Kate Middleton Vs Pippa Middleton: The Difference Between Their Stunning Styles

Ever since she joined the royal family in 2011, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has had no shortage of amazing fashion moments. Though she hails from a middle-class background, the future queen consort exudes aristocratic charm and poise. And as the throne looms ever closer, royal fashion aficionados can look forward to watching her blossom into a trendy millennial queen. Similarly, Princess Catherine's younger sister Pippa Middleton has been praised as a fashion icon in her own right, showcasing a number of head-turning it-girl ensembles since she first rose to prominence. Though the sisters are both elegant and impossibly chic, there are some key distinctions between their aesthetics, with Pippa having the freedom to experiment with edgier, boho-style fashion than her royal sister. 

Princess Catherine and Pippa Middleton have a close relationship, and the two evidently share an affinity for high fashion; however, when it comes to coordinating couture, these two couldn't be more disparate. Get ready for a Middleton sister showdown as we explore the difference between their stunning styles.

Throughout the years, Catherine, Princess of Wales' style has changed a lot, becoming more polished and thus befitting a future queen. Nevertheless, her style has been consistently minimalist and classic; she rarely, if ever, adopts the trends of the era. Her sister Pippa Middleton, however, has always been one to embrace the ever-changing sartorial landscape. In 2007, the sisters made one of their first public appearances, supporting historian Simon Sebag Montefiore at the launch of his book "Young Stalin." Princess Catherine, who had not yet married into the House of Windsor, wore an elegant cream dress for the occasion. Though the number was much shorter than the dresses synonymous with her signature royal style, it certainly wasn't far off from her future aesthetic.

Pippa, meanwhile, was dressed in an ensemble much more befitting the limbo between Y2K style and the advent of the 2010s. She wore a dress with a bold flower print, topped off with a bolero jacket. Though the bolero jacket (or tiny shrug) was popular in the 2000s, seen on celebs such as Hilary Duff, Ashley Tisdale, and Amanda Bynes, they're rarely worn these days. Moreover, the bold print also feels quintessentially aughts — the sort of thing one might have seen on twee queen Zooey Deschanel in her adorkable heyday.

Royal fashion fans won't be spying Catherine, Princess of Wales, in a miniskirt any time soon. This is due to strict royal protocol that forbids royal women from wearing anything with a hemline shorter than knee length. But Pippa Middleton is not beholden to royal rules and thus has the freedom to don a micro-mini if she so wishes. Back in 2011, Pippa exhibited her penchant for shorter dresses at the Alice Temperley fashion show in London, where the it-girl had a front-row seat. Pippa, who went bare-legged for the occasion, paired the dress with a pair of black, heeled ankle boots. The ensemble encapsulated the differences between the Middleton sisters' sense of style; Princess Catherine would never be seen in an outfit as edgy as this one, nor would she show as much flesh as her sibling. 

Moreover, she wouldn't actually be permitted to wear such a 'fit in public. In addition to the aforementioned protocol regarding short skirts, there's also an unspoken rule that prohibits royal women from going bare-legged, with noblewomen expected to always pair their dresses with hosiery. Princess Catherine strictly adheres to this rule and is never seen sans a pair of black tights or sheer stockings. Additionally, unlike her stiletto boot-sporting younger sister, the Princess of Wales invariably opts to wear court shoes.

A twinning moment between friends or sisters is always an adorable sight. But Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Pippa Middleton decided to instead showcase their differing, unique styles when attending the wedding of businessman Sam Waley-Cohen and Bella Ballin in 2011. Princess Catherine was serving regal vibes in a black and white printed shift dress and dramatic fascinator, with the outfit being consistent with the coordinates that the princess would go on to wear throughout her royal duties. 

Rather than matching her big sister, Pippa wore a printed dress under a silky, bright olive jacket. Both sisters looked stunning in their own way, but Pippa's ensemble was, again, reflective of the style of the era (green satin was very much in vogue in the early 2010s, appearing all over the runways, particularly in London), whereas Princess Catherine's choice of attire had a timeless quality. The two did, however, match fascinators, so they weren't entirely averse to a cute twinning moment.

When it comes to awkward royal wedding moments, few can compare to the ongoing claim that Pippa Middleton outshone her sister at her wedding to William, Prince of Wales, in 2011. In one of her most iconic fashion moments, Pippa made the unusual move of matching her sister's wedding gown, wearing a tight ivory dress intended to blend in with Princess Catherine's train. It was the sort of figure-hugging dress that the Princess of Wales would never be seen wearing, exemplifying the sisters' disparate styles at the seminal occasion. Both bride and bridesmaid looked stunning, with Princess Catherine donning a magnificent gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Of course, Pippa didn't outshine the blushing bride, and such claims were arguably born from sexist discourse surrounding the sisters. The Middletons merely showcased their differing aesthetics, with Pippa opting for a more fitted dress in line with her personal style preferences. She has, however, been able to laugh at her viral, tight-dress moment in the years that followed. "As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and — you may say — its backside," she quipped at the Women in Advertising and Communications dinner in 2014, per Yahoo! Lifestyle.

As much as it's about tennis, Wimbledon is also a fashion-focused event. The annual London tournament is a perfect opportunity for the world's stylish elites to showcase their best garb (though, admittedly, Wimbledon has been home to some terrible outfits, too). Typically, Catherine, Princess of Wales, wears classic outfits to the tournament, never venturing outside of her comfort zone of old-money chic. But Pippa Middleton is often keen to don bold, dramatic attire. 

Appearing at Wimbledon 2012 together, the sisters were total opposites. Princess Catherine wore a cream coordinate, pairing a Joseph Vanessa dress with a tweed jacket and in turn conjuring the iconic Wimbledon outfits of her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. Meanwhile, Pippa Middleton stunned in a ruffled peplum shift dress with a ditsy swallow print. Pippa was serving London it-girl-about-town, while Princess Catherine was slaying as a preppy royal. Though the sisters didn't exactly match, their outfits nonetheless complemented one another, with Pippa's printed, powder-blue dress contrasting nicely against her sister's monochromatic look.

Pippa Middleton has worn some pretty shocking outfits throughout the years, proving that she's unafraid of courting some couture controversy. Of course, Pippa is usually the picture of elegance, but she has veered outside of her comfort zone on a number of occasions — something that her sister has always appeared reluctant to do. 

In 2013, she pushed the boundaries by rocking an eye-popping electric-blue Matthew Williamson frock, complete with an orange feathered hem. The fun look signifies the creative freedom that she has when it comes to styling, which is in stark contrast to her sister, who, of course, must dress in accordance with the rules of the Crown. "Pippa is definitely able to be freer with her clothing than Kate," stylist Melissa Lund later explained to Express. "Kate's royal role has a fair amount of protocol attached to it and she's not only in the public eye, she's on the world stage."

Though they generally have a close bond, there are signs that Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Pippa Middleton's relationship isn't as rosy as it seems. For many years, the pair's relationship has been blighted by allegations of sibling rivalry. Though there's no evidence to such claims, it did appear that Princess Catherine was taking style notes from her sister in 2015. 

The princess was seen sporting noticeably edgier attire; appearing at the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance, for instance, she wore a black dress with lace scalloping. It was much more in line with the ensembles that her sister often wears, which led to claims that Princess Catherine was copying Pippa. However, as the Observer pointed out at the time, Princess Catherine's experimentation with more provocative fashion was still quintessentially "Kate," and as hard as she may try, she'll always be better off exuding regal charm over the sort of it-girl edginess that her sister embodies.

Pippa Middleton may have gone unforgettably viral at her sister's royal wedding, but there were no such memeworthy moments when she tied the knot six years later. When Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended Pippa and James Matthews' nuptials in 2017, her dress was markedly toned down compared to the one her sister had worn at the royal wedding back in 2011. Princess Catherine wore a blush-pink mid-length dress by Alexander McQueen and a matching fascinator. 

It was a simple yet elegant look, and one that was understated enough to allow the bride-to-be to wow the guests. The princess' decision to don such an inconspicuous look at her sister's wedding was indicative of both her demure personal style and low-key public persona. By contrast, the show-stopping entrance that Pippa made at Princess Catherine's wedding six years earlier was a reflection of her uniquely edgy sartorial self-expression.

The year was 2019: Catherine, Princess of Wales, was then the Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle was a working royal, and Pippa Middleton was turning heads with her bold style statements (though nothing has changed in the latter regard). Attending Wimbledon that year, Princess Catherine once again proved her commitment to minimalist styling and block colors. She donned a simple emerald-green dress, a shade that always looks great against her tanned complexion and chestnut hair. 

As for Pippa, she stunned in a floaty blue and white floral frock and wore part of her hair in a French braid, evoking a more polished take on the boho-chic aesthetic. In this instance, Meghan's style was much more akin to Pippa's, with the Duchess of Sussex looking sophisticated, yet ever so slightly edgy, as she wowed in a printed blue and white tennis skirt. Though Meghan was a working royal at the time, her outfit perhaps denoted a need to escape the rigidity of The Firm, something personified by non-royal Pippa having the freedom to let out her inner bohemian at the event. 

Following Catherine, Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis and preventative chemotherapy treatment at the start of the year, the royal was slowly making a return to public appearances during the summer of 2024. Accordingly, Princess Catherine and Pippa Middleton made a joint appearance at Wimbledon that truly delineated the major differences between their stunning styles. Princess Catherine arrived in an eye-grabbing purple gown by Safiyaa. Purple is a signature color for the Princess of Wales, who has often worn the vibrant shade throughout her royal duties. However, in this instance, there was arguably a deeper meaning behind her decision to don the color for her second public appearance of the year. "Wearing purple underlines how important that role is to her and why she chose this event to make her second public appearance of the year," fashion expert Bethan Holt told People. "It's also the color of courage, which could be a nod to what she is going through."

Meanwhile, Pippa wore a retro, '70s-style floral dress by Beulah London, complete with a ruffled bust. It was another boho-adjacent look for Pippa, in contrast to the demure sophistication of her older sister. Once again, the Middletons were far from twinning, but the marked distinctions between their outfits only served to accentuate their individual forms of creative expression through fashion.