Kate Middleton's Best Hairstyles

Kate Middleton's Best Hairstyles
Princess-worthy hairstyles are a royal do! All by herself, Kate Middleton boasts a mane of flawless brunette tresses. But thanks to her longtime hairstylist Amanda Cook Tucker, she regularly boasts regal hairstyles, too, including a classic bouncy blowout, a hat-topped chignon, and a braided updo. Click through to see the Duchess of Cambridge's 15 best styles—so far!

Kate Middleton Wears a Jenny Packham Gown Again, Borrows the Queen's Diamond Necklace

Kate Middleton Wears a Jenny Packham Gown Again, Borrows the Queen's Diamond Necklace

We've all been there before. You want to repeat a favorite, sure-thing dress, but need some restyling mojo to make the look feel new again. Easy solution: Borrow some statement accessories. And that's exactly what Kate Middleton did for her first public outing of 2014. (Yippee, Kate sighting!)

For yesterday's Portrait Gala event in London, the Duchess recycled a gorgeous navy blue and black Jenny Packham dress, which we saw last October in a minimally accessorized way. But this time around, grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth generously reached into her sure-to-be well-guarded vault and pulled out a spectacular family heirloom to change up the gown's sophomore outing.

Not just any old jewelry item, the diamond-encrusted Nizam of Hyderabad Cartier necklace boasts an impressive chain of 38 diamonds with a dazzling centerpiece consisting of a sizable pear-shaped drop and 13 more emerald-cut ones. Not a shabby wedding gift for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, huh? Wonder what else was on their registry.

Do you like how Kate re-styled gown with MAJOR diamonds from the Queen? Do you think she asked to borrow the necklace or the Queen offered? And be sure to check out more styling tips from our Outfit Ideas hub!

Kate Middleton Should Wear Longer Skirts According to the Queen

Kate Middleton Should Wear Longer Skirts According to the Queen

First, Kate and Will's press operations were taken away. And now, it would seem, their sartorial freedoms (well, Kate's, at least) have also been curbed from on high. Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl reports in the Mail on Sunday that the Queen has issued some dictums as to how Kate should be dressed when she tours Australia in April. The upshot? The hemlines will be longer, the jewelry will be statement-ier, and there will be more tiaras than you'd find at a Miss Texas Teen U.S.A. pageant.

In order to execute this "subtle but significant regal makeover," as the Mail calls it, the Queen has charged her personal dresser, Angela Kelly, with helping to prepare Kate for the trip. The overhaul will see Kate wearing couture daytime dresses with "lower hemlines" than she typically goes for. Additionally, she will be "encouraged to wear the tiaras favored by the Queen and Queen Mother," and will also be urged to wear "statement jewelry and gemstones from the Queen's personal collection." The idea here is said to be positioning Kate-currently vacationing in the Caribbean, sans William, with baby George-as "more Royal than ever," with the "Queen . . . watching closely" (nothing about that wording sounds creepy at all!).

Thankfully, Kate seems to still have some input in what she wears, as she is said to have already approached preferred designers Alexander McQueen and Alice Termperly about creating gowns and dresses for the three-and-a-half-week trip. Additionally, her personal hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker, will reportedly be accompanying her on the tour. Tucker has recently "undergone training in the art of attaching a tiara" (a class we would assume is comprised almost exclusively of pop stars and six-year-olds). Listen, Queen, we can deal with the lower hemlines and tiara-palooza, we suppose, but if you come for her ringlets, you're going to have the forces of the entire VF.com staff to answer to.

Kate Middleton Recycles Slinky, Long-Sleeved Gown at Mandela Premiere With Prince William

Kate Middleton may not hail from Hollywood, but she can work a red carpet with the best of 'em. Attending the London premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom with Prince William on Thursday, Dec. 5, the Duchess of Cambridge looked positively ravishing. See more pics of Middleton here.

Prince George's parents arrived at Leicester Square at exactly 7:15 p.m., and took their time making their way into Odeon Leicester Square Cinema. Middleton, 31, was radiant (and, of course, slim) in a slinky, cream-colored Roland Mouret gown -- the "Lombard" -- which she accessorized with a black clutch, black heels, and a sparkling statement necklace from Zara. (It retails for just 20 pounds!) Her hair, now a richer, darker brown, was pulled back into a low ponytail.

The Duchess has actually worn the Lombard before -- to a dinner at Claridges in 2012. In January, designer Mouret spoke about the gown with the Sunday Telegraph.

"I think it was quite fantastic that there was a split up the front," he said. "That picture of a woman when you catch a little of the leg, that's what you want to see. It's that notion of privacy...It’s something that should be for her husband and she just shows a glimpse of it."