Kate Middleton’s favourite Zara dress is the monochrome style gift that keeps on giving - and we love its versatility

Catherine, Princess of Wales has re-worn her favourite checked Zara dress again and it’s the versatile style gift that keeps on giving.

We all have those pieces that have been in our wardrobe for years and we reach for time and time again as a failsafe outfit and the Princess of Wales is no different. She loves championing many of the best British clothing brands as well as mixing in high street gems with her luxurious items and her checked Zara dress is an old favourite. We’ve seen the future Queen wear this midi dress on plenty of occasions since she first stepped out in it back in January 2020. Affordable and stunning, it’s got a black and white houndstooth print and Kate just re-wore it in Wales.

The trip on 30th January was the Princess’s first visit to Wales so far in 2025. She was announced as the new Patron of Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice which she visited earlier on in the day before heading to Corgi. Kate tried her hand on some of the machines at the family-run textiles manufacturers and her own dress was such a stunning look for this engagement.

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Complete the Princess of Wales's Look

The Princess of Wales has previously worn this Zara dress in Wales in April 2023 and we can see why she keeps bringing it back out. A long sleeved midi dress is something that many of us will already have in our winter capsule wardrobes and whilst we love a knitted dress, one like Kate’s is great for wearing well into spring too.

It has flowing blouson sleeves, an elasticated waistband and a detachable belt with a covered buckle. The V-shaped neckline is so elegant and the pussybow detail is something the Princess often gravitates towards with her clothes. It adds femininity to the dress and breaks up the structured feel that the houndstooth gives it.

The pattern is small enough that from a distance it looks like a regular check, but even if you prefer a classic check to houndstooth, Kate’s dress can provide plenty of winter/spring outfit inspiration. Monochrome colours are the easiest to style and when you’re wearing a pattern it can help to stick to neutral tones which help balance it.

The amount of times Kate’s worn her Zara dress over the past five years shows how versatile she finds it. You can have fun with a monochrome checked dress and add a pop of colour with your accessories, though the Princess instead went with an all-black-and-white look. She wore a white tailored coat and black Russell & Bromley court shoe pumps.

Whilst the Princess of Wales loves a stiletto for engagements and big royal events, her shoes for this visit to Corgi had a block heel which is always a good choice when you want a bit more comfort. Adding a touch more glamour, she wore £89 Spells of Love Alia Hoops. These trapezoid-shaped earrings are handcrafted from brass and coated with 18k gold and they’re currently available to pre-order if you fancy picking up a pair yourself.

Kate has also worn these earrings, coat and shoes before and on the other occasions she’s stepped out in the Zara dress she has often kept to a monochrome colour palette. One exception was in Bradford in 2020 when she layered an olive green over the top and for a visit to University College London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies in 2021, she wore her dress without any outerwear and a pair of dove grey court shoes.