When it comes to fashion, one of the best ways to highlight your best attributes is to know your body well. And that’s exactly what British royal and style icon Kate Middleton always does. She clearly has a great stylist behind all of her looks, but the Duchess of Cambridge knows exactly what works for her slim, athletic figure. So how does she dress for her body type? By using these easy-to-follow styling tricks that will have you dressing like a princess in no time!

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1) Choose tailored coats.
Duchess Kate has an amazing coat collection. Have you ever noticed how they’re always flatteringly and subtly cinched at the waist? To elongate her silhouette, she wears tailored A-line coats, either single or double breasted, as long as they have a button front that creates a strong line. Another subtle touch? Angled pockets that are not quite horizontal that draw your eye to the waist. like those seen on this burgundy Catherine Walker coat dress that also has that a-line skirt, which draws the eye up.

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2) Highlight your waist
Kate has a slim, athletic shape so likes to give her waist more definition to balance her proportions. You can see this in her nipped-in-at-the waist dresses and those that are cut with a slightly higher waistline – not quite empire – which serves to not only draw attention to the midsection but also elongates the legs.

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3) Be strategic with cuts and color
The Duchess of Cambridge often chooses styles that have piping or seams that help define her shape and accent curves while also adding visual structure, skimming her figure in all the right places. The same structuring effect can also be created with pleats.

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4) Wear peplum tops.
If you have a straighter figure, how can you instantly create a more curvy silhouette? Kate knows the quick and easy answer is a peplum! The kick of a peplum shape subtly insinuates a slender waist instead of dramatically cinching it, and also balances out your hips for a more proportioned look.