Kate Middleton just recycled her best Zara dress

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Penny Goldstone
By Penny Goldstone
published

Although she must have dozens of designers falling over backwards to dress her, Kate Middleton isn't averse to a good high-street buy.

She proved it during the World Cup when she supported the England team with a red Zara blazer, and she hammered the point home yesterday during a university visit in London.

The Duchess headed to University College London's Centre for Longitudinal Studies to discuss a new holistic study with researches, and chose to recycle an old Zara dress for it.

The black and white checked midi dress features a pleated skirt, chunky belt and pussy bow detail at the top, and Kate paired it with grey faux croc heels.

(Image credit: 2021 Karwai Tang)

The dress is from Zara's AW20 collection, however you can still find it on eBay for around £80 (the price tag naturally hiked up after Kate stepped out in it).

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Raina Houndstooth Jersey Dress, £59 at Phase Eight
The striking Raina houndstooth midi dress is crafted from soft mesh and jersey fabric that compliments the monochrome graphic. Cut with a high neckline, gathered sleeves and belted waist, this tailored silhouette promises to make an effortless addition to your work and day wardrobes.

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Houndstooth Midi Shirt Dress, £60 at Cath Kidston
A simple shirt dress designed to fit close to the body, and made special with a beautifully-drawn heritage print and fluid, viscose fabric. The dress is lined and has a buttoned front and cuffs and a neat collar, as well as all-important pockets concealed in the side seams. The midi length feels modern, and there's a matching waist belt to cinch or tie loosely as you choose.

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Or you can shop from the similar styles I've found above. Kate discussed the new study, which will look at the holistic development of children, a cause close to her heart.

Penny Goldstone
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.

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