SHE’S been labelled a princess with “the worst outfit in Survivor history”, but Perth’s Kat Dumont says there is method to her madness.

The Australian Survivor contestant told Confidential that her wide-brimmed hat and leopard-print kimono was more than just a fashion statement.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of glam in the jungle, but it was practical as well,” she said.

“The kimono sheltered me from the sun each day when it would be 30C-plus and humid, so it would shelter me and keep me cool.

“The hat would shield me from the sun, but also if I was having a conversation with someone, because it was so damn big, people couldn’t see what was going on behind my hat and from a strategy perspective that came in handy.”

But while it was a tactic that Dumont’s fellow teammates have since praised, social media didn’t see it the same way.

“I actually thought it was funny that there was such an uproar about it,” Dumont said.

“I mean, I saw comments saying: ‘Who does she think she is? The real housewife of Samoa’?’”

Her outfit may have screamed “princess”, but Dumont, who quit her job as brand manager for the WA Cricket Association to go on the show, made sure her fiery nature overshadowed that.

She was the first of her teammates to take charge of the red team — also known as Aganoa — and work towards creating a shelter and fire.

“We have 55 days to get to know each other so let’s do the best with the time we have now,” she said of her time on the show.