From Blushing Bride to Senior Royal — Kate Middleton's Style Evolution

When Kate Middleton exited Westminster Abbey on her wedding day, she walked straight into her new life as a key member of the royal family, leaving behind many of her single-girl style staples. The flirty and floaty dresses, low-cut evening gowns, tousled locks, and thigh-skimming minis became a thing of the past, as she forged her way ahead with a more demure, duchess-worthy wardrobe. However, since her years as a royal, Kate has been finessing her look to become something that is suitable for a future queen, sure, but also stays true to who she is. We took a look at how Kate's fashion choices have evolved to a more self-assured mom of two (and soon to be three!).

Hair: Then
Getty | George Pimentel

Hair: Then

This is the look we first became acquainted with when Kate announced her engagement — and it stayed throughout her first year of marriage. Dark, glossy brunette locks, all one length, super long and often worn in twirly-wirly barrel curls. For her first year of royal life, Kate relied on the talented touch of James Pryce, who she'd known since her days as a girl about town in London. He had operated from the Richard Ward salon but parted ways with his former boss and hasn't styled Kate's hair since.

Hair: Now
Getty | Samir Hussein

Hair: Now

The overall look is still the same, but there have been a few subtle changes. The color of Kate's hair is more accented and a lot lighter, while she's also wearing it shorter and more shaped, which has taken away some of the bulk but none of the volume. It's still tonged but in a different way, often with bigger, more '70s-style glamour waves. For the past five years, Kate has relied on the services of Amanda Cook Tucker, who has been cutting William's and Harry's hair most of their lives.

Eyebrows: Then
Getty | Karen Ballard

Eyebrows: Then

Kate used to always go for a thick, ultradark tick of eyebrow.

Eyebrows: Now
Getty | Pool/Samir Hussein

Eyebrows: Now

She now favors a more shaped brow, slender and more arched than they were in the past and not quite as dark.

Eye Makeup: Then
Getty | Pool

Eye Makeup: Then

It seems that Kate's mantra used to be if in doubt, add more eyeliner. The duchess was fond of drawing thick black pencil inside her lash line, ringing her entire eye with with it for both day and night.

Eye Makeup: Now
Getty | Chris Jackson

Eye Makeup: Now

Kate now often leaves her inner lash line bare for daytime engagements and uses her pencil in a more subtle and flattering way. Now she favors foxy flicks of liquid liner and has mastered the art of the shimmery smoky eye.

Skin Tone: Now
Getty | Max Mumby/Indigo

Skin Tone: Now

It has been reported that Kate still has semiregular spray tans, but they are a lot lighter than they used to be. She instead uses plenty of blush on the apples of her cheeks.

Hemlines: Then
Getty | Samir Hussein

Hemlines: Then

The thigh-skimming minis of her Middleton days made way for sensible below-the-knee options as soon as she became a member of the royal family. The Erdem dress she wore on the first day of her Canadian tour in 2011 was typical of her new sleek, professional look.

Hemlines: Now
Getty | Karwai Tang

Hemlines: Now

Kate has in the last year found a new favorite hemline in the midi length, often worn '70s style with blouse sleeves. Even though she now favors a longer hemline, it looks fresher and less formal than the knee-length numbers, as seen with this splash of royal blue Saloni last year.

Necklines: Then
Getty | Kevork Djansezian

Necklines: Then

As a single girl, Kate favored plunging necklines for wow gowns at charity events, but in her early years as a royal, she almost entirely favored ultrahigh necklines, including boat necks, Peter Pan collars, and modest Vs. At black-tie events, the McQueen gown she wore in LA was typical of her new style.

Necklines: Now
Getty | Pool/Samir Hussein

Necklines: Now

While these high-neckline looks are still a part of Kate's wardrobe, she has become more confident and experimental in her choices. It's unlikely we'll see the likes of those slinky plunging Issas she wore when she was a miss, but the duchess has mixed things up recently with deeper Vs, as well as illusion panels and bare shoulders. She likes this skin-baring Preen gown so much that she has it in red and black.

Hats: Then
Getty | KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Hats: Then

Frills, ruffles, bows, and fussy feathers featured on Kate's fascinators or dinner-plate-size hats perched on the side of her head. This Philip Treacy that she wore on Garter Day in 2011 was a typical Kate look for the time.

Hats: Now
Getty | Chris Jackson

Hats: Now

Kate now favors more sleek and slinky cocktail hats with quirkier touches, such as this Gina Foster number. She has also been trying out new shapes with crowns and big brims that sit squarely on the head, employing the services of Princess Diana's favorite milliner, John Boyd.

Jewelry: Then
Getty | Max Mumby/Indigo

Jewelry: Then

Kate used to stick mostly with the sloaney staples of pearl earrings and her diamond pave button pendant, plus lots of semiprecious Kiki McDonough designs.

Jewelry: Now
Getty | Karwai Tang

Jewelry: Now

The go-to pearls, daytime diamonds, and Kiki McDonoughs are still sprinkled through Kate's looks, but the duchess has become more experimental with her jewelry, mixing in asymmetric shapes and bigger, bolder designs, like these gold-plated disc earrings by Brora.

Red Carpet: Then
Getty | Max Mumby/Indigo

Red Carpet: Then

Kate's first full-length gown as a royal was careful in its capped sleeves and high neckline, but the Jenny Packham design was still glamorous and pretty with its sparkle and blush color.

Red Carpet: Now
Getty | Karwai Tang

Red Carpet: Now

Kate has flirted with thigh-splits and a mini/floor-length combo in the past few years and most recently chose an off-the-shoulder black flower-decked McQueen gown for the BAFTAs.