Cate is the queen of the repeat. The Duchess of Duplication. And while it was not the first time she’d dipped into her archives, the 2020 Venice Film Festival — for which she served as jury president — was the first event at which she made a point of publicly stating she’d be re-wearing pieces we’d seen before, with an eye toward sustainability and encouraging people to shop their own closets. She’s delivered on that for four years now, mixing new pieces with garments that are either constructed from fabric remnants, pulled straight from her past, or retooled from things she’s worn. It’s honestly a great idea — she and her stylist Elizabeth Stewart are very smart about this — and it also means we get to do a lot of side-by-side comparisons. Who wore this Armani better, Cate or Cate?

Cate Venice Rewear 2025-1756328628

Three years later, it still fits like a glove, although they went a little less aggressive with the boob taping this time. The main difference is in Cate’s head. In 2022, she had warmer blond hair, a Hot Oil treatment perhaps, and slightly richer “neutral” makeup that did the job perfectly. The Venice styling is really disappointing; her hair and face look unusually underbaked. Mary Berry would be so disappointed. And Paul Hollywood would be smug, but when isn’t he.

[Photos: Andreas Rentz, Pascal Le Segretain, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]