Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton decided to let the athletes claim the spotlight at the London Games' Opening Ceremony, wearing a classy but understated ice-blue coat dress by British designer Christopher Kane.
While the Duchess of Cambridge appeared elegant as always, the dress looked a little more buttoned up than her usual choices.
[ Photos: London 2012 Opening Ceremony ]
Some are saying Middleton was outshined by first lady Michelle Obama, whom she greeted at a pre-Opening Ceremony evening reception at Buckingham Palace. Obama's white outfit paired a flowing knee-length skirt with a short-sleeved top that featured shimmering silver embroidery. The stunning outfit came from the collection of American designer J. Mendel.
Middleton showed off a more outgoing look last week. On July 19, she attended an Olympics exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London wearing a silver Olympics-themed necklace, with five diamond-studded circles held together by thin chains. The necklace was made by Cartier and cost a whopping $78,000.
[ Related: Live Opening Ceremony updates ]
Along with the necklace, Middleton wore an electric-blue shift dress by Stella McCartney, who also designed Great Britain's Opening Ceremony outfits.
Still, Middleton showed she can also rock the discount look. On Thursday, she went to a pre-Olympics event wearing a dress that was selling for $60 at the time (after a 70 percent discount). The dress came from the collection of British department store Hobbs and has already sold out online.
See related Olympics video:
More London Olympics content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Photos: Athletes take part in Parade of Nations
• Photos: VIP appearances at the Opening Ceremony
• Middletons investigated by Olympics committee