Pippa Middleton’s Summertime Dress Is A Closet Staple For Just About Everyone

Kate Middleton is going to be an aunt again, or so the world is suspecting after her sister Pippa Middleton wore a vibrant green dress that so elegantly draped over her prominent belly at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. Although the pregnancy is still unconfirmed by the couple, a source told Page Six Pippa and her husband James Matthews are “so happy” to be expecting their third child and that she’s a “natural mamma” (the couple already has Arthur Michael William Matthews, 3, and Grace Elizabeth Jane Matthews, 14 months).

She debuted the bump at the Party at the Palace concert on June 4, the third day of the festive weekend. The couple attended with Pippa and Kate’s brother, James Middleton, and his wife Alizée Thévenet. Pippa’s long-sleeved, smocked green frock seemed so comfortable and appropriate for the expecting mother, given its stretchy top and billowy skirt.

Traditionally, smocked dresses are made from an embroidery technique that gathers fabric to create elasticity (or smocking) for a garment. Often seen as a decorative component, there’s a certain amount of comfortability that has made the smocked form a fashion favorite for spring and summer, especially among pregnant women who don’t want to rely on traditional maternity wear to inform their looks. In addition to its forgiving nature, the smocked dress is popular for warm weather given its lightweight quality, even when temperatures become stifling.

While Pippa’s look erred on the side of minimalist, other styles for the warm weather seasons — like the voluminous tulle ones from Molly Goddard’s Spring/Summer 2022 runway show or the printed pieces in Autumn Adeigbo’s latest collection — incorporated the technique in a more maximalist way. And now that the high summer offerings have hit stores, the options to choose from are aplenty. Depending on your personal style, you can go as low-profile and classic as Pippa did or as bold as Goddard’s collection. See her exact dress, along with several other inspired picks, ahead.

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