Kate Middleton’s blackberry jumper dress and snug tights are the perfect combination for brisk autumn walks and evenings by the fire

The Princess of Wales’s blackberry jumper dress and tights are the perfect combination for brisk autumn walks and evenings by the fire.

When the skies are grey and the leaves are falling we often find ourselves reaching for the same cosy combination of our best wool jumpers, jeans or trousers and practical boots. However, sometimes we want to feel a little bit more elevated with our autumn style and there’s no better item to wear on these days than a jumper dress. A jumper dress gives you the cosiness of a jumper with the elegance of a dress and they’re a staple in many people’s autumn capsule wardrobe. The Princess of Wales is also a big fan and we’ve seen her wear plenty of them over the years, though her blackberry-toned one from 2017 has to be one of our favourites.

She attended the annual Place2Be School Leaders Forum that November in her role as Patron of the national children’s mental health charity, Place2Be. For this important engagement, she opted for a warm and striking mini dress by GOAT, which had four statement gold buttons running along one shoulder and a crew neckline.

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We don’t often see the Princess of Wales wearing mini dresses nowadays but this one was so stunning, with its slightly boxy sleeves. At the time Kate was pregnant with Prince Louis and this dress had a more relaxed fit that was likely incredibly comfortable too. The silhouette was relatively simple and this meant that the fabulous berry shade really got a chance to shine.

It couldn’t have been more perfect for a blustery November day and whilst this red-purple blend was undeniably bold, it wasn’t overwhelmingly vibrant for such an important engagement. Like other deep tones like burgundy, forest green and navy, the blackberry colour of Kate’s jumper dress would look beautiful with metallics during the festive season and can also be styled easily with neutrals like black, brown and cream.

If you’re not quite sure how berry pieces would work in your autumn wardrobe then accessories are an easy way to try it out, whilst knitwear or a knitted dress have a soft texture that also helps to balance the statement shade. On this occasion in 2017, the future Queen styled her dress simply with opaque black tights and a pair of black suede block heeled shoes. However, she could easily have swapped out the heels for flat ankle or knee high boots for a more low-key outing like a casual walk or meal with friends.

Plain tights might not be the most glamorous clothing item around but they are very practical when the weather gets colder and we want to still wear some lovely dresses and skirts whilst staying toasty warm. To add a playful touch to a look you could swap out opaque tights for a polka dot pair or other patterned styles, but Kate went for timelessness with her choice.

The tights blended in with her court shoes and created a leg-elongating effect. The subtle contrast between the berry jumper dress and black tights and shoes was also very chic and Kate finished off her outfit with a classic black Mulberry clutch bag. Back then her hair was slightly shorter and she wore it in bouncy curls left loose around her shoulders.

This outfit was cosy yet stylish for the forum, where Kate delivered a passionate speech in which she reflected that everyone was there that day because they shared “the belief that every child deserves the chance to fulfil their potential”.

“When I came to this conference two years ago, I left with a real sense of energy and passion about what we could all achieve together. And I'm looking forward to learning even more today,” she declared.