Why Kate Middleton wears the same thing over and over again (and you should, too)

Mamas carry a pretty intense mental load, and sometimes, we just don’t have the brain bandwidth to think about picking a cute outfit for ourselves after dealing with everything else we’ve conquered before breakfast. But having a closet stocked with your own personal #momstyle staples can help take one decision off your plate every day while also saving you from perpetual sweatpants.

Just check out the former Kate Middleton. The mom of three is lauded worldwide as a style icon, but if you look closely you’ll see that Kate’s not actually spending a ton of time and energy on picking outfits.

Yes, the Duchess is totally the queen of wearing the same things over and over, but she proves that when you wear things well, no one cares that you’ve worn it before.

Stripes and skinnies

Let’s start with Kate’s basic mom uniform. Her go-to casual look is timeless on top, trendy on bottom. Skinny jeans and a striped, long-sleeved tee (aka a Breton top if you’re British) are what Kate reaches for before pretty much any casual outing.

Whether she’s heading to a polo match, just hanging with the kids, or grocery shopping (yes, amazingly Kate is still spotted grocery shopping every once in a while), this is what she wears. As fashion blog What Would Kate Do has pointed out, Kate has A LOT of these tops.

Lesson: If you like something, and you know you look great in it, don’t be afraid to make it a staple. It’s one less thing to think about in the morning and you’ll never have to worry about your favorite striped shirt being in the wash.

Put your best looks on repeat

The Duchess loves a good coat dress, and while it’s not a look most of us would rock on the regular, we can learn a lesson from Kate’s coats that is applicable to any article of clothing: Buy multiples in several colors when you know something works.

When Kate showed up at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent wedding in a light colored Alexander McQueen coat dress royal watchers were initially convinced she was wearing the exact same dress she’d worn on a couple other occasions, but it turned out to be a slightly different version in a warmer color.

As What Kate Wore pointed out, Kate is known for buying dresses in more than one similar shade.

Lesson: If something fits great and makes you feel good, save yourself time in the fitting room and grab a couple colors.

Classic looks that don’t expire

Following fashion trends can be fun, but when you’re busy raising kids it can sometimes be hard to stay on top of every trend. If you’ve been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar more often than Vogue, you might not know (or care) what’s hot this season.

That’s why every mom needs to have one classic, dressy stand-by she can turn to any time.

One of Kate’s wardrobe staples is a red suit that she A) looks amazing in, and B) will probably never go out of style. The Duchess will probably still be reaching for this when Prince Louis is driving. It’s timeless.

Find your own mom uniform

The Duchess of Cambridge proves you don’t have to go full Steve Jobs to reap the benefits of adopting a personal uniform. The Apple founder famously wore the same black turtleneck day after day to combat decision fatigue, but Kate (like most of us) likes a bit more variety and has built a signature look around the staples she know she looks good in.

Such a wardrobe strategy may not work for moms who love styling different looks, but if looking at your closet is more overwhelming than inspiring, you might want to follow Kate’s lead.

Some days, we just don’t have time for one more decision and on those days, it’s nice to have another striped top waiting for you.

You might also like:

• The Royal wedding is kid-friendly and we’re here for it
• Our favorite thing about the official royal wedding portrait is the kids
• 5 times Kate Middleton was a mom first, royal second