Kate Middleton has been giving us a lot of sartorial lessons this summer, and for that we are eternally grateful. First, there was her Wimbledon appearance, where the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out in what can only be described as the perfect white dress: the length, the cut, the details – it was a lot for us to handle.

Then came baby Archie’s christening and our style antennae peaked again: this time for a colourful outfit consisting of pink Stella McCartney dress paired with red heels and a bespoke red headband from Juliette Botterill. 

Red and pink might be a colour combination we had been previously schooled to avoid, but with Kate making it look so easy it gave us food for thought. Maybe it was something we could entertain but we might need to see some variations and how to do this in real life. Well, luck struck. Yesterday, Kate Middleton stepped out in the pink/red colour combination again: a pink ditsy floral dress with a red cross-body bag, and that’s all the convincing we needed.

In the bin the fashion rule book goes, pink and red we are coming for you. 

This colour combination started to do the rounds during the spring summer 2018 shows with Isabel Marant, Coach, Attico and Gucci all serving up clashing coloured looks. The trend (like most) came around again for the Autumn Winter 2019 shows, this time with more brands adopting the previously tabooed colour combination. But how do you actually wear it, when you aren’t a model on the runway?

We have devised three handy tips to nail it like Kate. 

Choose Your Shades

This is not a one shade fits situation. It’s a bright red that’s needed, not a dark almost burgundy hue. When it comes to the pink, this can be any shade under the sun. But for most effective wardrobing we suggest a light, soft pink with a bright red that almost borders on orange. This is modern femininity at its best.

Make It An Accent Colour

Just because it’s a colour combination doesn’t meant this is an equal relationship. Pick your favourite pink or red and add the other colour in as a slash of colour. This can even mean as little as a pink dress with a red lip.

Accessories First

This is our rule in life but for this particular ‘how to’ this is also an easy way to get into the trend. Nervous to wear your pink trouser suit with a red cami or match up your red silk slip skirt with a tucked in baby pink tee? That is entirely reasonable, this is a tricky trend for a reason. So for those needing an initial steer, test it out with an accessory. Team up your pink trouser suit with a pair of red mules instead or trial your red slip skirt with a pink beaded bag. 

Images: Getty / Instagram