Thrifty Kate recycles last year's Olympic look as she returns to the park to play volleyball in THOSE four-inch wedges

The Duchess of Cambridge looked sporty yet chic for her first solo public engagement this morning.

Kate, 31, attended an event at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London in her role as patron of the charity SportsAid.

Looking trim, the Duchess donned blue J Brand skinny jeans and a Ralph Lauren striped Breton-style top with a navy Smythe jacket and her favourite Russell & Bromley wedges.

Style credentials: The Duchess of Cambridge waves as she leaves after a visit to a SportsAid Athlete Workshop in a striped ensemble

Earning her fashion stripes: The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of SportsAid, opted for a sporty chic look today

Sloaney style: Kate, 31, stuck to her usual preppy look with a Ralph Lauren breton top and a Smythe navy blazer

The new mother, who left baby George at home with William, is a firm fan of Ralph Lauren, an iconic American brand that champions the Sloaney style that Kate adores.
Avid Kate fans will notice that this isn’t the first time that the thrifty Royal has worn the navy striped ensemble.
Kate, who is well known for recycling her wardrobe staples, wore a very similar navy outfit at the 2012 Olympics Games when she paid a visit to the athletes in the Olympic village.

Kate’s 4in corked footwear hit the headlines during her visit when swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who has a passion for fashion, told the Duchess she loved her £245 navy wedges - and couldn't help gushing about them afterward.

Standing tall: Kate wore her favourite £245 Russell & Bromley wedges, which she has worn numerous times before, and Rebecca Adlington famously complimented

Covering up: Her navy jacket is by Canadian designer Smythe and she wore it during her visit there with William in 2011

'I just love her shoes. They're much nicer than the sports gear we're wearing this week,' said Adlington, who took bronze in the 400m freestyle.
Kate also sported the navy blazer, by Canadian designer Smythe, and designer jeans during her time in Canada.
Today's event was organised to highlight the work of SportsAid, which helps support young athletes by helping them to meet essential costs for travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment.
Many Olympians and Paralympians helped by the charity in the early days of their careers were present. The Duchess was introduced to Katherine Grainger, Mark Hunter, Leon Taylor, Karen Pickering, Ade Adepitan, Steve Parry, Danny Crates, Steve Williams, Alistair Patrick-Heselton and Gail Emms.

Cheerful: Kate looked in great spirits as she left the event this afternoon and chatted to organisers on her way home

Thrifty: Kate recently stepped out in the same corked wedges in Anglesey with William. She was also wearing a green jacket by Ralph Lauren (R)

Kate began her visit by watching young athletes taking part in a selection of sports activities including wheelchair basketball, volleyball, fencing and badminton.
She even joined in a game of volleyball - still wearing those 4in wedges.
She will later join young athletes and their parents as they attend educational workshops about nutrition in sport and social media training.
Not only was it the Duchess's first solo engagement since her son's birth on July 22 but her first as patron of the charity.

Healthy glow: Kate looked happy and healthy and had her hair styled in her favourite way: tousled ways

Aides said she was keen to meet the people it was helping face-to-face and get a 'detailed insight into the challenges they face'.
SportsAid was established in 1796 and funded two-thirds of the British team at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics.
Today's event is the third official outing for the Duchess since she left hospital with Prince George in July.

Fit: The Duchess of Cambridge played volleyball today as she took part in a SportsAid workshop at the site of the Olympic Park in East London

Similar ensemble: Kate sported a similar outfit last year - her jacket was by a different designer, but the rest of her look was exactly the same as today's

In her jeans: The Duchess of Cambridge wore J Brand jeans three days in a row in Canada

She joined her husband for a low-key 'farewell' engagement in Anglesey over the summer and last month donned a glittering rose-gold evening dress for the Tusk Conservation Awards in London.
In contrast Baby George has not been seen in public since his day-old debut on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.

His fiercely protective parents chose not to invite a photographer in to take his first official pictures, prefering to release two snapshots taken by Kate's father , Michael Middleton.

He will, however, be seen at his christening which takes place at The Chapel Royal in St James's Palace on Wednesday next week.

Wardrobe staple: Kate has worn her £245 4in wedges countless times, which are by Russell and Bromley (right shows the cork shoes in black)

The baptism will take place at 3pm, last for 45 minutes and be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Details of George's godparents will not be released until the day but the Mail has already revealed that William's aunts and uncles have not been invited to the ceremony as the couple want the occasion to be 'intimate' and for close family only.

Photographs of George with his family are set to be publicly released, however, including an historic portrait of the Queen with her three living successors - Charles, William and George.

It is the first time such a picture will have been taken for more than a hundred years.