If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Lifestyle Style Kate Middleton Just Upped the Demand for This Classic Spring Staple Shop 7 spring-perfect dresses inspired by the royal’s latest outing By Eva Thomas Eva Thomas Eva Thomas is a skilled commerce writer with 5 years of experience working in a fast-paced newsroom, covering fashion and beauty, as well as spotlighting celebrity street-style outfits and red carpet looks. She has been strategically covering fashion and beauty shopping content on People and InStyle since 2019. Whether she's spotlighting a new It shoe taking over Hollywood or unveiling an under-the-radar product Oprah loves, Eva always aims to create a fun shopping experience for readers with her unique, relatable, inspiring stories and fresh, exciting. Not only can she recite all the brands the Hadid sisters and Kate Middleton wear by memory but she has also had an InStyle article featured on a segment of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Eva was originally born in Germany and moved to the United States when she was five. She is fluent in English and German and proficient in Spanish. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 30, 2022 11:24AM EDT Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage Photo Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage If you start to see a shortage of polka-dot dresses, you can probably link it back to the latest Kate Middleton sighting. Yes, it's that trusty Middleton-effect at play again, because if there's anyone that can convince you to wear polka dots, it's the duchess. And apparently she really did, because according to data, searches for polka-dot dresses have risen since Tuesday's sighting of her in, well, polka dots. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, stepped out on March 29 in honor of Prince Philip's memorial service. For the occasion, Middleton looked divine in a classic polka-dot midi dress by Alessandra Rich — and everything about it, from the silhouette to the impeccable detailing, was *chef's kiss.* The sold-out silk crepe de chine piece was the perfect mix of playful yet elegant, with its high neckline, puff sleeves, drop-waist pleated skirt, and side slit, the latter of which seemed rather daring for the duchess. Samir Hussein/WireImage Of course, that sweet dotted pattern, a classic print that never goes out of style, is what really caught people's attention. In fact, the Middleton sighting caused a 209 percent surge in interest for, you guessed it, polka-dot dresses, according to LovetheSales.com — and that's why we're saying if you notice a shortage, it might be because of Middleton's Alessandra Rich moment. Shop Kate Middleton-Inspired Polka-Dot Dresses Reformation Hilda Polka Dot Long Sleeve Dress, $278; nordstrom.com Amazon Essentials Cap-Sleeve Faux-Wrap Dress, $24.30; amazon.com Charles Henry Dot Print Long Sleeve Dress, $88; nordstrom.com The Drop Ana Silky V-Neck Midi Slip Dress, $49.90; amazon.com & Other Stories Polka Dot Long Sleeve Jersey Dress, $95.20 (orig. $119); nordstrom.com Lyrur Classic V-Neck Wrap Dress, $29.90 (orig. $45.90); amazon.com Fourteenth Place Balencia Dot Print Satin Wrap Dress, $62.30 (orig. $89); nordstrom.com Polka dots are certainly nothing new. The print has been around for centuries, proving it's one that will never, ever go out of style. But Middleton, looking as elegant as ever, just reminded us all about the power of a really good polka-dot piece. The pattern comes in all sizes (from small dots to big and bold) and has been imagined on practically everything, from headbands and purses to shirts and dresses, but there's something extra special about a polka-dot dress. Kate Middleton's Ethereal Spring Dress Had This Bridgerton-Esque Detail The versatile staple, which Middleton styled with heels and a wide-brim woven straw hat for the Tuesday outing, can easily be dressed up or down. Simply swap the pumps for a pair of white sneakers and you have a comfy-cute look that's perfect for every spring and summer outing. Convinced you need a polka-dot dress, too? Good thing we rounded up some of the best ones on the internet. Shop them below. Amazon Buy It! Amazon Essentials Cap-Sleeve Faux-Wrap Dress, $24.30; amazon.com Nordstrom Buy It! Reformation Hilda Polka Dot Long Sleeve Dress, $278; nordstrom.com Nordstrom Buy It! & Other Stories Polka Dot Long Sleeve Jersey Dress, $95.20 (orig. $119); nordstrom.com Amazon Buy It! The Drop Ana Silky V-Neck Midi Slip Dress, $49.90; amazon.com Nordstrom Buy It! Charles Henry Dot Print Long Sleeve Dress, $88; nordstrom.com Nordstrom Buy It! Fourteenth Place Balencia Dot Print Satin Wrap Dress, $62.30 (orig. $89); nordstrom.com Amazon Buy It! Lyrur Classic V-Neck Wrap Dress, $29.90 (orig. $45.90); amazon.com See More from PEOPLE Shopping Jennifer Garner's Airy Midi Skirt Has a Romantic Detail That Celebs Always Return to for Spring Jennifer Lopez Keeps Wearing These Comfy Jeans This Spring, and Similar Styles Start at $30 Target Dropped a New Pickleball Line with Tennis Brand Prince — Shop Our Favorite Fashion and Accessories from $15