In 2023, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, turned heads when she wore a fitted polka-dot Alessandra Rich dress paired with Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl drop earrings to the Order of the Garter. Some compared her look to Eliza Doolittle’s iconic black-and-white gown in My Fair Lady—a story about a woman’s rise into high society. (Sound familiar?)

Two years later, the Princess—dubbed the “Queen of Rewears” by British Vogue’s Emily Chan—chose the same combination for a service marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Joining King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince William at Westminster Abbey, Kate gave the once-playful outfit a more solemn tone, pairing it with a black fascinator by milliner Juliette Botterill, Ralph Lauren pumps, and a toffee-colored DeMellier London handbag.

Kate’s love for polka dots mirrors her enduring fondness for skinny jeans—both have recently made a comeback on runways. As British Vogue’s Olivia Allen noted in April, polka dots have shed their “Sloane Ranger” reputation and reemerged as a fresh, fashion-forward print. Designers like Conner Ives, Valentino, and Moschino have all reimagined the pattern in their latest collections.

As for the earrings—originally a wedding gift to Diana from Collingwood jewelers—they famously adorned the late Princess during her post-wedding departure outfit and later with her iconic “revenge dress.” Kate has worn them multiple times in tribute since inheriting them around 2017. While royals have long recycled heirloom pieces, Kate seems equally committed to revisiting her own wardrobe favorites.