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Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales smiles during a visit to present "The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design" at The British Design Council, 180 Studios in central London, on May 13, 2025. © POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Princess Kate's shortest ever dress is the 'classy way' to take on the 2025 mini skirt

The Princess of Wales wore a Gucci mini dress in 2017

Laura Sutcliffe
Fashion and Beauty News Editor
May 26, 2025
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The Princess of Wales is midi dress kinda gal. More often than not, she embraces the slightly longer hem when it comes to her frocks, keeping in line with the royal dress code.

In case you didn't know, an unofficial rule that all the working royal women follow is always wearing their hem below the knee at all times. Although Kate nearly always stays loyal to this, she did bend the rules a little in 2017.

The mother of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis made flashbulbs pop at London's Victoria & Albert Museum that year, whilst opening a new exhibition.

Princess Kate wearing her Gucci mini dress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2017© Getty
Princess Kate wearing her Gucci mini dress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2017

At the time, royal fans and the fashion industry were taken aback by her tweed frock by Italian fashion house Gucci, which was cut that little bit shorter than most of her getups; it finished just above the knee.

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Kate looked phenomenal in the design. It was of the statement variety and packed a powerful punch with its bold black, red, and white colourway, combined with the designer label's signature web trim.

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Bold gold buttons were added to the mix for good measure and teamed with block heels and a simple red clutch, Kate nailed the colour block look that was huge at that time.

Princess Kate wearing her Gucci mini dress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2017© Getty
Kate's hemline was shorter than normal

Of course, the £2,000 frock sold out as soon as she was seen wearing it, proving once again that the selling power of the princess is ever paramount.

Mini skirts for 2025

The miniskirt is back for 2025. Although it may seem scary to some, the higher the hemline, the better at the moment. If you're nervous about doing so, Kate's take on the trend is a classy way to make it work - her hemline in the Gucci dress is shorter than normal, and undoubtedly 'mini' to some, but it still offers the leg coverage, not showing too much skin.  

A guest wearing blue tie detailed shirt, black mini skirt and black heels during Australian Fashion Week 2025 on May 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia© Getty Images
Mini skirts are big news for 2025

Kate teamed her mini dress with opaque tights, which also give comfort to the wearer when choosing a higher hem.

Kate at the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor in 2008© UK Press via Getty Images
Kate at the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor in 2008

Before 2017, Kate also wore a high hem in 2008, at the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor. The brunette royal wore a tightly-fitted baby blue blazer layered over a floaty floral dress featuring sheer layers. The wind blew, subtly blowing the royal’s sheer skirt up to reveal a mini silhouette underneath.

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