Catherine, Princess of Wales, has become the crowned canary in the coal mine of trends who signals when it’s safe to embrace a new colour. While presenting Jannik Sinner with the men’s singles trophy at Wimbledon, Catherine endorsed a move towards “ugly green” that has seeped down the runway in recent seasons.
Wearing a bespoke version of New Zealand designer Emilia Wickstead’s Tidus dress, Catherine bypassed the dopamine dressing of the bright-red Roland Mouret dress she wore to the ladies’ singles final, for a subdued shade WWD kindly called “olive”, with Vogue opting for “grassy”.
When the hue appeared on the runway at Dior, Simone Rocha and Balmain in February, InStyle magazine dubbed it “ugly green”, but with Catherine’s support it’s getting a glow up.
“With so many opting for white or cream at Wimbledon, it’s no surprise Kate opted to match courtside,” says Melbourne stylist Prue Webb from The Wardrobe Edit.
“Muted greens bring a sense of structure and polish to wardrobes. Rather than demanding attention, khaki, in particular, exudes a quiet authority, proving that the most compelling style isn’t always the boldest. It conveys confidence, refinement, and modern sophistication with remarkable restraint.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has already claimed khaki, wearing the Anya shift dress from Melbourne label Friends with Frank in April, on her unofficial tour of Australia with Prince Harry.
“We’re seeing green settle into the role of a new neutral,” says Julia McCarthy, Friends with Frank founder and creative director. “Rather than vibrant brat greens, olive and khaki feel much more wearable and versatile. In the same way chocolate brown has become a wardrobe staple over the past year, these softer greens work with almost everything while adding depth and interest.”
Before labelling Catherine a clothing copycat, observers should note that the future queen has been moving towards muted tones for more than a year.
In May and October last year Catherine wore an olive suit with a long-line jacket and subtly flared pants by Victoria Beckham in a shade described by Harper’s Bazaar as reminiscent of a “dirty martini”.
Catherine also wore a drab green jacket from British outfitter Barbour’s collaboration with model and influencer Alexa Chung for the video released on her 44th birthday in January, celebrating her love of nature.
“Nature is what I think of with greens,” says designer Gary Bigeni, a master of colour contrasts who memorably sent a khaki mock croc trench coat down the runway at Australian Fashion Week, alongside T-shirts with strokes of grassy green.
“With this collection it was very much about my love of working with nature rather than always showing the same tones.”
Catherine hasn’t completely abandoned glamour. Beneath the hippie-dippy allusions to nature, Sydney-based stylist Ken Thompson sniffs deeper green shades’ connection to luxury.
“It’s a nod to stealth dressing and British racing green,” Thompson says. “It’s a touch of style camouflage while living life in the fast lane.”
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