Less is More: Kate Middleton and Victoria Beckham Lead Return to Traditional Evening Gowns

Kate Middleton is one of the few global brand ambassadors for fashion and style - unofficially if nothing else - for the simple reason that whatever she wears or endorses tends to become something of a trend. Her wardrobe choice for an event at Claridge's is a good example, for it borrowed on an emerging trend and has firmly established the idea in the heads of celebrities worldwide.

The Duchess of Cambridge was at the luxury hotel on 9 May in a floor-length Rouland Mouret gown and looked every inch a princess and a beautiful and glamorous woman, without resorting to strappy cocktail dresses or cleavage-baring dresses, something which has usually always been associated with style and sensuality; in the process Kate promoted the idea that modesty is the new sexy.

We cannot give her all the credit for the trend though. Victoria Beckham, the glamorous fashion designer wife of David Beckham, must also be mentioned, for undergoing a dramatic change in styles.

"Once the Queen of leather hot pants and cleavage-baring corsets, VB blazed a trail for the New Demure when she started wearing ladylike pencil-skirted dresses with Peter Pan collars. Her own successful collection is almost entirely based on this approach to dressing," the Daily Mail reported.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, if we were to ignore Hollywood diva Angelina Jolie's pose at the Oscars, her choice of dress for the red carpet premiere of her directorial debut - In the Land of Blood and Honey - was a remarkably modest orange gown and that for the 62nd Berlinale Film Festival held earlier this year was another decorous Ralph and Susso silk gown.

Fellow actress Cameron Diaz also proved more could be just as stunning, when she wore a dazzling full-length gown for the Met Ball. Diaz, who usually flashes a sporty look, carried off the elegance of the gown wonderfully well, as did Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who wore a black feathered gown by Sarah Burton.

The trend extends all the way to the White House and the Correspondents' Dinner party, where American actress Kate Hudson wore a floor-length purple sequined dress by Jenny Packham. Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez is perhaps the biggest name to jump on this particular bandwagon. The star, who usually creates controversy for her daring outfits, was spotted wearing a glittering blue gown at the same event.

Check out these photographs of the White House party...

Also check out these photographs of celebrities saying, apparently, less is more...