Once upon a time, Kate Middleton was a normal 20-something woman who had graduated from college and was attending themed parties. However, she was dating the most attractive bachelor in England and in the world, her future husband and future King of England, Prince William.

However, Middleton was in the spotlight around 2004 because she was supposedly dating the prince, but it was much later that she began to show noticeable changes in her appearance, presumably to fit in with the royal family, as her engagement grew closer.

Take a look at these almost unbelievable photos of the soon-to-be Duchess in the mid-to-late 2000s: 2005, in a normal person's white tank top and low-rise jeans:

Also 2005, at an event clearly involving horses:

One at a store opening in 2006:

And one at a "Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco" in 2008:

And even this 2010 photo of the future Duchess in a mini-dress seems delightfully impossible these days:

But this Kate Middleton style was not long for this world: as she and Prince William prepared to announce their engagement, Middleton began to look like the Duchess we know today.

"Her attire almost began to reflect what people saw in her character-a kind of restraint, a kind of modesty," royal expert Tom Quinn said in the documentary "William & Kate: Too Good To Be True" (via The Sun) via The Sun).

"I think it happened because it was getting close to the time when William and Kate were going to announce their engagement."

"Kate began to behave in a way that made her seem more suitable for the future queen."

Thus Kate Middleton gave way to the Duchess of Cambridge and the wardrobe that accompanied her.