With her flawless fashion sense, radiant smile and bouncy, glossy locks, it is hard to find fault the Duchess of Cambridge.
But a few quiet murmurs from the style set indicate that her look is not being as universally well-received as it seems.
The 29-year-old has not set a foot wrong when it comes to designer frocks, but in almost every single picture, there is the same telltale satin sheen of sheer hosiery.
While it is true that nude stockings can hide a multitude of sins, they have not been in vogue since the Eighties and the result is a somewhat ageing look, at odds with her otherwise youthful style.
But would Catherine actually be wearing these tights if she weren’t in the public eye? The fact that she is always wearing them, and closed-toe shoes for that matter, indicate that she is simply adhering to Royal protocol.
Indeed, one will never see the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall or the Countess of Wessex without sheer stockings and closed-toe shoes. Even fashion-conscious Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie comply.
And when Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson described the dress code for a recent white tie event at Buckingham Palace, the rules were the same.
She told Harper’s Bazaar: ‘The palace dress requirements say that women… must wear closed-toed shoes – and get this: stockings! Sheer disbelief – I don’t even own a pair of sheer hose.’
Of course, like everything else the Duchess has worn since her engagement in November last year, sheer tights have been flying off the shelves.
Tightsplease have seen a 90 per cent increase in sales of nude tights compared to last year, while Selfridges reported a 40 per cent year-on-year rise.
Jordana Morrison, intimate apparel buyer at Selfridges told MailOnline: ‘Key lines that are doing especially well are the new Wolford Naked 8s and Falke Shelina tights.’
Nicola Pringle, buying manager for Tightsplease, said: ‘We believe the aim is to get glossy perfect pins rather than to get the American Tan hue, which has been popular in the past.’
She added: ‘Whether this increase in sales is down to the unpredictable weather we have seen this spring summer or the Duchess of Cambridge, nude tights have definitely became a wardrobe staple.’
Of course Catherine is not the only famous name to favour sheer pantyhose. Her sister, Pippa Middleton, is also a dedicated fan of the look, as is French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
Hayden Panettiere, Beyonce and Sarah Jessica Parker have also been championing the nude tights revival.
But opinion remains divided on whether it is a good look or not. Jezebel called it the ‘ultimate pantyhose sin’, while Daily Mail writer Anna Pursglove believes they are a godsend.
She wrote: ‘As a natural blonde with skin so pale it appears blue in certain lights, I am depressingly familiar with the how-best-to-hide-my-pasty-legs-in-summer dilemma.’
Retailers say that the bestselling sheer tights are Wolford Naked 8s and Satin Touch 20s, Falke’s Shelina tights. Pretty Polly’s Naturals range, which promise a ‘cooling effect’ finish, is also selling well. So you can at least feel cool, even if the tights themselves are not.
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