Kate Middleton’s polka dots, Steve Jobs’ polo necks – how a signature style defines you and makes getting dressed easier

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is known for her love of polka dots. The late Steve Jobs had his signature black Issey Miyake polo necks

However you interpret the idea of a signature piece, it should make getting dressed easier – just make sure you really love it before you invest in it

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Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is known for her love of polka dots. The late Steve Jobs had his signature black Issey Miyake turtlenecks. Photo: Getty Images and wires

Published: 5:15pm, 22 Aug 2022

In the recently reissued 1956 book What Shall I Wear? designer Claire McCardell, who just about invented everything we know about the idea of American sportswear and pragmatic elegance, wrote that anybody can and should create their own style signature.

“You, too, can start a trend. For yourself. Something that can identify you, be just for you,” she writes.

By that, McCardell means to find a piece that makes you feel most like you, that you feel your best self in and that others instantly know is, well, you. Preferably you will buy it in multiples.

Take Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. She is known for “recycling” her outfits and also, especially lately, her love of polka dots. The latter is an affinity shared with her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The Duchess’ penchant for spots is sometimes interpreted as an homage to the Princess of Wales.

Middleton at the Ascot Racecourse in 2022. She owns different versions of this Alessandra Rich dress. Photo: WireImage

In any case, the duchess has recently combined the two, wearing (and re-wearing) several versions of a polka dot Alessandra Rich dress to occasions as varied as Prince Philip’s memorial service, the Ascot races and the Wimbledon tennis finals. She looked elegant, appropriate for each occasion and very much like herself.

The late Steve Jobs was another proponent of a signature piece, with plenty in backup. Of his signature black Issey Miyake polo necks, Jobs told an interviewer that he had enough of them to last a lifetime. Indeed, Jobs is perhaps the patron saint of multiple buys and signature pieces.