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Kate Middleton's Red Look Is Straight from Diana's Playbook

By Kenzie Bryant

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

  • The two princesses. All photos via Getty.
  • Dancing with Prince Charles at ball held at the Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne, 1985. She made waves by attaching the bejeweled choker to her forhead instead.
  • A favorite look has to be Di's airplane style. Here, they've stopped to refuel in Fiji before heading on to Australia, and have thrown an impromptu birthday celebration. 1985.
  • Rocking navy and lavender at a multi-cultural children's centre in Melbourne, 1985.
  • Wearing a silver lamé Bruce Oldfield gown to a film premiere in Melbourne, 1985.
  • Close up of those shoulder pads.
  • At the National Gallery in Melbourne in another dress by Bruce Oldfield, 1985.
  • At the site of the new parliament building in Canberra, Australia, 1985, wearing a hard hat like a boss.
  • During a visit to Portland, Australia, 1985. She's wearing a Catherine Walker coat dress and a hat by Graham Smith.
  • Sun. Glasses. At the Australian Bicentennial celebration in 1988.
  • Three years after her first trip, Diana still relies on Catherine Walker for her dancing-with-Charles-in-Mebourne dress needs. 1988.
  • 1988
  • Wearing Pail Costelloe to hang with the lifeguards of Terrigal Beach in Sydney. Hubba, hubba. 1988.


Kate Middleton deplaned in New Zealand yesterday wearing a double-breasted coat by Catherine Walker and royal deja vu ensued. Princess Diana wore a similar look to head to the airport in the UK's Birmingham in 1984, pillbox hat and all (H/T Today). The only modern updates seem to be higher heels, no tights and that long hair, don't care swagger. Left wondering what other outfits will inspire the DoC as she makes her way from New Zealand to Australia, we took a look at the late princess' choices over two tours in the southern hemisphere, first in 1985 and then in 1988. Spoiler there's a lot of designers Bruce Oldfield and Catherine Walker. And also a lot of shoulder pads.

· Kate Middleton Nearly Has Another Marilyn Moment in NZ [Racked]
· Kate Middleton to Dress Less Girly, More Queenly [Racked]

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