Princess Kate wore a cozy, grandma-chic fashion piece during a visit to Scotland that flew under the radar but made a big style statement. While visiting Stirling and Falkirk, Princess Kate took off her bespoke coat to show off a heritage-inspired knit sweater vest.
The piece felt straight out of Granny Middleton's closet, featuring a timeless fair isle print with sweet little hearts woven into the pattern. The sweater vest was designed by Bamford for their A/W18 collection. The brand's owner, Carole Bamford, took to Instagram to say "it was made in Scotland from British spun wool so very suitable for the occasion."
Princess Kate paired the heritage-inspired fair isle print with a very, very Scottish skirt from Johnstons of Elgin. The design, created in collaboration with Scottish-based brand Le Kilt, "elevates the traditional Scottish kilt with a longer silhouette and luxurious cashmere," according to the brand.
She also debuted a special Scotland-inspired coat that she helped design. Alongside Johnstons of Elgin, the Princess of Wales designed the blue-toned, tartan-inspired fabric to represent Scotland's iconic flag. The fabric was used by Savile Row tailor, Chris Kerr, to create the classically-silhouetted coat. "This week’s coat design feels like the culmination of a year in which Catherine has sought to carve out her own way of engaging with fashion," fashion director Bethan Holt wrote for The Telegraph.
The Princess of Wales has embraced the sweater vest trend already, wearing a very business-chic turtleneck sweater vest in October 2023 to meet with Ukrainian refugees in London. The grey funnel-neck design came from Cefinn, former Prime Minister's wife Samantha Cameron's clothing line.
Whether layered over a turtleneck and kilt, or over a crisp collared blouse, the Princess of Wales knows how to style a sweater vest for a cozy Spring look. To keep up with the Grandma Chic trends in 2026, Princess Kate's sweater vest will be a hero piece for the upcoming season.
