For all the Princess Royal’s avowed indifference to matters of style, wearing a yellow sprig wrap-dress that she first appeared in at her brother’s wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales, 27 years ago — and is thus older than the combined ages of several Rolling Stones’ girlfriends — is in fact, an act of fashion genius.

First, it suggests a meticulous approach to the cataloguing and upkeep of one’s personal archives — how many of us could produce such a pristine example from our wardrobes, complete with identical accessories? Mein Gott, even the hair do hasn’t changed. Secondly — and I know this comes in the wake of the tsunami of leering over Dame Helen’s bod — how many 57-year-olds have the same vital statistics they had at 30? That’s the equestrian life for you.

In this single, apparently defiant, up yours Coleen and co gesture, the Princess is completely on trend. The economy, the environment, the ethics . . . all are pointing us towards the simple life of recycling. Anna Wintour has been leading the troops out of the desert of excess (that metaphor doesn’t quite work, but you know what I mean) for some time now. Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones are just two who have nobly followed her example — all the better for Zeta-Jones to display her Dramatic Weight Loss!

Even Posh, never one to bypass a fashion loop, has been at it. Then there are the serial wastrels who pretend that they’re recycling — the Karl Lagerfelds, Jean Paul Gaultiers and Ann Demeulemeesters — who have 750 identical white shirts or stripy Ts to make you think they’re being frugal. In fashion, wearing the same thing every day is called Having A Look and considered fabulous. America has Diana Vreeland. We have the Princess Royal.

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