Princess Kate Embraced Barbiecore in an Affordable Outfit on Her Latest Royal Engagement

Princess Kate has always been known for mixing designer items with affordable picks, as well as always having her finger on the pulse when it comes to fashion—even if there are guidelines for how a royal should dress.

The Princess of Wales proved she's still got it during her latest royal engagement with Prince William, when they visited the Foodshare food bank in their hometown of Windsor today, Jan. 26.

Kate opted for a subtle Barbiecore look, wearing a fuchsia coat (opens in new tab) and matching turtleneck sweater by British label Hobbs (opens in new tab), both of which are not affordable per se, but are certainly more in regular people's price range than some of the princess' clothes by Alexander McQueen or Emilia Wickstead, for example.

She also accessorized with some gold-toned hoop earrings by Orelia London (opens in new tab) that cost just $23.

While Kate has always tried to strike a relatable chord, she seems to have doubled down on the relatability factor recently, for example by rewearing outfits within weeks of each other, rather than within years like she used to.

There are a number of factors that might be influencing Kate's decisions to dress more like a layperson: the ushering in of King Charles' "slimmed-down monarchy," the need to stay relevant amid criticism from the Sussexes and from anti-monarchists, consideration for the environment, and the cost of living crisis the U.K. is currently experiencing.

"The Royal Family have a knack for understanding what their public want," comments Mok O'Keeffe, a historian known as @gayaristo.

"It has meant that they remain relevant in people’s minds. Subliminally it may be a message about expense of the monarchy or environmental issues—reflecting public sentiment and challenging public dissent.

"But I think what Kate is doing is 'normalizing' royalty. It used to be about 'mystique' and now it’s about relatability.

"We all have 'work' clothes which we wear time and time again. Kate is saying that when she does her job, she is the same as all of us. It makes the Royal Family less remote, more relatable and, especially these days, more stable."

While at Foodshare, the Waleses learned about the work the organization does to provide food to those in need, and helped to check food baskets were in order.