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Gold jewellery has been a status symbol for centuries, and remains a key component of the modern woman’s wardrobe today. The prevailing sentiment on social media? The chunkier the chain, the chicer it is. Street-stylers and editors have been adding hefty gold chains to their white tees for seasons now, and Hailey Bieber is rarely seen without hers.
The Princess of Wales, who has recently established a simple working wardrobe of colour block tailored suits worn with complementary suede heels, has historically stuck to equally understated jewellery. When she’s not wearing royal family heirlooms for state dinners and formal occasions, the Princess likes delicate chains strung with her children’s initials. But for a visit to AW Hainsworth, a family-owned textile mill in Leeds, on Tuesday, the Princess added a statement gold chain to her forest-green Burberry suit.
Kate wore her single-breasted blazer with gold accent buttons and matching trousers over a white silk blouse, and added green suede boots. What caught the eye, though, was that bordering-on-chunky gold chain.
The Princess’s visit today underscored her personal connection to the textile industry: the prominent Yorkshire mill she toured had acquired her family’s manufacturing firm 65 years ago. In 1958, her paternal great-grandfather, Noel Middleton, played a role in the sale of the family business, William Lupton & Co, to AW Hainsworth in Pudsey, after over 160 years of operation.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
