Kate Middleton just gave us all the party season feels

(Image credit: 2019 Max Mumby/Indigo)

The Duchess of Cambridge attended the annual Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium last night and gave us all a lesson in party season dressing.

She and her husband the Duke of Cambridge, aka Prince William, followed the black tie dress code, he in a tuxedo and she in a black lace dress.

The maxi by Alexander McQueen featured a nude lining with intricate lace overlay, was was cinched in at the waist, with a scooped back and sweetheart neckline, a bold sartorial move for Catherine.

She accessorised with some statement earrings, which she has worn in the past, by British brand Erdem, also a favourite's of Meghan Markle.

(Image credit: PA Images)

The detailed hoops featured some drop pearls, as well as black and grey crystals and burnt orange stones in the middle.

Kate previously wore them to attend an event at the V&A earlier this year, and we all know she's a big fan of recycling her outfits.

She accessorised with a black clutch bag and her signature pumps, all in all serving up an elegant and timeless party season look.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.