Hello and welcome to a post featuring a poll on the Princess’s Wimbledon style and a look at the designs she’s worn in purple.
After seeing the Princess in a purple dress at Wimbledon, many of us tried to remember other occasions when she had worn that colour. 
I thought it would be a great exercise to see how often or how infrequently the Princess has chosen purple designs. It turns out she hasn’t chosen this colour as often as I thought. Let’s start with the Issa dress she wore in Canada in July 2011. 
The occasion was a concert on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day. 
The Duchess of Cambridge’s dress featured a deep V-neckline, horizontal and vertical ruching at the front, a fitted waist, long sleeves and a concealed back zipper. 
She accessorised with a black silk Anya Hindmarch ‘Maud’ clutch (£485) and black Prada heels. The Duchess wore art deco diamond earrings and a matching bracelet believed to have been a wedding gift from the then Prince Charles. She also wore the late Queen’s diamond maple leaf brooch. 
In April 2016, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a purple kira when she received a ceremonial welcome in Bhutan. The kira (also spelled kera) for women is an ankle-length dress that is a traditional style of Bhutan.
The Duchess and Queen Jetsun Pema. Her wool cape was the work of Paul and Joe.
The Duchess was not wearing a kira or full dress, but a skirt. The purple and teal fabric of the piece was sourced and woven in Bhutan by the famous artisan Kelzang Wangmo.
She wore LK Bennett ‘Floret’ heels ($375) with lavender amethyst and diamond earrings (£4900) by Kiki McDonough.
In February 2017, the Duchess debuted an Oscar de la Renta gown when she attended a health writers conference with Prince William.
The skirt suit was from the label’s Fall 2015 collection. Made from stretch wool bouclé, the fitted jacket had a fitted bodice with a pleated, flared hem. The full skirt was made from the same material; it featured pleats and a concealed back zipper. The duchess accessorized with her Mulberry Bayswater clutch, Gianvito 105 black suede pumps ($795) and Mappin & Webb Empress earrings. 
The Duchess repeated the look in January 2019 for an engagement at the Royal Opera House.
On that occasion, she wore black patent heels by Rupert Sanderson, carried her black Aspinal Midi Mayfair bag ($865) and had on her Asprey Woodland Oak Leaf earrings ($12,500).
The Duchess wore the dress for the third time during the formal opening of the EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices) Nook Hospice.
The Duchess wore her signature Gianvito Rossi Piper suede pumps ($795) and Catherine Zoraida fern hoop earrings ($181). She also carried a clutch from the Aspinal/Beulah London handbag collaboration, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the UN Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. 
Here’s a look at the three different engagements. I wasn’t initially planning on including this in the post because the color looks more magenta than violet, but in some light (particularly the January 2019 engagement), the color looked close enough to include. The brand name for the color was “ultraviolet.”
In March 2019, the Duchess wore a Gucci blouse in a color called “pale violet orchid.” 
The engagement was at a children’s center. 
The Gucci Silk Crepe Pussy Bow Blouse was made from 100% silk satin georgette and featured a loose silhouette, covered buttons down the back, a high collar with a bow, and a straight hem. The Duchess wore her blouse with the buttons facing forward (“backwards,” according to product descriptions).
We saw another shade of purple in September 2021 when the Duke and Duchess were in Northern Ireland. 
The ensembles were the work of Emilia Wickstead. The Dida double-breasted jacket and slim-fitting Gus trousers were created in a custom colour for the Duchess. 
The Duchess repeated the style in November last year for a symposium on early childhood. 
In 2021, the Duchess wore her Emmy London Josie Block Heel Pumps ($595) in navy and a Jaeger Clutch in navy. In 2023, she wore her Gianvito 105 Suede Pumps ($795) in navy suede. 
The Princess wore a purple design, believed to be by Emilia Wickstead, during welcome ceremonies for her State Visit to South Africa in November 2022. 
The midi-length design featured a fitted bodice, pointed lapels, an appliqué waistband and a pleated skirt. The princess first wore Queen Alexandra’s triple-feather brooch and pearl earrings by Collingwood. Her hat appeared to be a Sean Barrett design. Her other accessories were all in the burgundy family: her Gianvito 105 heels in burgundy suede, the Mulberry Bayswater clutch and UFO gloves.
The princess has worn designs in shades of lilac and lavender, including the Alexander McQueen dress she wore in Los Angeles in 2011 and again in 2021 at the Earthshot Awards. There’s also the Emilia Wickstead dress she wore in Germany in 2017 and then again for a mental health summit in 2018. But they’re not purple.
This brings us to the Princess’ appearance at Wimbledon in a purple Safiyaa dress. 
The name of the Safiyaa Cecilia dress for this dress color is “lilac.” The A-line midi dress features structured sleeves, an appliqué waistband, and ruching at the bodice.
As you can see, purple has not played an important role in the Princess’s wardrobe.
UPDATE 19:30 JULY 26:Here are three additional dresses that I didn’t include in the post because I didn’t think they fit the “purple” description. In a comment, Cam asked about the LK Bennett Dee crepe shift dress worn to an Early Years function in June 2021. In the centre, the LK Bennett Madison seen in June 2022 for engagements in Cambridgeshire. On the right, the Marie-Louise midi dress by Faithfull the Brand worn when the Duchess helped plant the garden at The Nook Hospice. 
It’s great to get your input in the comments and via email because you never know what I’ll forget or leave out. The designs shown above were not included because they weren’t deep purple pieces, like the Alexander McQueen dress and the Emilia Wickstead dress shown just above Safiyaa’s Wimbledon dress.
A dress that should have been included and that definitely belongs to the purple family: the Prabal Gurung that I wore in Singapore on the first leg of the Jubilee Tour 2012. Thanks to Janet on Facebook for her comment mentioning this dress. 
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And now, our poll on the Princess’ Wimbledon outfits. As we are looking at a total of 25 outfits, I have divided the poll into three sections. The first is about repeat styles, and the second and third are about new designs. Next week, we will choose the top two in each category and hold a final vote.
We’ll start with the repeat Wimbledon outfits. From left to right, Alexander McQueen’s sailor-style knit dress, Joseph’s Vanessa dress and Nessie tweed jacket, Zimmermann Roamer’s cream day dress, Jonathan Saunders’ Evelyn dress, Roksanda Ilincic’s custom yellow and white version of Ryedale dress, Dolce and Gabbana’s green dress, Alessandra Rich’s polka dot skirt paired with Smythe’s much-worn one-button jacket, Alessandra Rich’s sky-blue dress with pleats and silk crepe de chine trim (initially worn in early June), and Roksanda Ilincic’s custom yellow Brigitte dress.
Here is the survey.
And now, our first batch of new looks for Wimbledon. From left to right, Temperley London’s white Moraiah dress, LK Bennett’s red Cayla dress, Alexander McQueen’s Obsessions print dress, Dolce & Gabbana’s black and white polka dot dress, Catherine Walker’s Wildflowers print dress, Jenny Packham’s ivory Tennis Ball dress, Dolce and Gabbana’s yellow dress and Suzannah London’s white Flippy Wiggle dress. 
And now, the survey.
And now, our final group of dresses. On the left, Emilia Wickstead’s light blue dress, Emilia Wickstead’s Denver green dress, Beulah London’s Ahana dress in a blush pink, Alessandra Rich’s navy and white polka dot dress, Balmain’s mint green two-tone crepe blazer and UFO pleated skirt, Self-Portrait’s lime chiffon midi dress with a bouclé collar, Roland Mouret’s green asymmetric midi dress with ruffle detail, and Safiyaa’s lilac Cecilia dress. 
And here is the survey.
