Plaids, checks, stripes, toile—the runways were full of patterns in 2015 and, shortly thereafter, so were royal wardrobes. Usually the bailiwick of older royals, patterns were a mainstay for style-savvy young ones, too. Some carried it off, including Queen Mathilde in a Natan dress (coordinated to match the Dutch queen’s Natan). Many failed. Interspersed among neo-prairie florals and blinding geometrics were intense colour combinations that spawned controversy. Kate’s vivid Erdem dress was deemed by some a shade (and a ruffle) too far. In the blur of colour, some may have forgotten fashion’s golden rule: Clothes should enhance the woman, not overwhelm her.
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