Princess Kate's 'smoked suede brunette' hair is about to be the shade of the season

By the end of summer, many of us are in need of a hair refresh. After several months spent in the sun, even those of us who take impeccable care of our manes, with hair masks and hats to protect it, need to give our tresses some TLC.

Even Princess Kate isn't immune from summer making its mark on her hair. When she attended church with the rest of the royal family on Sunday, the Princess of Wales' hair looked noticeably lighter, with her usual dark brown, glossy mane appearing to be a bright, golden honey blonde.

Photos taken of the royal in the car show the sun reflecting onto her signature long style, giving a glimpse of a different look for the future queen, and though the royal's hair is most likely a result of a summer spent outdoors in nature, Princess Kate's lighter shade actually taps into a hair colour trend that we're set to see everywhere in autumn and beyond.

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An accidental trend setter

As we move from summer’s sunlit blondes into the richer, moodier tones of autumn, the shade of Princess Kate's hair is bang on trend, with celebrity hairstylist Aaron Carlo calling it 'smoked suede brunette,' a hair colour he describes as: "A luxe, dimensional brunette with cool lowlights and a glossy quiet luxury finish."

On the boom in the classy shade, Aaron adds: "After months of lightening, highlights, and sun exposure, clients are booking in to take their hair deeper and cooler. This trend not only blends out lighter ends but adds shine, depth, and a healthier, more expensive-looking finish."

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Princess Kate is lucky enough that her hair seems to have naturally shifted into the smoked suede brunette shade, but other celebrities including actress Chloe Fineman and reality star Khloe Kardashian, have booked in to have their hair coloured this way.

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 "Cool brunettes are the perfect post-summer transition," says Aaron on why Princess Kate's new hairstyle in having a moment. "The colour blends out lighter ends, adds shine, and gives hair a healthier, more expensive-looking finish."

With the royal family's summer break almost over, it won't be long before Princess Kate is back to public engagements, and we look forward to the first official glimpse of her on-trend new hair colour.