Because we’re bored and we always enjoy talking about the Duchess of Cambridge’s Victorian Button Cosplay, several outlets are doing crazy in-depth pieces about Kate’s “quarantine fashion.” Kate has not done a public event since March 20th, when she and William visited an emergency call center and didn’t practice social distancing (nor did they wear masks). After that, Kate took several weeks off, but lately she’s been doing more Zoom events from Anmer Hall, and to her credit – because she’s literally praised for it – she’s been wearing real clothes and not sweatpants/jeggings and stained t-shirts. And the colors! Apparently, she’s been wearing all of the colors of the rainbow:

Eagle-eyed fan account @CambridgeMums pointed out that the Duchess has actually been wearing the colours of the rainbow, which has become a national symbol of support for the NHS during the crisis. Kate is known for her love of literal dressing, and regularly gives a nod to the event she is attending and countries she is visiting with her clothing.

[From The Daily Mail]

LMAO @ “Kate is known for her love of literal dressing.” I’m sorry, but did the Daily Mail really write that, I AM DYING. That’s Daily Mail-speak for “Ol’ girl is simple. So simple that this literal dresser cosplays the Irish flag in Ireland and thinks clown ruffles are the height of fashion. THAT KIND OF SIMPLE.”

Meanwhile, Us Weekly also had a “let’s praise Kate for wearing clothes again” story:

Kate Middleton is just like Us! She’s the queen — or duchess — of recycling outfits for special occasions, because a great outfit should never go to waste. On Friday, May 8, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a red L.K. Bennett dress to celebrate V-E Day over Zoom alongside Prince William, an elegant number she previously wore to a Wimbledon match in 2015.

“Like most people, Kate doesn’t think twice about recycling clothes,” a royal insider reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “She thinks it would be a waste to wear something once and then throw it away. And as the UK taxpayers contribute towards the royal family’s upkeep, it wouldn’t be a good look if she spent a fortune on clothing.”

The list of Middleton’s iconic fashion repeats goes on and on, to the surprise of many. “Everyone thinks that the royals live like wealthy celebrities, but if the truth be known they’re actually pretty frugal with money and don’t lead an extravagant lifestyle” the royal expert continues. “They try to be as normal and relatable to the public as possible.”

To retain the semblance of normalcy, the duchess doesn’t ask for help from a stylist on her days off. “She usually throws on a pair of jeans and a shirt or sweater,” says the source.

If you’re anything like Us, then you’re probably desperately wondering what her closet must look like. It’s certainly complete with designer labels and exquisite formalwear, but some of the affordable brand names in her closet might surprise you. “Kate doesn’t have a closet full of haute couture gowns” says the royal expert. “Yes, she has some designer pieces, but she mainly wears high-street brands like Zara, Marks & Spencer and TopShop when she isn’t attending a posh event.”

[From Us Weekly]

Except that Kate does spend a fortune on clothing. Just for the Irish tour, she spent £26,420 on new clothing and that doesn’t even include that hideous vintage clown-ruffle dress she wore. Kate has always spent too much money on clothes (so did Meghan). And now she’s being praised for re-wearing those expensive clothes on Zoom calls at home? I would sigh, but I’m still giggling to myself about Kate being a “literal dresser.”

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, KensingtonRoyal social media.