Sophie of Edinburgh Packed an Impressive Suitcase of Shirt Dresses For Her Japan Trip

Last Thursday the Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived in Tokyo for a state trip that has lasted five days. For less than a week, Edward and Sophie have been busy, meeting with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, along with Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino. They have met with businessmen, learned about initiatives that strengthen the ties between the two nations, and immersed themselves in the exciting Japanese culture by visiting temples and museums. Throughout all this, Sophie has discovered that there is a perfect garment to pack on a trip like this, and it can adapt to an full agenda in a variety of surroundings: the shirt dress. The duchess brought an extensive collection of dresses in light fabrics, often with floral prints.

The trip began the British Embassy in Tokyo on Friday with a reception for the MUSUBI Initiative, which aims to create lasting connections and train a future generation of young leaders in the UK and Japan. Edward and Sophie were then welcomed by the crown prince and his wife at their Tokyo residence, where the British couple planted a sapling oak tree grown from a tree that Queen Elizabeth II planted during her state visit to Japan in 1975. Later in the afternoon, the Duke and Duchess enjoyed a traditional sumo tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena.

For these three very different events, the Duchess of Edinburgh opted for an elegant navy blue Valentino dress. She paired the shirt dress—with featured gold buttons a mix of paisley and polka-dot patterns—with a pair of sensible beige pumps by Jimmy Choo.

For a visit with Naruhito and Masako at the imperial residence later that evening, Sophie changed into a dress by Gabriela Hearst. This silk shirtdress looked similar to the one she wore earlier in the day except for its sleeves, which were short and with some volume. The dress featured a motif of flowers on an indigo blue background, reminiscent of the characteristic Japanese style.

During the second day, the Duchess of Edinburgh went on several solo engagements. The first was to a non-profit organization that supports Ukrainian refugees in Japan. In addition to meeting some of the organization’s clients and learning about their stories, she participated in a calligraphy workshop. Then she visited the Nezu Museum, which showcases a private collection of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art. Once again, her looked featured a shirtdress—a painterly printed design by Suzannah— which she paired with a Sophie Habsburg handbag.

Her next stop was another museum dedicated to science and innovation. The Duchess interacted with robots in everything from puppies to furry characters in a romantic Suzannah x Joe Horner floral dress.

On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess resumed their joint agenda and visited some of the most famous monasteries in the region: Soijiin and Koyasan. At Koyasan, they met some of the children enrolled in a British Council program to learn English. After visiting the Okunoin cemetery, their day ended at the Reihoukan museum dedicated to exhibiting and preserving Buddhist temple art. Sophie wore a comfortable floral Max Mara dress and Penelope Chilvers wedges. When the occasion called for more formality, the Duchess added a white blazer.