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Princess Kate gave the humble cardigan a royal makeover with her styling twist


Shop the £24 / $66 lookalike of the Princess of Wales' chic coffee-coloured cardigan worn on a trip to Northern Ireland last month


Princess Kate© Getty

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Carla Challis
Carla ChallisCommerce Partnerships Editor
Updated: November 6, 2025
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Princess Kate is the doyenne of the country-core trend. Take a look at the Princess of Wales' outfit in October, when she and husband Prince William made a surprise visit to Mallon Farm in Northern Ireland. The 43-year-old looked the part in a heritage-inspired layered outfit, from the tweed midi skirt to the barn jacket and not forgetting her knitwear too - so chic, so cosy and so on-trend with her cardigan colour choice too. Wearing a tonal ensemble, Kate looked impossibly chic for the visit, with her long brown hair left loose and her signature pared-back makeup look.

Princess Kate and Prince William© Chris Jackson/Getty
Princess Kate and Prince William get stuck in at a farm in Northern Ireland

But it's her humble cardigan, the lynchpin of many women's winter wardrobes, that had me sitting up and taking notice. As the royal wore it in the most unexpected way that had me rethinking how I style my very own classic cardigans.

Kate layered the With Nothing Underneath Jura Cardigan, in a coffee-shade, over a fine knit roll neck. Recently, it's been the trend to wear a white T-shirt under a knit like a cardigan, letting the crew neck of the tee pop over the neckline of the cardigan. However Kate's new vibe is a fresh, yet classic way to wear a cardigan. 

Photos of Princess Kate dressed up for Christmas© Getty Images

HELLO!'s Royal Shopper Leanne has combined her love of a festive cozy movie with the Princess of Wales’ holiday wardrobe. Let's be honest, there are a lot of similarities. Think about it – in a Hallmark movie, the main character usually wears a lot of red, plenty of green, cozy sweaters and a wow-worthy showstopper dress at the end. Do you know who else loves all of the above? Our beloved Catherine.

Looking back over the years, we’ve had emerald sequins, tartan pleats and candy-red coats - these are the hallmarks of her holiday style. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and luckily, Leanne has found some pretty impressive lookalikes to inspire you for the holidays. 

Plus, the pairing with a tweed midi skirt leans into heritage-chic, which is a big trend for autumn/winter. It is giving me the feels of a '90s Nancy Meyers movie, mixed with The Traitors, and can easily be transferred to your own look. The key is keep your layering piece, the roll neck, as lightweight and fine as possible to avoid adding unwanted bulk to your silhouette.

Princess of Wales laughing in cardigan and khaki waxed jacket© Getty
Princess of Wales laughs during her visit to Mallon Farm, a flax farm, spearheading the revival of flax growing for linen, as a blueprint for sustainable farming systems, in Cookstown

I asked HELLO!'s Fashion Editor Laura Sutcliffe what she thought of Princess Kate's latest look: "Kate's layered cardigan look is both classic, yet modern. The humble cardigan is often associated as an older lady trend, but it shouldn't be! It's the perfect layering piece and Kate's short version looks super sleek with her skirt. It doubles up as a warm and cosy outwear staple but can amp up any ensemble. Kate teaming it with a  rollneck screams heritage chic."

Can you wear this cardigan combo with jeans? Absolutely. In fact, I think it looks cooler with denim, ideally a pair of straight leg or slim barrel jeans, worn with loafers or pointed boots.

CLOSE MATCH: M&S Crew Neck Cardigan

M&S Cardigan© M&S

If you love Kate's look, M&S' Crew Neck Cardigan is a great choice to emulate Kate's outfit. Made from lightweight Air-Yarn, it's cropped like Kate's and features a crew neck plus polished, gold-tone buttons for a more elevated look.

CLOSE MATCH: Boden Marion Merino Cardigan

Boden Cardigan© Boden

Or for a slightly different version, try Boden's Marion Merino Cardigan, which boasts a similar shape and hue as Kate's but has pockets on the front for a point of interest. You'll find it in sizes XS - XL.

CLOSE MATCH: Vero Moda Cardigan

Next cardigan© Next

And this Next cardigan would also look stylish layered, and it has a fuzzy, textured finish for an even cosier look.

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