September always carries a whiff of big things to come—sharpened pencils, polished shoes, box-fresh uniform, and all that. Right on cue, Kate Middleton—Catherine, Princess of Wales—has gone back to school with a visit to Marina Mill in Kent, the family-run textile mill known for its intricately hand-printed fabrics, and where she was given a lesson in silk screen techniques today.

After a tour of the textile-lined shelves and racks of silk screens, Kate rolled up her sleeves and got to work, silk-screening the final layer of one of the floral designs sold at interiors shops up and down the country.

Kate returned to a trusted favorite for the occasion, the understated suit—and, in an altogether appropriate ‘Prince of Wales’ check. Taking care to rep British fashion, she paired her gray Bella Freud tailoring with a simple black Boden sweater. With the addition of a favored pair of Stuart Weitzman suede heels and a necklace strung with the initials of her three children, this was a grown-up take on uniform dressing.

Photo: Getty Images