William & Kate Go Old School With Their Style For Buckingham Palace Garden Party: 'Refreshing'

William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, have often coordinated their looks over the years, but their latest outing really turned heads as the royals stepped out on May 8 for their annual Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace with an old-school fashion moment that reminded us why they are style icons. Fans called the look "refreshing" on X, and it's easy to see why. 

In pictures from the event, Kate Middleton wore a fitted cream top with a flower broach and a tiny matching belt around her waist. She paired this with a flowy cream skirt with black polka dots, a black-and-cream sunhat, and a tan clutch. She honored her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, with her pearl bracelet, and she honored the late Queen Elizabeth II with her Bahrain pearl drop earrings, according to People, giving her outfit even more meaning.

Prince William matched Kate's timeless fashion with an old school long, black jacket over a light gray vest and red tie, with a red flower pinned to his lapel. He wore dark gray dress pants and a black top hat as he walked with his wife, holding a black umbrella in one hand and looking every bit the dapper gentleman he is.

Netizens praised Prince William and Kate Middleton's outfits. One person wrote about their fashion on X, saying, "How refreshing to see something so beautiful and original, not photoshopped into oblivion, on here today..." Someone else shared a photo from the May 8 event, writing, "Wow Catherine."

There were many positive reactions to their outfits — from one person calling their taste "impeccable" to another saying they look like characters from "a West End musical." Someone else said, "Wow indeed! ... From head to toe, aren't they just the most thoroughly elegant couple?" On the official royal Instagram account, people also praised the couple's style. "You're both so gorgeous and elegant," one person wrote.

This is a much different reaction from the outfits William and Kate wore to last year's Garden Party (above). Although William's 2025 look was nearly identical to this year's outfit — right down to using a black umbrella as a cane! — Kate looked ready for the Kentucky Derby more than the Royal Garden Party in a butter yellow dress and huge headpiece, which was an outfit repeat. At the time, people commented on the couple's Instagram with negative remarks, like this person: "It's like they're playing dress up . ridiculous." It seems the royals might've taken the criticism to heart and changed how they approached the party this year. With Kate's more elegant, timeless look as she walked next to William, they both received a more positive fan reception... even if William didn't do much to change his own look.