Kate Middleton is winning widespread admiration because of her no-frills approach to fashion.
The Duchess of Cambridge is known to dress as she feels comfortable, donning retro cosmetics and discount footwear.
Kate wore a $60 dress for her first family portrait photo shoot with her newborn Prince George, and even paid as little as $50 for polka dot piece from online fashion store ASOS. She is even gaining a reputation for recycling clothes, which is almost unheard of in elite circles.
This is sending a strong message to young woman that they do not have to spend a lot of money to feel like royalty, which is effectively challenging the status quo that from an early age women have to look sensual 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
The Duchess showed this nous for fashion on her recent trip with Prince William to Bhutan, which is situated at the eastern end of the Himalayas and sometimes called ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’ by outsiders – bordering China to the north and India to the south, east and west.
After trekking through the mountains to a sacred monastery, Kate describes the journey as an “amazing experience”.
Image credit: Kensington Royal on Instagram
Image credit: Kensington Royal on Instagram
Image credit: Kensington Royal on Instagram
“I feel very lucky and fortunate to see such beautiful scenery,” she told Reuters in a televised interview.
“We did see one family up there with a spare child on the front. They are very brave people.”
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Bhutan is a mountainous nation measuring about the same size as Switzerland. Many of the winding tracks are unpaved and can be obstructed by boulders. Even the so-called National Highway is no exception.
Roads first appeared in Bhutan during the early 1960s, after Nehru Gandhi from India trekked on paths by horseback and foot. Shortly after the introduction of roads, there were also schools, doctors, stamps and currency. The internet and television was only established in 1999, which led the Bhutanese to understand what fashion is. This has worked in the Duchess’ favor.
Bhutan is also one of the world’s happiest countries. The country even has a gross national happiness index to ensure “material and spiritual development happen together”. Bhutan has ranked as the happiest country in the continent of Asia and the eighth happiest country in the world, according to Business Week.
In fact, tour guides will often tell visitors to the country that they “are now family” and their wellbeing is now the kingdom’s official duty. Perhaps this is why Prince William and Duchess Kate enjoyed their visit so much.