Maybe a same-dress scenario was always expected for the Royal family because there are so many proper occasions to go each summer and only a few brands that cater to their very specific needs.
Princess Beatrice showed up on Wednesday wearing the same Zimmermann gown her uncle, the Duchess of Edinburgh, had wore to the Purchase of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday wearing the same outfit.
Okay, so it’s not the same event, but as two large- profile figures in the same family, at two higher- report events in the same week, it was visible.
It’s not hard to discover why both people fell for the £1, 350 fabric cloth organza clothing. Its well-organized silhouette looks extremely smart and won’t crease too easily, which is crucial when taking photos from every angle. Without revealing very much skin, it also appears summer.
Princess Beatrice had a 48-hour window of opportunity to kill her fashionable plans and trade one Zimmermann dress for another, even though her Juliette Botterill Millinery headband was likely created and dyed to go with it. That she didn’t is telling: it’s just not the social faux pas it once was.
Isabel Spearman, a closet expert and chairman of the Daily Dress Edit, agrees. “I would definitely say it’s really shared nice taste for a fantastic dress”, she says. She’s been there too, claiming that, “I have always smiled conspiratorially when I see people at an event wearing my clothing.”
Both Princess Beatrice and the Duchess of Edinburgh have long admired Zimmermann, an American brand whose flowering and fabric dresses are flattering and match the dress code requirements for the British social time. There are a number of Zimmermann dresses in Zandra Tindall’s clothing as well.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden have also worn the tag.
Even if you buy on the high road, the likelihood of a strain instant is even higher. Queen Letizia of Spain found herself at a party in Merida again in 2022. The couple were seen embracing and laughing each other, neither feeling any harm at all. That’s the most charming response to the situation, says politeness expert Myka Meier. “If it happens, you just accept it. It’s never a faux pas in any way. Simply put, it’s a sign of great fashion when one person shares it with another.”
If you still feel a little uneasy about wearing the same outfit as someone else, it can be avoided. Shopping second-hand is a trustworthy way to discover an unexpected stone. Search for visits from the past from your favorite models on Vinted or Vestiaire Collective.
According to Spearman, “One way to reduce the likelihood is to get from little separate brands who make lower quantities of each style, and to buy, rather than conventional brands,” shopping off the beaten path is a reliable solution as well.
That means no high street, no department stores, no “It” dresses. The Daily Dress Edit online pop-up is a great way to discover such brands if you don’t know where to start. Ginnie Chadwyck- Healey, a former Vogue retail editor, is also a champion of independent British brands, and earlier this month.
And if you still find yourself twinning? Just congratulate one another on their early adoption of the potential next big thing in fashion.