Some good news for Prince William. In the Daily Mail’s own poll of Who Dressed the Best at Royal Ascot the Prince of Wales came second, after Zara Tindall, and ahead of his wife, the Princess of Wales.
We’re delighted for William (he needs a boost), but at the same time partners of average–to–hopeless dressers across Britain can’t help thinking: ‘Poor me! How I wish my civilian middle–aged husband would dress more like the future king!’
Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as having a well turned out man by your side when others are starting to fall apart.
It’s not an impossible dream: out of uniform, William’s wardrobe in general is much like that of the average middle–class forty or fiftysomething – he just looks 100 per cent better in his clothes.
What he has managed to do is perfect the mature man’s go–to looks. Yes he’s got more cash to splash, but the devil’s in the detail.
Let’s have a closer look at his dressing rules…
Find the perfect fit
OK, not all middle–aged men are heading to a summer event in morning dress, let alone one that’s made–to–measure.
Nonetheless there’s a principle at work here that’s at the core of William’s successful dressing. Well–fitted tailoring can give any chap stature, disguise a tummy, and create a long lean leg and strong shoulders – while bad tailoring does the opposite.
Too tight on the thighs, too narrow in the shoulders, a too short jacket (so it flares like a peplum at the back rather than covers the behind) makes the wearer look like the James Bond henchman Odd Job.
Trousers that are too long or too short are a perennial problem for British men: too long, it looks as if he’s borrowed them from a bouncer; too short and he resembles a kid whose mother is waiting for him to grow before she upsizes his uniform.
Prince William attends day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2025
Proportions and fit are key. A husband who says his trousers which pool on the front of his shoes are ‘absolutely fine . . . I’ll just hitch them up’ is lazy – and looks lazy.
Likewise, William’s polo shirts are never baggy, neither are they boring navy, but khaki and a spot–on fit. His shorts are slimmish, not giant cargo–style ones with bulging pockets.
Sweaters are plain crew–neck and often ribbed to avoid the clinging that occurs with a middle–aged man’s sweater and – sorry to say it – the advertising of moobs.
William owns a quarter zip or two but hardly wears them these days. (Our very big problem with a quarter zip is that our husbands never get out of them and even sneak them under a smart jacket.)
Most importantly William loves an immaculately fitted coat. When he was on the cover of GQ in 2017, his dark blue cashmere Crombie coat was his own, and it was Alexander McQueen.
Follow the button rule
William likes a crisp shirt under a tailored blazer (so do we) and crucially the shirts are not billowing at the waist, not stretched tight across his chest and never see–through.
Most importantly, he always practises the two (buttons) undone rule, and one of those is the top button.
Middle–aged husbands tend to just wing it and go for three undone if it’s the summer and they’re hot – when they start to look like Silvio Berlusconi.
The Prince of Wales during a visit to Wildlife Conservation and Biodiversity Protection at Sharaan Nature Reserve in Al-Ula on a visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2026
Don’t be dowdy
William may have a Schöffel gilet, which he throws on to walk the dog, but you won’t see him out and about in it because a Schöffel is the sign of a middle–aged man who has given up.
He may have a fairly conventional wardrobe but he makes the effort to glam it up. He’s rejected the fusty establishment elements (heavy double–breasted dinner jackets), weeded out the sad dad parts (soggy jeans, ugly sports trainers, fleeces) and injected some straight–up sex appeal.
He wore a skinny turtleneck under a bottle–green velvet tuxedo years ago at the Earthshot Prize awards (very 007) and now makes a point of swapping his standard issue black tux for midnight blue velvet or, for this year’s Baftas, dark burgundy.
Middle–aged husbands take note: 20 per cent glamour cancels out 80 per cent dowdy.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the EE BAFTA Film Awards held at the Royal Festival Hall in February 2026
Know your colours
British men are slow to discover the point of colour and then, in their 50s, often go mad, buy some red trousers and a multi–coloured party shirt and insist on wearing an indigo block–print scarf all year.
William knows his colours and runs with them. It’s possible he got the Ascot vote on the basis of that sky blue shirt with the contrasting white collar, alone. He’s aware he really suits blue.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attend Day Two of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire
Grooming is good
The word ‘grooming’ strikes fear into the hearts of middle–aged men across the land: they think you’re going to force them into a face mask or ask them to wear eyeliner.
Men of Britain, No! One reason William looks so good in clothes is he is tall and fit (we can work on the latter); he stands up straight (ditto), and he wears a belt to keep up his trousers if required (why must we see your builder’s every time you bend down to look in the fridge?).
He doesn’t have much in the way of hair these days, but he doesn’t allow his beard stubble to look like an extension of the hair on his head (like some we know) and both are neatly maintained. Bingo!
Small details matter
William pushes up the sleeves of his linen shirts rather than rolling them or, God forbid, wearing a short–sleeved shirt. (Short sleeves make all middle–aged men look like retired pilots.)
He wears belts with a blazer and chinos but never with a suit – that would ruin the line – slim ties with narrow knots and slim–cut chinos (not the ones with pleats that look as if you’ve got trapped air in your groin area). As a result he looks lean and youthful, not puffy and old.
Choose the right shoes
Most men favour old squashed black mesh trainers with everything and then a heavy Chelsea boot for smart. Aaargh!
William has made eco–conscious plain trainers with contrasting soles his smart–casual go–to. Then he wears black Oxford lace–ups with suits and occasionally a desert boot. What he doesn’t do is wear the same shoe for every occasion, regardless of the weather.
Prince William and Princess Catherine attend the Earthshot Prize 2021 at Alexandra Palace on October 2021 in London
Master the casual look
You may have noticed that the Prince of Wales looks good in jeans and wears them dark (they look as if they could be rather expensive, possibly Japanese).
But here’s the point that’s relevant for other British middle–aged men: he doesn’t do off–duty untidy or saggy or ‘worn all week and it’ll do for another’. He knows better.
He’s the future king but he’s also leading the way for all the men who think a gilet, a T–shirt and some 15–year–old Gap denims will do most jobs. We’re eternally in his debt.
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