How to master couple dressing like the Waleses
The idea of coordinated couples’ style doesn’t bring the most flattering vision to mind: Posh’n’Becks in matching purple at their wedding in 1999, or Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in his’n’hers denim at the American Music Awards in 2001.
In 2024, it’s a more subtle thing altogether, as evidenced by the Prince and Princess of Wales this week, pictured on a visit to Southport.
The Princess wore what is thought to be a several-year-old burgundy polka-dot dress from Whistles, with the belt repurposed as a neck tie, over which she wore a chocolate brown Alexander McQueen coat. The Prince coordinated with her by wearing a burgundy jumper and tie underneath his blazer.
It’s the colour of the moment, but it was also the kind of intentional coordination that conveyed a united image, and made for a great photo – and when you’re two of the most photographed people in the world, these things are important.
It’s something we do unconsciously too – anyone who has been in a long-term relationship will be familiar with the subtle influencing of each other’s style that takes place over time. It begins with something small, like a borrowed baseball cap, or a preference for the same shade of Converse trainers, evolving over time into a visible shared aesthetic.
“We use clothes to signify many things, and our connection to other people is one of them,” says fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell. “So when you’re around a group of people who have certain interests, like in a band, or a sports team, we use clothes to signify our similar tastes and as a way to connect and bond.”
The same thing applies to people in relationships, Forbes-Bell explains: “In romantic relationships, we often do this unconsciously, which is why sometimes people say that you start to look like your partner … We use our clothes and our style as a way to signify a shared identity, and it satisfies this internal desire that we have to belong, which goes all the way back to our evolutionary foundation of survival being predicated on being with a group, and how that can help to further our existence and our lineage.”
The Waleses aren’t the only high-profile couple to exhibit this behaviour – there’s intentional and unintentional mirroring of wardrobes on red carpets and front rows everywhere.
Scroll on to see the celebrity couples currently drifting into matchy-matchy territory…
Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz
The couple wore head-to-toe Loewe for the label’s Paris Fashion Week show last month. Together, they made a convincing case for bright, fuzzy knits teamed with wide and barrel-leg trousers. His’n’hers dressing - but make it high fashion.
Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton
The low-key couple have been together since 2022 – plenty of time to fuse their respective styles into what we’re going to describe as goth-luxe. Very on-brand for the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice promotional tour.
Alexa Chung and Tom Sturridge
Of course, Alexa Chung would find the most tasteful way to do the his’n her thing: she and rumoured fiance Tom Sturridge both wore silk rose adornments for the Vogue World event in Paris this summer. Her dress was by Viktor & Rolf from the autumn/winter 2005 collection. Sturridge’s dove grey corsage aligned with Chung’s while serving as a clever alternative to a pocket square – 10/10.
Idris and Sabrina Elba
These two strike the perfect balance between coordination and looks that aren’t too earnestly mirroring one another. Using a shared palette is the secret here, much like the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The King and Queen
The Waleses aren’t the only royals to wear coordinated looks for engagements; the King and Queen have also done it on occasion as well – here they both wear a rich mid-blue. At times, the whole family has been involved, like this Easter, when the Queen, the Princess Royal and even the Duchess of York all wore shades of green to put on a united front.
Justin and Hailey Bieber
You’ll never catch the Biebers in the same outfit twice unless they’re wearing the same one at the same time. Here, they’re so carefully coordinated in their white vests and leather jackets, that they’re also apparently only wearing one sleeve each. Now that’s commitment.
Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz-Beckham
These two have turned going to celebrity parties into a career, so they’ve learned a thing or two about coordinated dressing without going quite as far as Brooklyn’s parents did in the 90s. Here, Nicola’s take on black tie echoes her husband’s in a tongue-in-cheek, yet still chic way.
