When it comes to kids’ clothes, the Cambridges like to stick to tradition.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are known for their adorable, timeless kidswear, but eagle-eyed royal fans might notice many of their cute looks happen to be hand-me-downs.
From sporting styles once seen on dad Prince William (or uncle Prince Harry) to passing down pieces from sibling to sibling, the Cambridge kids have often been seen repeating their clothes through the years.
The two princes have also been seen in outfits similar to those once worn by their father, keeping royal traditions alive even if the exact garments haven’t stuck around.
Below, we take a look back at 10 royal outfits that were so nice, the littlest Cambridges wore them twice.
Trooping the Colour romper: Prince William (1984) and Prince George (2015)
One of the most symbolic of royal re-wears took place during Prince George’s very first Trooping the Colour in June 2015. The future king, who was nearly 2 years old at the time, was brought out on the Buckingham Palace balcony in the exact outfit Prince William wore at the same age for his own Trooping the Colour debut in 1984.
And just like his dad, Prince Charles, the Duke of Cambridge wore his bright red, regalia-covered uniform as he held George on the balcony.
Christening gown: Prince William (1982) and all three Cambridge kids
One royal outfit that gets used again and again is the gorgeous silk and lace christening gown that babies in the family wear on their special day. The original piece, which was created for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s first child, Princess Victoria, was worn by royal babies for an incredible 163 years until it was deemed too delicate to continue being used.
While Prince William wore the original for his 1982 christening, an exact replica was created for future royal generations, and George, Charlotte and Louis all wore the new version of the special gown.
Blue cardigan: Prince George (2015) and Princess Charlotte (2016)
Prince George coordinated with his proud dad in shades of blue when they went to visit newborn Princess Charlotte in the hospital, and a year later, little Charlotte re-wore her big brother’s sweater when the Cambridge family went on a royal tour of Canada.
Red-and-white shorts set: Prince William (1984) and Prince George (2015)
When it came time to meet his new baby brother, Prince Harry, in the hospital, 2-year-old Prince William wore a sweet white top with red embroidery and matching red shorts. Fast-forward to July 2015, and little Prince George wore an almost identical outfit to attend his baby sister’s christening.
While the red shorts were new and the prince’s white top had some slight differences (there wasn’t red embroidery trimming the buttons down the front), the overall look is strikingly similar to his dad’s.
White sleeper: Princess Charlotte (2015) and Prince Louis (2018)
The Duchess of Cambridge snapped some special portraits of her children when they were born, and royal fans might notice that the knit white sleeper worn by Princess Charlotte shortly after her 2015 birth is the same one Prince Louis wore three years later for his own close-up.
Blue sweater: Prince George (2016) and Prince Louis (2020)
Prince George sported a sweet blue polo-style sweater when his family visited Canada in 2016, and four years later the piece reappeared when little brother Louis wore it to meet Sir David Attenborough in 2020.
Red shoes: Prince Harry (1986) and Princess Charlotte (2017)
Uncle Harry’s old shoes were made new again when Princess Charlotte sported them during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2017 tour of Poland and Germany. The toddler sported the red leather Mary Janes 31 years after her uncle wore them to pet a bunny at the Highgrove estate in 1986; talk about quality craftmanship.
Blue-and-white shorts set: Prince Willam (1984) and Prince George (2018)
It was another christening outfit recreation for George when Prince Louis had his special day in 2018. While Prince William wore a pair of light blue shorts and a crisp white shirt with blue piping for Prince Harry’s 1984 christening, George wore a very similar outfit from childrenswear brand Amaia Kids, but in a darker navy blue to attend his own brother’s christening day.
Trooping the Colour shorts set: Prince Harry (1986) and Prince Louis, (2019)
Prince Harry’s childhood clothes made another appearance in 2019, this time on Prince Louis. Little Harry wore a white shirt with blue embroidery and matching shorts in 1986 for his second Trooping the Colour balcony appearance, and Louis carried on the tradition by wearing the vintage outfit for his Trooping debut in 2019.
Sailor suit: Prince William (1985) and Prince Louis (2022)
Prince Louis might have stolen the show with his funny faces during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but one detail royal watchers might not have noticed was that his outfit came straight from his father’s closet.
Prince William sported a jaunty light blue sailor suit with white-and-navy trim during the 1985 parade, and Louis brought it back for his first time taking part in the carriage procession in 2022.
