Princess Kate Proves You “Don't Need Expensive Gear” In “No Frills” Hiking Outfit
“To my surprise, I saw clothes that I could conceivably have in my closet.”
Princess Kate’s style has become so iconic that her glamorous outfits and on-trend styles regularly make fashion headlines, to the point where it has become unsurprising to see her ballgowns and blazers top the Best Dressed lists. While her enviable shoe and handbag collection gets regular attention, her athletic outfits are considered mild. That is, unless you’re a passionate outdoor enthusiast—in which case, they’re inspiring.
Princess Kate at the top of Scafell Pike.
Princess Kate's bright red shorts made an unexpected fashion statement.
Kristen Geil, Gear & Affiliate Director at Outside Interactive, hailed the Princess of Wales’s hiking gear as “unremarkable,” but in a good way. The “no frills, no fancy features, no splurgey add-ons” outfit that the princess wore to complete her Three Peaks Challenge was ‘fashion inspo’ from a slightly different lens.
“The princesses I grew up watching in cartoons and reading about in the tabloids wore bedazzled ball gowns, eye-popping revenge dresses, glittering tiaras, and occasionally, a mermaid tail,” Geil wrote for Outside Interactive. “No matter the occasion, princesses had the right outfit for it—and that outfit had been tailored within an inch of its life.” Princess Kate’s red athletic shorts and simple t-shirt were a far cry from bespoke gowns and royal jewels. “It was refreshing, then, to watch Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, conquer the U.K.’s National Three Peaks Challenge in a basic pair of running shorts,” Geil said.
The outfit was unfussy and relaxed.
The Princess of Wales and her family.
“I fully expected to click into the Instagram carousel announcing Princess Kate’s milestone (requiring her to climb the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales within 24 hours) and immediately recognize a $500 jacket, a $400 pair of hiking boots, and a $600 heavy-duty pack,” Geil said, referring to her Fjallraven jacket, Brasher boots, and simple backpack. “If anyone would have a primo hiking ensemble, it would be the Princess of Wales.”
“To my surprise, I saw clothes that I could conceivably have in my closet,” Geil wrote. The Princess of Wales could have worn a bespoke designer technical ensemble, handcrafted from the finest British textile artists. Instead, she chose shorts and a t-shirt from the back of her closet. The Three Peaks Challenge was a personal triumph, undertaken with her brother, James, and her husband and children cheering her on at the finish line. It wasn’t a perfectly polished occasion, but a personal best. “At the end of the day, Kate’s gear isn’t what got her to that final peak; it was her determination and her dedication to the cause.”
