Princess Beatrice’s pairing of a black and white maxi dress with a rockstar blue denim jacket while visiting a London primary school shows she is not afraid to experiment with her style, a fashion expert has said.
The princess joined pupils at West Thornton Primary School in Croydon on Wednesday (May 22), where she read from an award-winning picture book.
Fashion stylist Danielle Rogers-Clark from Give Good Dress told Express.co.uk that the look Beatrice donned for the visit is another step in her “style evolution”.
She said: “This daytime look continues the ongoing style evolution for Beatrice, who is now working with a stylist. She has truly found her sartorial elegance.
“Frequently seen showcasing contemporary designer dresses, Beatrice is not afraid to experiment with her style and her outfits always flatter her silhouette and colouring perfectly.”
Ms Rogers-Clark described Beatrice’s black and white floral print maxi dress as “effortlessly chic”, styled “perfectly” with the on trend Lana puff sleeve denim jacket in rockstar blue by iconic US fashion label, Alice and Olivia, retailing at £435 on aliceandolivia.com.
The style expert added: “Beatrice is a huge fan of the brand and is frequently seen in their super stylish outfits, even attending the London store opening back in 2022 where she was spotted chatting with the designer herself, Stacey Bendet.”
Beatrice paired the “elegant, yet relaxed look” with a pair of French sole black ballet flats and finished the outfit with a tan belt.
Danielle said: “The princess was the epitome of the current modern romantic trend, perfect for a primary school visit.”
During the visit, Beatrice, 35, spoke of growing up with an “incredible mum” and reflected on the importance of storytelling to young people and their development.
The royal read from the picture book When Dinosaurs Walked The Earth, written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Zehra Hicks, which topped the Oscar’s Book Prize shortlist this year. Beatrice is patron of the prize.
Princess Beatrice’s visit came after the royal stunned in pink at the Sovereign’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday (May 21). For that occasion, Beatrice wore a crimson “Christina” dress from Beulah London, retailing at £662.50.
Beatrice matched her garden party dress with a Maud Capra leather plaited tassel clutch in Bone (£625), Jennifer Chamandi Enrico 105 sand leather d’Orsay pumps and an Idun Headband, priced at £645.
Wednesday’s visit celebrated the recent launch of Oscar’s Book Club. Award backer Amazon donated this year’s shortlisted books to schools and nurseries across the UK, with a team of volunteers supporting group reading sessions.
Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual prize for the best-illustrated book for young children, founded by the parents of Oscar Ashton, who died in 2012 of an undiagnosed heart condition aged three-and-a-half.