Kate Middleton's Always Had Great Style — but 2016 Was Her Boldest

In June Kate moved away from her usual diaphanous evening gowns with the bold, bright Roland Mouret 'Nansen', complete with cut-out shoulders and exposed zip running down the back. It was teamed with Cartier diamond-encrusted Tricalore earrings, black satin Prada clutch, and black Gianvito Rossi strappy sandals.

Saloni London's 'Mary Illusion Dot' dress originally featured more sheer elements, but when Kate wore hers in April, it was customized to be more befitting of royalty — however the sheer sleeves and nude panel at the front still created a very different look for the duchess. She accessorized with her Cassandra Goad Temple of Heaven earrings, and navy suede Rupert Sanderson pumps.

Another completely different look for Kate came courtesy of this Barbara Casasola 'Tribal' dress. Sharply-structured and flashing lots of shoulder, the duchess wore it with a vintage crystal beaded clutch and pale pink Schutz 'Dollie' strappy sandals.

Moving away from her favorite cocktail hats in March, Kate wore a very different shape from Princess Diana's favorite milliner John Boyd. Her Erdem coat was also an unusual choice, featuring a lace design. Kate accessorized with gray suede Rupert Sanderson pumps and her trusty Emmy London clutch.

For a trip to Wimbledon, Kate left behind previous more traditional choices she had made in the past for this "Obsession Talisman" print Alexander McQueen dress. Printed with flowers, jewels, butterflies, lipsticks, and skulls, it was an unusual option because in the past Kate has made an effort to avoid McQueen's trademark skull iconography — selecting clutch bags without their original skull clasp. The duchess accessorized with her Ray Ban Wayfarers and gold Brora earrings.

Finding the mid-point between a smart day dress and her beloved skinny jeans, Kate chose patterned pants for the first time at an engagement. She teamed the Gap pants with her Smythe navy blazer, white top from H&M, taupe espadrille wedges from Monsoon, and her straw Natalie clutch from L.K. Bennett.

Kate's kohl-rimmed eyes and structured brows are her signature makeup look, but earlier this month she debuted liquid liner flicks at the premiere for a A Streetcat Named Bob. She also wore Self Portrait for the first time — a white lacy floor-length gown with dark red Gianvito Rossi pumps, Mulberry Bayswater clutch, and outsize pearl and gold studs by Oscar de la Renta.

In 2016 Kate experimented with a new dress length for her, and wore many midi-length numbers. Many had a distinctly 1970s boho flavor including the Anita Dongre dress in India, the L.K. Bennett gown she chose for hosting the Obamas, and this white lace Dolce and Gabbana she wore for Ascot, along with beige Rupert Sanderson pumps, her L.K. Bennett Natalie clutch, and Jane Taylor 'Una' cocktail hat.

This was also the year that Kate embraced assorted strong retro looks — one of the most chic incorporated the Missoni 'Long Snake Stitch' coat, vintage-style pillar box hat, and chignon covered with a hair net. The duchess accessorized with her black Gianvito Rossi pumps, black Mulberry Bayswater clutch, and faux-pearl and crystal earrings from Balenciaga.

The pattern, the tiers and the shape gave Kate a totally fresh new look for her arrival to Vancouver. The duchess wore her new Alexander McQueen number with a red Miu Miu clutch and matching Russell and Bromley pumps.

For a hike in Bhutan, Kate could have kept it simple in her Zara skinnies, Jaegar shirt, and Penelope Chilvers boots, but the waistcoat from Really Wild transformed it into A Look.

One of Kate's chicest and freshest looks of the year came courtesy of this bold red 'Finella' dress during her tour of Canada. Nothing about this look was uniform, with different cuts and shapes. Asymmetric, midi-length, and with lots of skin on display, the duchess teamed the dress with her misshapen Soru Baroque pearl earrings, red Gianvito Rossi pumps and Jenny Packham Casa clutch.

Kate's cocktail hats are usually a frothy little concoction of frills, flowers, and feathers, so this strong design was something of a departure. She wore the Lock and Co Morning Rose Perching Hat with her trusty cream Day Birger et Mikkelsen coat, new Kiki McDonough citrine earrings, and blush L.K. Bennett Fern pumps and Nina clutch while attending a garden party in Northern Ireland.