a plaid coat and red turtleneck smiling walking away from a crowd of staff at a hospital
Kate Middleton Injects New Life Into Familiar Winter Separates With a Tartan Statement Coat
A shoulder up photo of Kate Middleton wearing a burgundy plaid coat sitting in front of a red sign saying safe and happy childhood in yellow letters
Princess Kate Brings Back a Familiar Blazé Milano Coat After Palace's Rare Comment on Her Style
Kate Middleton wearing a black turtleneck and brown blazer smiling and waving in front of a metal fence
Kate Middleton Is Re-Embracing Her Pantsuit Era—and Here’s Why
Kate Middleton wearing a green coat with a serious expression on St Patrick's Day 2025
Princess Kate's St. Patrick's Day Outfit Proves She's Taking a Page From Queen Elizabeth's Playbook
Kate Middleton wearing a plaid coat and red turtleneck lifting one hand up to her face
Kate Middleton Rocks a Chic New Smythson Bag and a Scarf Older Than Prince George on a Regular-Person Shopping Excursion
Kate Middleton wearing a red coat and yellow daffodil looking to the right walking outside next to Prince William, also looking at the same thing and wearing a daffodil on his blazer
Kate Middleton's Meaningful Outfit Is a Love Letter to Wales
Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Keke Palmer in a brown cutout dress and long copper hair
Keke Palmer Returns to the Dark Side With Deep Espresso Hair
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors
Jennifer Lawrence
The Jennifer Lawrence-Approved Adidas Sneakers Everyone's Talking About Are Secretly On Sale at Nordstrom
Selena Gomez visits the SiriusXM Studios on March 25, 2025 in New York City wearing a snakeskin blazer and jeans.
Selena Gomez Proves Skinny Jeans Are Cool Again With Khaite's $680 Benny Belt
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Rihanna and A$AP were seen on a casual date night out at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. rihanna wore jeans, a vest, and a new alaia bag
Rihanna Hard-Launches Alaïa's New $2,350 It-Bag With a Baseball Cap and Jeans