Pippa Middleton delivered summer sunshine in an outfit with her yellow dress at the tennis and her voluminous waves were so glamorous

Pippa Middleton's sunshine yellow dress and glamorous waves at the US Open in 2012 is a combination that still takes our breath away

Composite of two pictures of Pippa Middleton wearing a sunshine yellow dress with her hair in soft curls at the 2012 US Open Men’s Singles Quarter Final
(Image credit: Image 1: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/GettyImages // Image 2:Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Pippa Middleton’s sunshine yellow dress and voluminous waves at the US Open in 2012 was a combination that’s perfect for summer.

Many of us have our go-to neutral summer wardrobe staples that work for us without fail - whether it's a selection of floaty dresses, your best jumpsuits or linen co-ords. However, that doesn’t mean you should never mix things up and with the sun finally shining in the UK we’re certainly tempted to bring out our more colourful items too. Yellow might seem like a rather tricky tone to style, but a pop of sunshine yellow can be so striking and we’ve still not forgotten Pippa Middleton proving this with her pre-birthday outfit back in 2012. 

The Princess of Wales’s sister attended the US Open Quarter Finals in New York the day before her 29th birthday wearing a vibrant yellow dress by Phase Eight, with her hair in beautiful waves. As with many of the clothes worn by Pippa, this piece was the epitome of timeless simplicity when it came to the design.

Pippa Middleton watches the 2012 US Open Men's Singles Quarter Final match

(Image credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/GettyImages)

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Pippa’s sunshine yellow dress had a classic shift shape to it, with a modest crew neckline and three quarter length sleeves. The skirt fell to just above the knee and all over the body of the dress was delicate lace which finished in a scallop hem at the bottom. The sleeves were unlined and so here the intricacy of the lace cut-outs was even more defined and gorgeous. Pippa Middleton’s dress came in two colourways, one of which was a creamy white, however she went all out for the US Open and went for the fabulous yellow option.

She’s never been afraid to wear bright colours and although red is one of her personal favourites, yellow is another one of those tones she’s worn a lot over the years. Sometimes Pippa sticks to more pastel yellow hues like the lemon yellow dress she wore to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation but the bright yellow gave her tennis outfit a sense of fun.

Pippa Middleton attends the 2012 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 5, 2012

(Image credit: Photo by Uri Schanker/WireImage via Getty)

The eye-catching colour had a warm undertone that looked sensational with her wedges and bag. Pippa accessorised with Russell & Bromley wedges with a jute sole and soft tan-toned uppers and carried a Kate Spade handbag with natural raffia detailing.

Both worked perfectly with Pippa’s dress and their pared-back colours meant that the yellow wasn’t overshadowed or overpowered in any way. This is a great trip if you want to wear more yellow this summer as neutral, classic accessories help to balance out the brightness of the hue.

To complement her outfit Pippa wore her glossy brunette hair in voluminous waves that she left loose, in a centre parting. Her hairstyle is something we want to recreate with our hair curling tools of choice and, of course, the best hair products for humidity now the weather is warmer.

Pippa Middleton watches the men's singles quarterfinal match between Andy Murray of Great Britain and Marin Cilic of Croatia at the 2012 US Open

(Image credit: Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

When curling your hair, it’s important to remember that preparation is a step you shouldn’t miss out, if you want to make curls last longer

"Preparation is absolutely key when it comes to styling curls," Adam Reed, legendary hairstylist and founder of ARKIVE previously told Woman&Home Digital. "Good prep will prevent the curls from coming out quickly. Try a blow-dry spray or lightweight mousse."

Pippa Middleton’s glamorous waves held in place throughout the Quarter Finals at the US Open and had plenty of volume too. In recent years she’s tended to wear her hair in looser waves or straight, though Pippa went all-out with a twisted, half-up, half-down look for the Wimbledon 2024 Men’s Singles Final that showcased similarly pretty curls.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!