Kate Middleton Re-Wears McQueen Dress From 2017 But Adds Sleeves — Or Is It A Whole New Dress?

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Is Kate Middleton an outfit repeater? The duchess has fans wondering if she cleverly altered an old gown, or just ditched it and got a new dress. Honestly, we’re just as puzzled when we see this side-by-side!

Kate Middleton was glowing when she appeared at the National Portrait Gallery on March 12 in a gorgeous Alexander McQueen gown. The Duchess of Cambridge went with her go-to designer for the swanky event, this time opting for a tiered, floral gown with cute cap sleeves. It looks a bit familiar, though. Kate wore an almost identical dress to the 2017 BAFTAs! One large difference: that dress, from Alexander McQueen’s Resort 2016 collection, had thin, off-the-shoulder Bardot neckline instead of sleeves. Both equally pretty gowns with different effects.

Kate’s known for re-wearing key pieces in her wardrobe like any regular gal. That’s why fans are convinced that she got creative with a seamstress and pulled a “Marge Simpson’s Chanel suit” to revamp the gown. After all, she looked like a million bucks the first time around. Why not recreate that magic? It’s fairly simple to remove straps and add sleeves to a dress, so this seams likely. However, some fans noticed that the flowers on the bodice of the 2019 gown lined up differently with its satin belt. Same goes with the first satin band on the skirt.

Could she have just liked the pattern so much that she requested a new gown? That’s up to the rest of us to decide, because a royal never tells their style secrets. Either way, she looked absolutely stunning at the National Portrait Gallery event. The duchess accessorized with a Prada clutch purse, Jimmy Choo pumps, and pink morganite and diamond earrings from Kiki McDonough. She wore those to her sister, Pippa Middleton‘s wedding!

Kate’s style is always impeccable. Recently, she was spotted wearing a similar outfit to her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.  The two royals rocked a casual, but chic, combo of striped tees and fitted jeans. Love it!