What It Is: If anyone has mastered the art of classic maternity style it’s Princess Kate, who has dressed three baby bumps with her signature mix of timeless pieces in pretty prints and bold colors and a seemingly endless array of elegant statement coats. Now that she’s about to give birth to baby no. 3, I couldn’t help but take a few style cues from the royal mom and try her looks myself — only without a Buckingham Palace budget. (Watch the video above for the results!)
Who Tried It: Sharon Kanter, Deputy Style Director and first-time mom-to-be
Why We Tried It: I’m one of the biggest Kate fans ever! And while her style is so different than mine personally — mostly because she wears a lot of color and I fall into the New York fashion stereotype of wearing mostly black — she’s really got this maternity thing down. Meanwhile, I’m not afraid to admit that maternity dressing did not come naturally to me, even with my fashion background. (It’s not as as easy as it looks!) So, I tapped our Fashion Market Editor Sarah Ball to see if we could put together a few Kate-worthy maternity outfits to help me have a princess-worthy pregnancy without the royal price tags.
Level of Difficulty: 5 out of 10. It took a lot of time to pull together a rack of Kate-approved clothes. But actually wearing them wasn’t so bad — only a few popped buttons and achy feet got in the way of total success.
Getty; Ben Trivett
How It Worked: After getting my makeup and hair done to look like Kate — complete with a low chignon that I later converted into a voluminous blowout, her two go-to hairstyles — it was time to try on some of her maternity looks.
For the first outfit, I wore Kate’s favorite floral dress and light blue overcoat, both by Séraphine, which she has worn multiple times during multiple pregnancies. The prices definitely weren’t over-the-top — $299 for the coat and $109 for the dress — but let’s be honest, they weren’t Target prices, either. That said, if I was going to splurge for something, it would be Séraphine, as their pieces are really comfortable. (No wonder Kate likes them so much!)
I accessorized with CZ by Kenneth Jay Lane faux earrings ($89) and an Entourage quilted clutch ($33). For heels, Kate wore Jimmy Choo $625 pumps, while I opted for a Steve Madden heels that are $69. But my favorite accessory of all? The umbrella!
Getty; Ben Trivett
Then, we took on the challenge of formalwear. I was really nervous about finding a fancy dress that looked good with the bump, but Kate did it with her Alexander McQueen gown, so I figured I could, too. Hers costs in the thousands, but we found one from Asos Maternity for $143. Then, instead of her $1,050 Jimmy Choo clutch, I opted for an Adrianna Papell design for $58 and traded out her high-end jewels for a pair of earrings from Charter Club for $28.50 and a bracelet from Kohl’s for $24. I had a hard time balancing my bump in high heels, so I just took them off (comfort counts!).
Getty; Ben Trivett
Finally, it was time to take on her endless supply of colorful outerwear. First, I tried on the exact $654 L.K. Bennett glen plaid topper she wore. It didn’t button. Then I tried on her $495 textured purple jacket by Seraphine. Also popped a button. By this point, I wasn’t feeling very confident, and I couldn’t believe coats were going to be my downfall.
But I ended up finding one look that I loved — my take on her hot pink look. Instead of her over-$2,000 Mulberry coat, Sarah and I turned to her other favorite store, L.K. Bennett and found an option for a quarter of the price. Then I scaled down her Kiki McDonough earrings from $3,000 to a pair from Charter Club for $24.50, as well as her approximately $675 clutch to a Sole Society option that costs $69.95. I even wore the exact black gloves she did, a pair from Cornelia James Beatrice for $97. I loved this look — and it definitely restored my sense of pride after popping multiple buttons off.
WENN; Ben Trivett
For the final look, I tackled her head-to-toe navy ensemble, which I had saved to my Pinterest board after seeing her in it. It ended up being my favorite. We scaled down her CH Carolina Herrera coat to a Via Spiga option ($148.80), and then complemented it with a Lulus clutch for $28 (hers was a $295 version from L.K. Bennett). I also traded in her $625 Jimmy Choo shoes for $48.24 pumps from 206 Collective from Amazon, and topped the look with a felt hat from Hat Attack ($110). I felt my most confident in this ensemble — and the most royal. I definitely felt ready to shake hands, hug some kids and give a tasteful speech!
Shutterstock; Ben Trivett
The Verdict: It was so much fun to dress like Kate for a day. The most challenging part was definitely balancing in high heels. I’m normally a pro in stilettos, but my balance with a bump was completely thrown off. The best part? Stepping outside my all-black comfort zone. Plus, it was a treat to dress elegantly after waddling around for weeks on end. And even though I didn’t end up as a princess, I definitely felt like one — which, I gotta say, is a royal triumph in itself.
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