Kate Middleton Returned to Wimbledon With a Completely Unexpected Summer Bag

Kate Middleton doesn’t always wear white to Wimbledon, but she never fails to serve.

On July 12, the Princess of Wales decided to abide by the same all-white dress code as players during the London-based Tennis tournament, arriving to the women’s singles final in a structured two-in-one dress by Self Portrait, which she has famously worn in multiple colors and styles over the years. This cream iteration combined a belted jacket and flowing pleated skirt, which could be an intentional nod to players’ athletic skorts.

Of course, the all-white ensemble wasn’t her only form of thematic dressing. As usual, Middleton was sporting princess nails, a barely-there blush manicure trend that was practically named after her.

Not much about this look would surprise royal onlookers, who should also be familiar with her Gianvito Rossi suede pumps, but Kate Middleton managed to hit a curve ball with her summer carry-all.

The princess finished off her look with a braided white tote bag by Anya Hindmarch—an unexpected choice for the Princess of Wales, who is typically photographed carrying tiny clutches or small top-handle bags of similar size. Of course, she still matched her rare bag to the rest of her ensemble, as she is wont to do.

Although the white version of the London brand’s Neeson Small Square Tote is not yet available on the Anya Hindmarch website, it’s listed as “coming soon” and will retail for $1,490. A “light nude” take on the braided bag is currently on sale for $1,116.

Back in 2017, when Middleton was still the Duchess of Cambridge, etiquette expert Myka Meier told Good Housekeeping that Middleton typically opts for clutches while performing royal duties for a practical reason. At the time, Meier said the senior royal “holds her bag in front of her in both hands when shaking hands might be awkward.”

It seems the princess was unconcerned about any “awkward” exchanges at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where she was tasked with presenting the trophy to Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek following her match against American tennis star Amanda Anisimova.

When Kate Middleton does opt for a larger option, she’s usually carting around her belongings while traveling between engagements, not looking to follow or set a new bag trend. In those cases, she nearly always favors zipper work totes by brands like Aspinal of London, Longchamp, and Smythson. This mid-sized shopper falls into a completely different category.

Her bag philosophy seems to revolve around practicality, which leads me to believe the princess had a bit more to carry with her than usual…or this braided summer tote was just too good to pass up.

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