Duchess Sophie’s ruffle sleeved dress is inspiring us to abandon winter whites and embrace soft creams

Duchess Sophie just wore a gorgeous ruffle sleeved dress that’s inspiring us to abandon winter whites and wear soft cream tones.

As much as we love jewel tones and all-black outfits in the winter, sometimes on a grey and rainy day we find ourselves reaching for pale-toned pieces to help add some brightness. Winter whites are always popular and many people will have a white jumper or jeans in their winter capsule wardrobe, but for a neutral option that’s a little softer and easier to wear we’ve been convinced to try cream. The Duchess of Edinburgh has inspired this with her beautiful wool Beulah London ruffle sleeved dress that might initially look white, but was actually cream.

This was her stunning outfit of choice for a reception held at Buckingham Palace on 29th January for newly elected members of Parliament and the House of Lords. It had such an elegant silhouette with its midi length skirt, long sleeves and button detailing.

Shop Cream and Ivory Staples

Duchess Sophie is known for championing the best British clothing brands and this Beulah London Yahvi dress is a timeless and feminine design that they still make in several colours - including this cream tone. It’s tailored, with a fitted bodice and flowing full skirt with the delicate covered buttons running down the side.

The beauty of this dress lies in its simplicity and the sleeves are in many ways the focal point, with their ruffled cuffs. Flared sleeves are great for bringing a bit more glamour to a classic piece and the sleeves on Duchess Sophie’s dress were understated enough to complement the rest of the design. The colour was what really caught our eye as although we tend to overlook wearing cream in favour of white, winter whites can sometimes be a little challenging to style.

As woman&home’s Digital Fashion Writer Molly Smith explains, white is great if you want to “sharpen” your look, but cream is a softer alternative.

"Cream, ecru, or ivory tones have warm undertones that can brighten and soften your complexion, whereas stark white may work to sharpen your look - however, cream colours are usually a more flattering option. Plus, to me, they feel luxurious, especially when paired with other warm neutrals or when they appear in rich fabrics like cashmere or silk,” she says.

With its warm undertones, the cream hue of Duchess Sophie’s ruffle sleeved dress was so gorgeous and brightening, without being too much. To wear this colour in a more everyday way, we would suggest picking up a classic piece of knitwear, a shirt or a more relaxed dress that would work with your favourite boots and coats for the rest of winter.

The Duchess of Edinburgh styled her dress with very pale pink court shoe heels by Prada that brought a touch of subtle contrast to her outfit. She left her blonde hair loose and wore a pair of gold hoop earrings by Giulia Barela.

This dress is clearly a favourite of hers as we’ve seen her wear it on multiple occasions over the years, including at Trooping the Colour in 2023. Duchess Sophie also owns the Beulah London Yahvi dress in a vibrant coral shade that she’s worn several times in spring and in a lemon yellow hue which she wore to Trooping the Colour last year.