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Few items of clothing seem as stuffy as the sweater vest. The sleeveless knit pieces are frequently considered conservative—presumably also because they are associated with traditional school uniforms of decades’ past. But with the increasing popularity of the modern preppy style, sweater vests can also be styled cool and casual and, thus, also have what it takes to become a noteworthy fall trend.
What we would not have expected, however, is that the sweater vest would become a royal fashion favorite. After all, it doesn’t quite fit with the cliché of a crown- and robe-wearing princess. And yet, that’s exactly what has happened. In early October, none other than Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, visited with Ukrainian refugees at a community center in Bracknell wearing a light gray knitted sweater from the brand Cefinn.
With her styling, the Princess of Wales proves that the sweater has long since shed its staid image and can indeed be an elegant and chic fall trend. Kate Middleton combined her sleeveless knitted piece with a minimalist outfit consisting of a white blouse and gray wide-leg pleated pants by Sézane. She kept the look preppy with small pearl earrings by Shyla London and plaid pumps from J.Crew.
The simple color choice gives the classic sweater a modern touch, while the different textures and varying shades of gray ensure that the outfit does not look monotonous, or even boring. This is also ensured by the blouse, where on the one hand the collar peeks out casually and almost “undone” from the small stand-up collar of the sweater vest and on the other hand the sleeve cuffs are cut casually wide.