Kate Middleton returned to her royal duties today, and consequently, supplied us with some shape-enhancing styling cues worth following, pregnant or not. The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in a gray-and-white printed Max Mara Studio wrap dress, which hugged - and highlighted - her growing baby bump, then accessorized with her go-to black pumps and an Asprey 167 Button Pendant necklace. She also took care to wear a gray slip underneath; whether it was shapewear or a more precautionary layer to make sure the dress is modest enough, it certainly provided a demure neckline.
The figure-flattering sheath cut right at the top of her waist, drawing your eye to her bump, but it also manages to cinch (and emphasize) the slimmer parts of her silhouette, too. Translation: the wrap dress hugs in all the right places, creates feminine curves, and attracts attention to the most flattering parts of your body. For all intents and purposes, you really don't need to be expecting to incur a similar wrap-dress effect. It's sexy, sophisticated, and like Kate Middleton showed, it's perfect for a polished daytime look. And if we can guess anything by Kate's influence on retail sales, we foresee a serious spike in wrap-dress sales after her first post-babymoon appearance. The exact Max Mara Studio dress is sold out (she actually bought it on sale from Matches), but we think this classic graphic-print Diane von Furstenberg version is a great alternative.