Media Platforms Design Team

"Mother of the bride" doesn't have to mean dowdy, as Kate's stunning mom proves. At left, Carole Middleton shows off a Catherine Walker wool crepe coatdress and silk shantung day dress. (The late Walker was also a favorite designer of Princess Diana's.) Her hat is by milliner Berkshire-based Jane Corbett. Talk about fabulous at every age!

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Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler. 

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