Did Kate Middleton break the rules by wearing this after Christmas?

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

Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a special video appearance by way of Instagram to celebrate Burns Night.

The pair teamed up with NHS Charities Together to Tayside NHS staff with a special Burns lunch to thank them for their hard work during the pandemic.

'We know Burns Night is a special evening for Scots around the world,' William said, with Kate adding, 'Sadly this year is a little different'.

They thanked staff for 'all the work you’re doing and the sacrifice you’re making', see the full video below.

A photo posted by on

The Duchess looked extra chic in a red tartan dress, no doubt a nod to the Scottish celebration, which she previously wore to a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace in 2019.

She accessorised it with the Simone Rocha pearl earrings she's been spotted wearing a lot lately. It's thought they were a Christmas present.

However some purists said she potentially broke fashion rules by wearing tartan after Christmas, as it's generally considered to be a more festive fabric.

PEOPLE's Senior Style Editor Brittany Talarico told the publication, 'It's an unwritten style rule that red, tartan plaids are reserved for the holiday season. Kate's look feels more Christmas card ready and less January Zoom appropriate.'

That said, there are no guidelines from the Palace on wearing the print after the festive season, so I'm pretty sure she got away with that one.

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.

Latest