Kate Middleton wears upcycled 2019 gown and Zara earrings on BAFTAs red carpet

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Write by Oscar Holland, CNN

Catherine, Princess of Wales, put a thrifty spin on regal elegance at the BAFTAs on Sunday night, pairing an upcycled Alexander McQueen gown with $28 earrings from fashion retailer Zara.

Arriving at the British film industry’s equivalent to the Oscars with her husband Prince William, the royal turned heads on the red carpet in a dress she had previously worn to 2019’s awards. But she transformed the look with an altered shoulder design and a pair of opera gloves.

Kate completed the look with black opera gloves and floral earrings.

Kate completed the look with black opera gloves and floral earrings. credits: Chris Jackson/AFP/Getty Images

Making their first appearance at the annual awards in three years, the couple were among the most hotly anticipated arrivals at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The Princess was one of several stars opting for a black and white palette on a night that included a tribute to William’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Her floor-length dress had been altered since the last time she was seen wearing it. The floral shoulder detailing seen in 2019 was replaced with an elegant draping of matching white fabric. She completed the outfit with black gloves and a pair of Zara earrings that currently sell for $27.90 and are described by the brand as featuring flower shaped charms and jewel appliqué.

William, who has been president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 2010, has henceforth stuck to a classic black-tie dress code in a velvet tuxedo.

The Princess is known for mixing high fashion with affordable accessories, and for re-using gowns from previous public appearances. At the 2020 BAFTAs she opted for an embroidered gold and white dress — also by Alexander McQueen — that she had first worn in 2012.
The gown featured floral shoulder detailing when Kate last wore it to the BAFTAs in 2019.

The gown featured floral shoulder detailing when Kate last wore it to the BAFTAs in 2019. credits: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images/File

Elsewhere on Sunday’s red carpet, it was a night of relatively pared-back fashion. Jamie Lee Curtis was stunned in a black and white ensemble, while Julianne Moore combined a black draped bustier gown with a white feather jacket.

But there were pops of color, too — from Florence Pugh’s show-stopping orange Nina Ricci dress, designed by Harris Reed, to Jodie Turner-Smith’s elaborate purple Gucci gown.

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