Kate Middleton's underwear trick to avoid wardrobe malfunctions

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cambridge has many tricks up her sleeve when it comes to dressing. She has a bra hack for when she wears sheer dresses, packs clothes in a clever way to avoid creases and even has a trick to make old coats seem like new.

Royal protocol dictates that women often wear skirts, and Kate is no exception, often opting for midi style tailored gowns. To make sure she always looks impeccable in them, she invests in basic underwear that will keep any wardrobe malfunctions at bay. More specifically, any unseemly lines that show her underwear through her skirt.

According to Myka Meier, a royal etiquette specialist, who was interviewed by Fabulous, 'The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, relies on strapless and seamless underwear to give a polished look.'

Kate's stylist is also said to bulk buy 'no VPL' knickers, which stands for no visible panty line. This means the underwear will be flush with her body, with no seams or lines standing out.

3pk No VPL Low Rise Brazilian Knickers - £10 at M&S

3pk No VPL Low Rise Brazilian Knickers - <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=1402&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marksandspencer.com%2F3pk-body-no-vpl-brazilian-knickers%2Fp%2Fclp60487069%3Fcolor%3DOPALINE" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"">£10 at M&S
In an ultra-soft and sleek material, these no-VPL knickers have a cheeky and flattering cut-away back. The stretchy and smooth material has a barely there feel and works well under any outfit.

No VPL Knickers 3 Pack - £16 at next

No VPL Knickers 3 Pack - <a href="https://www.next.co.uk/style/st207505/170749" data-link-merchant="next.co.uk"">£16 at next
Designed from a new and improved fabric, these briefs will easily disappear underneath tight-fitting outfits for a perfect VPL-free look.

Eleplus Seamless Underwear for Women No Show Panties Knickers Comfort Briefs Pack of 5 - £17.99 at Amazon

Eleplus Seamless Underwear for Women No Show Panties Knickers Comfort Briefs Pack of 5 - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Eleplus-Seamless-Underwear-Panties-Knickers/dp/B08JD7DQR1?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"">£17.99 at Amazon
Seamless and no show designed,no more embarrassing panty lines under your tight pants or leggings.

It's a great option if you don't want to go down the shapewear or control knickers route, and many celebrities are fans of the staple. You can shop some of the best styles above.

Meanwhile, when it comes to wearing bras with sheer dresses, the Duchess has her stylist sew bras into her dress, this way she gets the full support, without having any bra straps on show. Genius.

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.