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The Princess of Wales has visited HMP High Down in Surrey to learn about how the Forward Trust charity is supporting those in the criminal justice system with managing and recovering from addiction.

Kate Middleton, who’s a patron of The Forward Trust, wore a navy blue Alexander McQueen suit for the occasion with a simple white t-shirt and matching navy heels.

The look was completed with a £1,300 Daniella Draper necklace, £2,300 Lauren Pave Diamond Leaf Drop Earrings, and her signature blowout hairdo.

Kate previously wore this navy number when she landed at Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts last December, and to meet some of the Royal Navy Ship’s Company of HMS Glasgow at Windsor Castle in September 2022.

The Princess has an established fondness for the fashion house, having worn the same Alexander McQueen number in white for an outing at the Rugby World Cup just two days ago.

On top of that, she’s got the same suit in pink, and she wore a red Alexander McQueen suit with an asymmetrical blazer for the star-studded Coronation concert back in May.

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Years ago, I was listening to the radio in the car.

I heard a segment on Woman’s Hour with a man discussing his wife’s struggle with menopause. They were sleeping in separate beds as she was so hot and uncomfortable.

He was recognising her suffering, and seemed determined to find answers that would help her. But had found nothing.

I could hear in his voice how desperate he was to find a solution to ease her hot flushes. 

It made me think of my own struggles with this symptom – how they felt all-consuming and debilitating.

And that’s when it hit me: I had to help. 

So, in 2018 and approaching my fifties, I started a business – creating clothing designed specifically for women suffering through menopause.

My background is in textiles, and I’d already been running my own textile agency for the past decade.

At the time, I’d just finished a meeting with a menswear company and had this specialised fabric in the back of my car. It’d originally been designed for NASA, and was temperature regulating. The fabric interpreted the body’s heat, stored it and then released it back when the body started to cool.

It occurred to me how useful this may be to women experiencing hot flushes – myself being one of them. 

I hadn’t suffered as badly as some of my friends – but, for some women I knew, it felt like they were burning up.

I thought that the idea of menopause-friendly fashion would definitely exist, but was shocked to discover that it didn’t. 

There was nothing I could find on the market made to regulate the body’s temperature. To help women.

All too often we assume women will keep calm and carry on – suffering in silence. I’ve sat through meetings when I felt my whole body must be bright red because of how hot I felt.

I had another friend tell me she once hid her face in her handbag during a meeting, surrounded by men, as she was so embarrassed by her hot flush.

As women, we learn from a young age to just keep going and not complain – whether we’re experiencing period pain, morning sickness and, in many cases, menopausal symptoms.

But why shouldn’t a woman’s comfort be a requirement for her day to day life? If men suffered hot flushes, would this type of clothing have been made available to people sooner? Probably!

Perhaps consumers simply didn’t think there was a need to invest in clothing that made menopausal women more comfortable.

In actual fact, menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in today’s workforce – so we simply cannot be ignored any longer.

After hearing that radio segment, I put the feelers out to women I knew that were the same age as me and used them as focus groups. I asked them their thoughts on this type of clothing, how much they’d be willing to spend and whether they thought it was a good idea. 

The feedback I received was so positive that I took the leap.

I enlisted the help of a freelance designer, and worked with them on four initial styles – a lounge pant, a vest and two basic t-shirts. We produced an initial batch of them all in white, grey and black and, through word of mouth, I started hosting parties at women’s homes to sell them.

The feedback was incredible.

This planning stage took around 18 months, but once we felt we had a good, solid product, we launched a website and went live. That was over five years ago now and it’s just gone from strength to strength.

I love the clothing, it’s so versatile. You can wear it under your work clothes, or around the home and the nightwear helps me sleep so much better.

Actually, some of the most incredible feedback from women I’ve had is about how they’re finally able to sleep again.

Michelle Heaton is one of our celebrity fans, and has also modelled for us. She went through early menopause at the age of 35 after undergoing a hysterectomy, and has been such a champion of our work.

It’s great to see celebrities like Davina McCall and Lisa Snowdon speaking so openly about the menopause and perimenopause, too.

For so long, menopause hasn’t been discussed in the mainstream, for fear of women feeling old and being seen as ‘past it’ by society. 

Let’s face it, women have long been valued in society for their looks or youth – and we used to make women feel as though menopause was a sign they had passed their sell-by-date. Often, we still do.

But women have so much more to offer. 

Not only are we seeing women in menopause as a growing number in the workforce, but women in their fifties are starting to carve out a new direction for themselves – rather than hide away, invisible and ashamed.

I feel that menopause should be included in the school’s curriculum so it’s discussed as a health issue from a young age. Really, we just need to normalise it so women can speak up when they need support and not ever feel they have to suffer in silence.

Hopefully we can quash this stigma for good. 

As told to Kat Romero

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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The Princess of Wales showed her support for England at the Rugby World Cup last night, taking her place in the stands to watch the men’s squad take on Argentina at the Stade de Marseille, France.

And for those who are more into fashion than sports, she’s certainly the MVP.

Kate stood out in a white Alexander McQueen blazer and matching trousers – a trusty ensemble that she’s worn at public engagements previously.

She first stepped out in the look for the Caribbean tour with her husband, Prince William, in March 2022. The crepe blazer in ivory currently retails for £1,690.

She paired the all-white look with a jaw-dropping set of jewels: £3,750 Mappin & Webb ’empress’ diamond carriage earrings and matching £2,000 empress mini white gold and diamond pendant necklace – the same set she wore daughter Charlotte’s christening, back in 2015.

The Princess often opts for British designer McQueen at patriotic events such as this. She also wore a red Alexander McQueen suit for the star-studded Coronation concert earlier this year.

And while you might not have the budget for designer threads like Kate, you can still look oh-so-chic in these affordable styles.

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What’s the best way to spot a millennial?

Is it the way they part their hair? Their choice of denim? An overuse of the cry laughing emoji?

All of the above might be true, but now, according to gen z, there’s a new way to work out if someone is a millennial: the way they wear their sunglasses.

Nurse and TikTok creator, Jordan Harper, recently posted a video where she joked that, while on holiday, she’d been ‘bullied’ for the way she was wearing her shades.

Demonstrating, she pushed her sunglasses straight up to the top of her nose. ‘The way I wear my sunglasses isn’t good enough for these people,’ she laughed.

Labelling it a ‘PR nightmare’, her travel companion, and crucially, a gen z, laughs that she looks like ‘the dad that wears a visor’ – and says that the correct way to wear sunglasses is ‘mid-nose.’

That’s right, it appears gen z are rejecting the whole point of sunglasses, and wearing them half way down their faces.

The comments became flooded with confused millennials who didn’t realise there was a ‘wrong way to wear sunglasses.’

‘I just put them on’, one commented.

Others were quick to point out that ‘mid-nose’ kind of defeats the point.

‘I actually don’t want the sun in my eyes which is why I’m wearing them,’ wrote one commenter. While another added: ‘Sunglasses actually have a function. The clue is in the name.’

‘Pushed up against your face is better at protecting your skin’, another added.

There were some, however, that broke the millennial mould.

‘I’m a millennial and have always worn my sunglasses lower’, one person admitted.

‘Brows always need to be showing!’

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PETA protesters walked the New York Fashion Week catwalk on Thursday night to demonstrate against the use of leather.

One of the protesters at the Coach 2024 Ready-to-Wear fashion show stomped the runway holding a sign that read ‘Coach: Leather Kills”.

Another was covered in body paint making it look as if she’d been skinned, and had the same words written on her chest.

A press release by PETA said the protesters were ‘a PETA supporter’ and ‘two other animal advocates’, and their intent was ‘to slam the brand for its cruelty to cows and its reliance on environmentally destructive leather products.’

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said: ‘Today’s conscientious consumers know that the future of fashion lies in innovative vegan materials, not in cows’ sliced-off skin.

‘PETA is shaking up Coach’s catwalk to drive home the message that leather belongs in the annals of history, not in designers’ current collections.’

The moment has garnered a lot of attention online, as we’re sure it was intended to. Aside from the leather vs. vegan alternatives debates going on in the comments, many have been praising the strong walk of the woman holding the sign.

‘Wait…she kinda ate that,’ commented one person on X (formerly known as Twitter) under a video that primarily follows that protestor.

‘Kendall and lila are shaking,’ wrote another.

Somebody else joked: ‘She can’t be vegan ’cause she ate everyone in that room.’

However, others, including fashion fans, have taken issue with the way she was removed from the catwalk.

In one of several clips of the show doing the rounds (it is Fashion Week, after all, everyone’s got their phones out), you can see the woman with the sign being dragged away by security, while it’s unclear what happened with the other protesters.

Under a post shared by The Cut on Instagram, one person argued: ‘The person that grabbed her needs to reevaluate themselves. Grabbing anyone like that when they are clearly of no physical threat to anyone is completely uncalled for.’

Someone else agreed, writing: ‘Dude needs to chill. It’s a runway show in 2023… for Coach… she’s also clearly a model and non-violent.’

We’ve reached out to Coach representatives for comment on the protest.

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As soon as I saw Naomi Campbell’s collaboration with fast-fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT), I was disappointed but not surprised.

This was just the latest in a stream of out-of-touch celebrities working with unsustainable brands that we’ve seen before, like Kourtney Kardashian with Boohoo or Laura Whitmore with Primark.

And just like in the cases above, there was profound backlash online to Naomi, with people sharing their disappointment.

So how did the supermodel respond? 

She appeared to double down on her decision to do the collaboration, stating in a recent interview with W Magazine that she did ‘understand people’s criticism’, but that she did it ‘from a standpoint of getting to know the audience of the younger generation’.

It was what came next that really shocked me.

She seemed to attribute the criticism – not to PLT’s reputation for unethical business practices, but – to racism, stating: ‘There are so many other fast-fashion brands out there — do people say anything about other models when they work with them? Do they say anything when other caucasian models have worked with fast-fashion brands and done collaborations? They’ve said not a word. They’ve praised them.’

As a Black woman myself, it felt like an insult. I’ve encountered racism – as I know Naomi has – but to seemingly attribute this criticism to that is missing the point entirely.

In my view, no one experiences the effects of racism in the fashion industry more than garment workers, who are mostly women of colour. The fast-fashion business model thrives on the exploitation of these people, as it is a way that they can achieve cheap prices – like a dress for 8p – and still achieve high profit margins. 

Criticism of PrettyLittleThing has been rife since it was co-founded by brothers Umar and Adam Kamani in 2012, then acquired by their father, Mahmud, in 2017.

In fact, Good On You – a website that rates brands on their sustainability credentials – deemed it ‘not good enough’ last year because it ‘doesn’t use lower-impact materials’ and there is ‘no evidence it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals, nor does it implement any water or waste reduction initiatives’.

In 2020, an undercover Sunday Times investigation reported that its parent company (Boohoo Group PLC) were allegedly paying workers in their Leicester factory as little as £3.50 per hour.

At the time, Boohoo said the conditions at the factory, Jaswal Fashions – who they insisted were not a ‘direct supplier’ – were ‘totally unacceptable and fall woefully short of any standards acceptable in any workplace’.

So it baffles me that Naomi Campbell can work with this company. On top of that, it is also simply not true that caucasian women haven’t been called out for similar fashion collaborations.

Kourtney Kadashian received huge backlash for her collaboration with Boohoo last year. As a sustainability professional and activist, I wrote about it at the time, stating: ‘If Boohoo really cared about sustainability, they would hire someone who is actually knowledgeable about the subject to work with them, not a celebrity that’s best known for using private jets like taxis.’

Then in April this year, protestors staged a demonstration outside Molly Mae Hague’s PrettyLittleThing fashion show – including fellow former Love Islander Brett Staniland. I fully supported this action because the voices of garment workers need to be heard. 

After reading Naomi Campbell’s comments about racism, I felt really strongly that she needed to understand why people were so upset. So I took to social media with an open letter urging her to ‘do better’.

I wrote: ‘Attributing this to racism is an insult to all of us but it’s the biggest insult to the people of colour who are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change and are routinely exploited by unethical fast-fashion businesses in the global north.’

I don’t know whether Naomi has seen my letter or will read this piece, but I hope that she does.

I would urge Naomi to reconsider her comments about racism and acknowledge the valid reasons she is being called out. We all need to do our part to live more sustainably, but those with a platform can really make a difference if they use their position of influence for good.

Naomi has always been a brilliant advocate for Black models in the fashion industry. I’d love to see her using her platform to advocate for garment workers too.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. 

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Kate Middleton has paid subtle tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her death.

Today is likely to be an emotional one for the Royal Family, as today marks one year since The Queen died.

For the anniversary, The Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting St Davids Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, to commemorate the life of Her Late Majesty.

And Kate gave a sentimental nod to the late Queen with her jewellery as she stepped out in Wales, opting for special pearl drop earrings – previously owned by the previous monarch.

The Princess of Wales first borrowed the jewels from The Queen when she went to the Netherlands for her first solo abroad trip in October 2016, and wore them late last year when greeting Commonwealth troops ahead of the state funeral.

Kate wore an all-burgundy ensemble with a coat dress from Eponine London, a hat by Sahar Millinery, a Mulberry Bayswater Wallet clutch and matching shoes – despite the UK being in the midst of a heatwave.

Pearls are typically worn by royals during times of mourning, so the jewellery choice seems fitting for the sentimental event.

Kate also wore the very same earrings multiple times during the mourning period last year, most notably as the royals received The Queen’s coffin at Buckingham Palace and while greeting well-wishers at Sandringham.

Their Royal Highnesses are visiting west Wales today, where they will meet local communities in and around St Davids.

St Davids is the only UK cathedral where, since the Reformation, the Sovereign has had a special stall in the Quire among the members of the Chapter, and Her Late Majesty sat there on four occasions during her visits to St Davids over the years.

The royal outing comes after a long summer break for Prince William and Princess Kate, whose most recent holiday was a gathering at Balmoral Castle with their children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.

A guide to some of the Queen's most iconic brooches and their meanings

Queen Elizabeth II had a collection of more than 100 brooches, but there were some that held extra special meaning.

Here's your cheat sheet.

The sapphire chrysanthemum brooch

The Sapphire chrysanthemum brooch is a simple but statement design, with multiple platinum-set sapphires surrounded by diamond petals.

It was given to the then Princess Elizabeth for launch the British Princess oil tanker in 1946, and she went on to wear it for many key moments, including her honeymoon, Princess Anne's Christening, and her and Prince Philip's diamond wedding anniversary.

The Dorset bow brooch

A family heirloom, the Dorset bow brooch was Queen Mary's wedding gift from the county of Dorset. It was then given to Elizabeth for her wedding, and she went on to wear it frequently, including for the Christening of Prince Charles.

It was often used to symbolise remembrance - the Queen wore it for many Remembrance Day events, as well as for the funeral of the Duke of Windsor.

The Queen Mother’s art deco leaf brooch

Crafted by Cartier in 1928, this brooch was passed along quite a bit, given by King George VI to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, then to Queen Elizabeth II (Princess Elizabeth at the time) as a birthday present.

She wore it many times in the 1950s, including in the moment above, when she touched down in London after a trip to Italy.

The aquamarine clip brooches

These twin brooches were Queen Elizabeth II's 18th birthday gift from her parents, so it's no surprise that the monarch absolutely adored them.

She wore the set many, many times during her reign, especially on anniversaries connected to her father's memory, such as on the date of her Jubilee.

You'll spot the striking blue duo in photos from the Queen's message for her diamond Jubilee in 2012, for lunch with the Obamas in 2016, and for the opening of Parliament in 2021.

The diamond clematis brooch

Queen Elizabeth wore this gloriously sparkly diamond brooch for her official engagement photos, and went on to bring it out multiple times over the next decades.

The City of London lily brooch

Elizabeth was given this hefty diamond-encrusted lily design when she received the Freedom of the City of London. She went on to wear it a bunch, most notably for the Queen Mother's 101st birthday and the private service for Princess Margaret.

The flower basket brooch

This colourful style was another gift from the Queen's parents, this time to mark the birth of Charles. Years on, she wore it for Prince George's Christening, too.

Queen Adelaide's brooch

You might recognise this diamond brooch from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.

It was created for King William IV's consort, Queen Adelaide, reusing other jewels to form what was intended as a clasp for a pearl necklace. It has a large centre diamond, six around it, and smaller stones to complete the design.

The Kent amethyst brooch

The Kent amethyst brooch is actually multiple brooches.

The main part is the one you'll see most often, the top hexagonal amethyst surrounded by diamond sun rays. This has some small loops at the bottom, allowing for three smaller amethysts to be attached. It's thought that there may be some additional brooch parts, but that these were rarely worn or were attached to the matching necklace instead.

The set was owned by Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, who left it to her daughter, who then passed it down again. Queen Elizabeth II was given the sparkling jewels after her accession, and wore the different parts many times over the years.

Prince Albert's sapphire and diamond brooch (also known as Queen Victoria's wedding brooch)

Prince Albert gave this brooch - a massive sapphire set in gold and surrounded by 12 diamonds - to Queen Victoria the day before their wedding, and she went on to wear it over and over again until Albert passed away. It was passed down to the Crown and once in Queen Elizabeth II's posession, became one of her favourites.

She wore this brilliant blue piece for Prince William's Christening as well as for her Christmas message in 2019.

Queen Victoria's diamond bow brooches

Yep, plural - but Queen Elizabeth II only really wore one at a time.

This was a set of three bow-shaped diamond brooches, commissioned by Queen Victoria from Garrard and passed down to Alexandra, then to Mary, then to Elizabeth I, then finally to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen wore pieces of this set for many Remembrance events as well as Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

Queen Victoria's ears of wheat

Another set that's larger than you might realise. There are in fact six of these large diamond ears of wheat, but the Queen typically wore two at a time.

They were made for Queen Adelaide at the request of her husband by Rundell, Bridge & Co, then redone by Garrard in 1858.

Queen Elizabeth II wore the wheat ears not only as brooches but as hair ornaments, too, and lent them to Princess Eugenie for her wedding reception.

The Cambridge emerald cluster brooch

A round emerald surrounded by diamonds, with the option to dangle another Cambridge emerald pendant.

Cambridge pearl pendant brooch

This pretty pearl brooch belonged to the Duchess of Cambridge - no, not Kate, but Queen Mary's grandmother, Princess Augusta. In 1953, Queen Mary then passed it down to Elizabeth II.

The late monarch wore the piece for her 50th birthday portrait, for her 2014 Christmas message, and in a Zoom call in 2021.

The Queen Mother's palm leaf brooch (also known as the paisley brooch)

One of the Queen's most frequently worn brooches, this is a simpler diamond design in the shape of a leaf.

The Queen Mother loved this particular piece of jewellery, wearing it repeatedly throughout her life - including while mourning King George VI.

Queen Alexandra's wedding gift brooch

This brooch forms part of a grand Garrard set made for Princess Alexandra of Denmark for her wedding, comprised of a large diamond tiara, a diamond and pearl necklace, a set of earrings, and a brooch.

The Queen often wore the brooch, particularly for Remembrance events, and the earrings, while Kate Middleton and the Queen Mother have been spotted wearing the necklace.

The modern diamond and ruby spray brooch

The Queen often wore this with red outfits, for obvious reason: the rubies made the brooch a natural accessory.

She wore it for multiple state dinners and her diamond Jubilee walk.

Queen Mary's Richmond brooch

A super ornate pearl and diamond design that the Queen wore for the wedding of Harry and Meghan.

Queen Mary's pink sapphire and diamond brooch

A sweet pink sapphire, surrounded by large round diamonds and smaller diamonds between the stones, the Queen wore this one frequently through the years, including for a portrait (by Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul) to commemorate her becoming the longest-reigning British monarch.

True lover's knot brooch

Another one of the Queen's diamond bows, this appears to be the largest of the bunch.

It was made by Garrard for Queen Mary and inherited by Elizabeth II in 1953.

She often wore it to hold her poppy on Remembrance Day, and donned it for Will and Kate's wedding in 2018.

The New Zealand silver fern brooch

As the name suggests, the Queen wore this brooch for events related to New Zealand, after being given it by the wife of the Mayor of Auckland for Christmas in 1953.

Elizabeth II even lent it to Kate, now the Princess of Wales, for her tour of New Zealand in 2014.

The pearl triangle brooch

One of the more delicate, smaller pearl brooches owned by the Queen, comprised of two pearls and a yellow diamond set in a diamond frame.

Elizabeth wore this for her walkabout outside St James Palace on the day before Princess Diana's funeral, as well as for a wedding anniversary portrait in 1979.

The golden dahlia brooch (also known as the golden sunflower brooch)

Another work by Garrard, the Queen clearly loved this accessory, wearing it for public appearances at least 40 times.

It has a diamond flower (dahlia or sunflower? That's up to you...) surrounded by 18 carat gold petals.

The grima ruby brooch (also known as the scarab brooch)

The Queen received this brooch - made up of repurposed rubies, gold, and diamonds and created by jeweller Andrew Grima - from the Duke of Edinburgh, and went on to wear it in tribute to the Duke after his passing.

Elizabeth also opted for this brooch for her 70th wedding anniversary portrait.

The Jardine star brooch

This one feels quite Christmassy, no?

The Jardine star was left to the Queen by Lady Jardine, and has eight twinkling diamond rays that surround a central cluster of eight diamonds.

The diamond and pearl leaf brooch

Kate, Princess of Wales, wore this brooch to the procession of the Queen's coffin.

This isn’t one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most well-known brooches – in fact, it’s rarely been seen.

The Queen was spotted wearing it on a yellow dress back in 1999, in Seoul, but we knew it had been passed along to Kate more recently, as the Princess of Wales donned it for a visit to Belgium.

Queen Victoria's 11 pearl and diamond brooch

Another pearl brooch that belonged to Queen Victoria, this one has 11 large pearls; eight in a diamond shape and three hanging down as pendants.

It was handed to the Crown and worn frequently by the Queen Mother until 2002, when it was passed on to Queen Elizabeth II, who has worn it multiple times to the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

The Courtauld Thomson scallop shell brooch (also known as the Queen Mother's shell brooch)

A rather grand design in the shape of a shell, this has solid rows of diamonds with a pearl at the base.

It was designed by Lord Courtauld-Thomson for the Queen Mother, who went on to wear it frequently - including for her 100th birthday celebrations.

After the Queen Mother died, Elizabeth II took the shell brooch into her collection and wore it on multiple occasions, including Royal Ascot, a funeral, Remembrance Sunday, an Easter service, and her 2020 Christmas broadcast

The Braemar feather brooch

The Braemar Royal Highland Society gave this eagle's feather brooch - made with 24 carat yellow gold, white gold, silver, and platinum - to the Queen to mark her golden Jubilee.

After that, the Queen wore this every year, for the annual Braemar Gathering.

The Queen Mother's Cartier lily brooch

This weighty design is sometimes called a footlong, but in fact measures in at just under 7 inches long... which is still giant for a brooch. Picture a 6inch Subway sandwich on your lapel - it'd make quite the statement.

The brooch, of course, is not made of bread and your choice of fillings, but instead more than 200 diamonds from the Queen Mother's collection, then an extra 50 added by Cartier for good measure.

The dramatic piece was commissioned in 1939 for the Queen Mother, and has a long stem with a lily flower design at the top.

Because of its size, Queen Elizabeth II didn't wear it often, but when she did, you couldn't help but marvel at it.

The Queen Mother's aquamarine art deco brooch

You will have spotted this pinned to many of Queen Elizabeth II's blue outfits, for obvious reasons.

It's not known who made this particular piece, but many believe it's another Cartier classic.

After the Queen Mother's death, Elizabeth II inherited the brooch and went on to wear it for one of her Christmas messages.

The centenary rose brooch

Elizabeth II commissioned this pretty piece from Collins and Sons for the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. It has a hand-painted Grandiflora Rose - a flower grown by the Queen Mother - surrounded by 100 diamonds.

The Queen went on to wear it after her mother's death, including for the Royal Windsor Horse Show and the 2004 Christmas service.

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A mum has vowed to treat her school runs like a catwalk for a month to inspire other mums to dress the way they want without shame.

After her six-year-old is fed and dressed for the day, Zoe Fennings has been getting herself dolled up and posting her fashionable ‘fits on TikTok.

Zoe, from Kent, UK, explained: ‘Just because you have the title “mum”, it doesn’t mean you have to stop making an effort with your appearance and not feel confident or stylish in what you wear.

‘For the next 30 days, I’m sticking to showing my daily outfits over on TikTok, including the days I do the school run, in the hope that people can feel inspired to dress as they desire and not worry too much about other people’s opinions.’

Zoe, who’s called ‘glamorous’ by the other mums at the playground, says that looking good makes her feel good.

‘This doesn’t mean I’d dress inappropriately and rock up to school in just underwear,’ she adds, ‘but being a mum isn’t always baggy jumpers and joggers.

‘I think it’s important to always look respectable, but as long as you feel good and are confident in what you wear, I’m all for it.’

Her looks include black trousers paired with a black asymmetrical crop top, black sunnies and tan sandals, and an orange shorts and long-sleeved crop top co-ord set with white flatform sandals.

Zoe went on to pair the same orange shorts with an oversized white collared shirt, orange sandals and an orange purse.

She also donned a variety of different coloured cropped tank tops with a pair of high-waisted tan trousers and sandals.

Zoe opts for more casual fits too, like a pair of white drawstring shorts, a beige crop tank top, and a blue oversized collared shirt over the top with some white foam sandals.

‘Fashion has always been a huge part of my life,’ she said. ‘If sharing my outfits can bring some inspiration, then I’ll be happy.’

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‘Never complain, never explain’ was the Queen’s famous motto.

The late monarch rarely talked about her feelings on public – and private – matters, but some believe she used her clothes and accessories to send subtle hints instead.

From sentimental brooches to poignant colour palettes, it seems the Queen made her thoughts known, without ever saying a thing.

So what secret messages did the Queen send over her 70-year-long reign? We take a look back as the nation marks a year since her passing.

Supporting the EU with a hat

In 2017, the Queen attended the State Opening of Parliament – just a year after the public voted to leave the EU.

In her speech – which was written by the government – the Queen explained how the country was preparing to get Brexit done, but her choice of outfit left many wondering whether she was a secret remainer.

The Queen opted for a blue outfit and a striking hat which appeared to resemble the EU flag.

And then, she seemed to double down on her European support during her Christmas Day address in December 2019, when she wore a round brooch, set with 12 diamonds, that looked like the EU flag’s circle of stars.

Trolling Trump?

President Donald Trump and wife Melania spent three days in the UK in June 2019, during which they attended a state banquet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

For the occasion, the Queen donned her Burmese ruby tiara – and Twitter was convinced she was throwing shade at the divisive President, who had been openly criticising Meghan Markle, the Queen’s granddaughter-in-law.

The rubies were gifted to Her Majesty by the Burmese people and are said to protect the wearer from evil…

A butterfly for Philip

A bout of illness meant the Queen was unable to attend Cop26, the climate change summit in Glasgow in October 2021, so she recorded an address instead.

For her message she opted for green dress – the colour of nature – and a diamond and ruby butterfly brooch, which was an engagement gift.

Not only was the animal brooch also fitting for a speech about the environment, but many have wondered whether it was a subtle message to Prince Philip, who had died just six months earlier.

The Queen sat in front of an image of her husband surrounded by the creatures, and many associate the appearance of butterflies as a symbol of life after death.

Flying the flag for Ukraine

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Queen met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle, who had come to the UK to discuss the conflict with Boris Johnson.

Photographs of Her Majesty with the Prime Minister show the pair greeting each other in front of a large bouquet of yellow and blue flowers – the colours of the Ukrainian flag. 

The Queen also wore a blue dress with yellow accents, suggesting she was showing her support for the invaded nation.

Uniting against Covid-19

In April 2020 the nation was coming to terms with being plunged into a lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Queen recorded a message for her public, during which she promised ‘we will meet again’.

For the occasion, she wore a turquoise and diamond brooch that belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. The stone is said to be one that promotes healing and love.

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When Rachel Harris first became an accountant, everything was very ‘stale’, ‘pale’ and ‘male’ when it came to the corporate dress code.

‘At the top 75 finance company that I trained at, anything less than a three-piece suit for men and a dress and heels for woman was way too casual,’ the 29-year-old tells Metro.

‘For me, being a young woman in finance, I was so passionate, so full of enthusiasm and lots of other people were too. They didn’t want corporate suits. They wanted personality – they wanted to feel heard and listened to.’

Her expected attire was also a stark contrast to the vibrant pink and eye-catching outfits Rachel wore outside of working hours.

So when Rachel decided to start her own practice in 2020, she scrapped the old-hat idea of corporate dressing in favour of a more relaxed and personable dress code – in line with her stereotype-crushing approach to business.

Rachel also worked with a stylist to curate her very own capsule work wardrobe – filled with tickled pink trouser suits, shift dresses and silk shirts – as her way of adding some personality into what many consider a slightly beige profession.

‘For a lot of young people, they have one persona inside of work, and then one persona outside of work,’ Rachel explains. ‘Whereas actually, if you just encouraged people to be themselves all the time, it creates such a better working environment.’

However, these bubblegum pink ensembles don’t make an appearance every day. The 29-year-old actually saves her flared pink power suits and other vibrant dresses for networking and events.

Day-to-day you’ll find her attending client meetings in a hoodie and jeans – and she encourages her employees to do the same. This is to not only to help from a decision fatigue point of view for workers, but also to help make clients feel more comfortable.

She continues: ‘For a really long time, in a corporate capacity, the way you dress has been about not being yourself, but blending in, and almost making yourself as unnoticeable as possible. And actually, people do business with people – so this doesn’t make sense. How can you expect someone to really get a vibe and an understanding of who you are, what your values are and what you stand for?

‘We’ve found clients – even some of our top fee-paying ones – feel much more comfortable this way. They buy into us because of the brand. If I‘m on a conference call wearing hoodie and jeans and my client is wearing a hoodie and jeans but then I rock up to meeting in a suit, they would be like “Oh no, the vibe has changed.”

‘Also, in 2023, self-employed people aren’t wearing suits – especially when they work from home.’

Bright colours are also writer, journalist and editor Jessica Morgan’s workwear uniform of choice, but she stresses the formality of her industry varies depending on the company.

‘I’ve seen people wear suits and others wear jeans and trainers. It really varies and it depends on the type of organisation you work for,’ the 30-year-old tells Metro. ‘I tend to wear whatever I’m comfortable in but mostly something that represents who I am. I tend to go for bright colours and flattering cuts.’

Since moving from the UK to Abu Dhabi last year, her workwear wardrobe has changed, too.

‘Since I work in the Middle East, I do have to adhere to a dress code which is modest (no strappy tops, shoulders showing), which I think is pretty standard for most corporate organisations globally anyway,’ Jessica adds.

‘However, I mostly dress for the hot climate. It can reach up to 50 degrees here, which makes it difficult to plan out a wardrobe as a British expat because I mostly work in an office with freezing cold air con. It can take some getting used to.

‘In the UK, I used to wear sweaters, turtlenecks, jeans (which I never wear here in the Middle East), mini skirts, heeled boots, my North Face jacket, Burberry trench coat. I don’t need to wear any of those things anymore. I do miss them though.’

Jessica also says her off-duty wardrobe isn’t too far removed from her work outfits either, with mostly bold, colourful, flamboyant and feminine choices.

‘Although outside of work I can wear shorter skirts, strappy tops and dress up a little more comfortable for outdoor wear in the heat,’ she adds.

‘I tend to lead my outfits with shoes and bags. But mostly, I’ll have one key item that’ll pop.

‘I do have a bright pink feathered suit that makes me feel so bad ass – and I have a few really feminine dresses that make me feel really cute and confident.’

But Jessica says that sometimes her colourful outfits haven’t been well-received.

The 30-year-old explains: ‘Once as a trainee in London, I came to work wearing my mum’s vintage Celine suit. It was bright orange. I loved it and felt so confident walking into the office and felt ready for business. But the managing editor at the time raised his eyebrows at me and said: “Oh, you look like an Oompa Loompa”, which I found incredibly rude. I don’t think he would’ve reacted that way had I been a man – he clearly had no sense of style or appreciation for it.’

Nevertheless, the experience hasn’t dulled her love of colour.

She continues: ‘I just love colour. I often think that when someone sees someone in a bright outfit, it instantly lifts their mood.

‘I use my wardrobe to fill me with confidence, it’s what gives me a spring in my step.’

But Jessica’s not alone in using the power of clothes to express herself when it comes to business.

Despite working in the industry since early 2010, Jen Parker launched her own publishing business, called Fuzzy Flamingo, in 2017. Now, she very much lives up to her business’ moniker, with a workwear wardrobe consisting entirely of flamingo-themed garments and accessories.

‘I’ve got a lot of flamingo dresses and a couple of flamingo jumpsuits,’ says the 37-year-old from Leicestershire.

‘I’ve got a flamingo cardigan, jumper and jewellery. So basically, even on my non-workdays I am never without flamingos somewhere about my person.

‘If I go to a networking meeting, it will generally be a dress or jumpsuit, and then earrings and the necklace, too. But the bare minimum is flamingo earrings.

‘That wasn’t my intention when I started the business. But it does actually work in my favour as people do remember it.’

Now not only do people remember Jen’s business, but her flamingo ensembles also provide the perfect ice breakers at networking events.

What’s more, these flamingo dresses and jumpsuits also help her feel empowered and more confident in the world of work.

Jen explains: ‘I’m not the most extroverted person, so I sometimes I use what I wear is like a coat of armour because it’s a conversation starter. It’s a bit like to wear a fancy dress at times, it’s pretending to be someone else. The “fake it until you make it” really works for me in terms of projecting confidence that makes me feel more competent.

‘I have people pointing at me, coming over, and actually talking to me because of my outfit – it’s a great way for introductions because I struggle going up to people and initiating conversation.’

Jen also lives with arthritis and says this can impact some of her work fashion choices too – although mainly just footwear.

‘I need to judge how long an event will be and whether I’ll be sitting or standing (or a combo) to judge what to wear,’ she explained.

Earlier this year, Jen won a small business award from Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis and attended the ceremony in one of her favorite pink and green flamingo dresses alongside vibrant pink Dr Martens and a light-up walking stick.

But Jen isn’t the only one who has created an unexpected playful work ‘uniform’ for herself.

After pursuing hat-making as a hobby for the past 10 years, 54-year-old Susan Widlake, from Saffron Walde, Essex, has been working full-time milliner since 2019 – after leaving a corporate career in IT auditing behind her.

When it came to picking a colour scheme and logo for her business, Susan wanted to go for something a little different – eventually settling on purple and green.

‘I knew I didn’t want to go for pinks and pastels – like lots of other people do – I wanted something bold. I’ve always loved purple, or green. Then it suddenly came to me that they are Suffragette colours.

‘Then I thought more about it and realised it’s the story of a woman who used to work in IT, in a man’s-orientated world (and didn’t think that I couldn’t do what they do), and it just sort of stuck. It seemed right.’

Now, this has even filtered through into her workwear – not only at professional events but in her home studio as well.

Susan explains: ‘I’ve developed a sort of uniform in my brand colours. So if anyone takes a little photo of me when I’m doing things, I can then use it and it’s consistent. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it’s been really useful.’

In fact, Susan’s power outfit of choice is a vintage purple dress, which she pairs with halo headband with custom-made purple leather flowers.

She adds: ‘This is my advertising outfit. It’s great. People have stopped me on the train and said “Oh, you look lovely.” I just feel great in it. So it’s good advertisement for what I do and how I dress.’

It’s also a welcome change for Susan.

‘Before, I was very restricted applying to corporate standards in my old job,’ the 54-year-old continues.

‘But now people know me as the hat lady who wears purple and green. It’s great.’

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