Remember Kate Middleton's casual denim midi dress? It's a breezy option for days where jeans just won't do

The Princess of Wales’s Gabriela Hearst midi dress was one of those outfits that totally slipped my mind in recent years - and yet is one of her most easy-to-recreate looks. Like so many of us, I love wearing jeans and they’re often my fall-back item when I don’t know what else to wear.

But in summer, a denim dress is a breezier option to wear in the heat and Kate wore hers for a photo taken in the Kensington Palace gardens in 2020. It showed her, Prince William and their children with Sir David Attenborough, after the Prince and naturalist enjoyed an outdoor screening of David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet.

Kate’s dress is the Marley design by Gabriela Hearst and although her mid-blue version isn’t sold anymore, you can still get it in indigo. Surprisingly, darker washes are a huge denim trend for the summer and they tend to look a bit smarter.

Shop Kate's Dress And Alternatives

Light-wash denim is quite casual and isn’t something the Princess of Wales typically wears in any form. A mid-tone blue is her favourite for jeans and the shirt dress was lovely in this colour as it had a relaxed feel but was still polished.

The softness of the colour also echoed the soft drape of the fabric. The Marley dress looks just like regular denim and is a mix of breathable linen and cotton.

This material gives the skirt a beautiful flow to it and the future Queen wore her dress buttoned almost to the top. The sleeves can be secured in a rolled-up position with press-studs, as Kate demonstrated in 2020, and the horse bit belt is detachable.

Shop Accessories For Denim Dresses

For the official photo with Sir David Attenborough she accessorised with navy court heels, though I’d personally take a more low-key approach to styling denim dresses. Denim is already more of a casual material so white trainers or slip-on sandals would work well to tie in with this.

To take a denim dress outfit up another level for a family BBQ or lunch with friends, swap sportier footwear out for something more classic. Ballet flats look chic with midi dresses and are still comfortable for all-day wear.

Alternatively, espadrille wedges give elevation and aren’t as formal as stiletto heels. There are several pairs of wedges that Kate wears, including Castañer Carinas and Russell & Bromley ankle strap ones.

One thing they all have in common is their neutral colour, which means she can mix and match them into so many summer outfits without worrying about colour clashing. However, denim also works with brighter tones and red in particular.

Something about the contrast between blue denim and cherry red is very striking. The Princess of Wales prefers dressing tonally, but I’d be tempted to style a dress like hers with a scarlet bag.

I’d be interested in seeing how else Kate might wear this Gabriela Hearst dress, though we haven’t seen it since that picture with Sir David in 2020. Prince William recently described him as a "big inspiration" to him as he announced a new wildlife documentary - Guardians - which is highlighting the work of rangers.