Duchess Sophie’s soft gray coat dress pushes royal outside her fashion comfort zone

Duchess Sophie’s soft gray coat dress pushed her outside her fashion comfort zone as she attended the third Buckingham Palace garden party of the year. 

• The Duchess of Edinburgh wowed in a silver-gray coat dress as she hosted the Not Forgotten Association Garden Party on May 16.
• This might be considered a rather surprising color choice for her given the shades she’s opted for recently, from bright emerald to coral pink.
• This royal news comes as we revealed Prince William and Princess Catherine's plans to be totally different to “unreachable” Queen Elizabeth.   

The Royal Family has really been pulling out all the style stops so far this year and whilst Kate Middleton’s dresses continue to wow, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s looks are just as memorable. From Duchess Sophie showcasing one of hottest trends right now with her love of oversized blazers to her suede coat and bright green maxi skirt for a visit to the Royal Windsor Horse show, she’s been giving us some serious inspiration. Now Duchess Sophie’s soft gray coat dress has shown she’s keen to push herself outside her royal fashion comfort zone too. 

£79 at John Lewis

Jolie Moi Sherlyn Flounce Dip Hem Midi Dress | $98/£79 | John Lewis & Partners 

Recreate your own version of Duchess Sophie's soft gray coat dress with this wrap-style midi option in a delicate silver shade. With it's sleeveless design and flounced hem, this would make for the perfect summer evening look.

The Duchess of Edinburgh opted for an all-dove-gray outfit as she hosted the Not Forgotten Association Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 16. Designed by Suzannah, her coat dress has a stunning sheen to the fabric, three quarter-length sleeves and a subtle, curved neckline. With a wrap-style midi skirt, the coat dress is fastened at the waist, accentuating her silhouette. 

Duchess Sophie’s soft gray coat dress was paired with a hat in the exact same shade of silvery gray. It featured a slanted brim and netting decoration that resembled delicate flowers and was the perfect choice to pair with the coat dress. The only part of the overall look that wasn’t in this beautiful shade was her white heels with their ankle buckles. 

Although she’s worn this particular outfit before during a visit to Dorking in 2017 it’s been a while since we’ve seen the Duchess of Edinburgh in gray - a color that most of the Royal Family tend to steer clear of wearing in favor of bolder colors. Especially in recent months and years Duchess Sophie has generally been following this royal trend, wearing bright colors, summery pastels or at least one item that adds a vibrant pop of color.

Just a few days ago Duchess Sophie’s fitted coral dress showcased her love of vivid shades at the coronation concert and she wore a pink and white gingham dress for another Garden Party. Her choice to wear soft gray could be seen as quite a radical departure from these recent looks and shows that she’s not afraid to switch things up and go for a more low-key color palette with her clothing on occasions like this. 

There’s a Garden Party held for the Not Forgotten Association annually at the monarch’s principal London residence. As per the Royal Family website it brings together over 2,000 beneficiaries of the association across all services. The charity was established in 1920 and it provides leisure, recreation and entertainment for former service people with illness or disabilities as well as for serving personnel who are injured, wounded or sick. Duchess Sophie hosted this year and was pictured animatedly talking with guests as they enjoyed this special event.