5 Swoon-Worthy Summer Pieces from a Few of Kate’s Favourite Designers

July 26, 2016July 26, 20162 Comments

Elegant and timeless, the Duchess of Cambridge never seems to miss a step when it comes to dressing appropriately and fashionably for every occasion – that’s one of the reasons I’m so fascinated by her style. While I may not attend as many formal and special events as the dashing duchess, I can certainly pick up a few pretty pieces made by some of her favourite designers. From preppy to feminine to regal, she has mastered the art of picking proper attire without losing her own personal sense of style. I’ve gathered a handful of inspiring pieces that you’ll want to wear all summer long.

Temperley London

If you wish to look smart like Kate while also keeping your cool in the summer heat, Lyst’s editorial team suggests a jacket in a lightweight material with thoughtful tailoring. The pink Lanai blazer by Temperley London is crafted from linen for breathability while still offering a polished and professional appearance. Wear an outfit like this with a pair of Kate-inspired wedges to the office, and then dress it up with jewellery and a clutch for cocktails after work. This looks so much like a riff on the peach Tara Jarmon coat that Kate wore when visiting Naomi House in Hampshire that I can really imagine her selecting this – a pretty pastel colour on a traditionally unisex item makes it ultra feminine and especially appropriate for summer!

Alexander McQueen

Named as one of her favourite designers by What Kate Wore, McQueen’s dresses are definitely staples in the royal wardrobe. Although pricey for the average household, you can still use the garments as inspiration for the pieces you can pick up within your price range (think Reiss or Whistles!). There’s something so ethereal about seeing the duchess in different shades of white, which is why I’ve chosen this lovely perforated A-line dress in cream and black. It’s perfect for baby showers, engagement parties, and brunch with the girls. McQueen has always been one of my favourite designers, too, and although the items are out of my price range for every day wear, I sometimes splurge on a item that could work season after season, for multiple events!

L.K. Bennett

The royal fashion experts over at Kate Middleton Style assure us that L.K. Bennett shoes are definitely in her rotation. The duchess often selects pumps and court shoes, as well as bags, dresses, coats, and jackets by this designer. In this instance, though, I’ll focus on a pair of elevated jute wrapped wedges with tan leather straps. Priced under £300, these sandals are surprisingly affordable and definitely channel Kate’s easy fashion sense. Wear these anywhere a little open-toe shoe action is appropriate. Also, note that wedges are much easier to walk in than pumps, particularly after you’ve been hitting the Pimm’s – and they’re also perfect for stamping down the divots in between chukkas when you’re watching polo!

REISS

With Kate being such a huge fan of the effortless ease of a flattering dress, especially now that she’s a mum of two, I’ve chosen another one that is reminiscent of her signature style. This conservative Carmen V-neck sleeveless dress by REISS is the perfect work-to-weekend piece. Pair it with a cardigan, polished pumps, and a structured handbag for a truly classy ensemble that’s perfect for the office, date night, and dinner parties. Blue florals prints are a favourite of the Duchess (think her ditsy blue Whistles dress she wore at the Diamond Jubilee Concert, or her Beulah scarfs in blue and white) – I can definitely see her in this with her hair up for a dinner out!

Emilia Wickstead

Although we don’t see the duchess donning trousers very often, they are an occasional part of her repertoire, albeit usually in the form of skinny jeans. But there are plenty of Kate-fans who would love to see her make trousers part of her formal wardrobe, and what better way to start than with one of her favourite designers – Emilia Wickstead? These lovely high-waisted cloque trousers by Wickstead are perfect for the everywoman – you don’t have to to be Kate to find plenty of reasons for breaking these out of the closet. Excellent for an important meeting or dressier event outside of work, perhaps a charity or art gala, wear these with confidence. Pair them with strappy sandals and an embellished blouse for a more formal gathering, or with a simple silk tank and casual peep-toe wedges for a more casual get-together.

From dresses to blazers to trousers, these lovely garments are fashion forward and wearable at the same time, which is something I find so endearing about her style. I hope you’ve been inspired to start your own royal wardrobe with a few of my favourite pieces from a few of Kate’s favourite designers!

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Kate’s New BFF: Nina vs Natalie in the Battle of the Clutches

May 20, 2016February 7, 20172 Comments

Move over, Natalie. There’s a new girl in town. Her name is Nina, and she comes in trench…

The Duchess of Cambridge recently debuted a new L.K. Bennett clutch during her royal tour of India, and it sparked a bit of a buzz, not least because it wasn’t even available to the public yet. Teamed with matching high heels (in two heel heights, no less), the Nina in trench looked to be Kate’s new favourite clutch. L.K. Bennett released the item for sale yesterday, and as I find myself with nothing else better to do on a Friday afternoon, I thought I’d take time out to compare it to an old favourite, the Natalie clutch in straw.

Now, I have a massive soft spot for the Natalie, because during the summer months it really feels like it goes with everything. Kate most often wore it with her trusty L.K. Bennett sledges in taupe, but it also went with the Minx Wedges from Stuart Weitzman, her L.K. Bennett sliver sandals (still only seen once on Kate!), also in taupe, and arguments could be made for it matching any number of her other wedges and espadrilles. However, since Kate’s recently switched from the Sledge to the Fern / Floret in trench, she seems to have ditched the Natalie as her working horse summer clutch in favour of the new Nina.

Size-wise, there’s not much in the way of difference between the two. The Nina is slightly longer and wider, but the Natalie is fatter. Style wise, the Natalie’s puffy stuffed exterior gives it a pleasantly plump hand-feel, whereas the Nina is much less forgiving and easily marked (mine arrived with a dent in it!). I can imagine the leather becoming damaged from a sweaty palm print or a snagged fingernail very easily, whereas the Natalie really feels fairly indestructible. Natalie has a chic dark taupe satin trim around the edges, like a ribbon, and the Nina is the same trench-coloured leather all around. Finally, while the Natalie has the brand name embossed on the latch, the Nina latch is bare.

In terms of internal chain, the Nina beats Natalie hands down. I never was too happy with Natalie’s puny, silver-esque chain, but Nina’s is long and elegant, and a pretty pale gold shade. It’s far easier to sling it across your shoulder, and the slightly longer look gives it a sleek mini shoulder bag feel. Despite having several bags with this feature (off the top of my head, the Mulberry Bayswaters, the Jaegar Kates, and the Oroton Odeion snake clutch), Kate never seems to use the chains on her clutches, and in fact rarely appears with a shoulder bag at all.

Inside, the bag is very similar to the Natalie – lined with a satin type fabric that has an internal pocket for credit cards, with the metal L.K. Bennett plaque attached.

In the original, the plaque is attached with fabric, but the Nina has its plaque glued on. I also found it really difficult to fit my cards in the pocket, whereas the Natalie’s pocket was easy to get in and out of. Finally, perhaps a fault with my Nina, but the fabric was not glued rigidly to the corners of the bag, rather it had a smoothed effect where it felt like the fabric wasn’t reaching the edges, making the internal space a lot smaller than it should have been.

That said, what can you fit inside? Pretty much the same as the Natalie, to be honest – except the Nina is slightly better suited to the slimmer, longer phones of the current gen Samsungs and iPhones. You’ll be able to fit a phone, some credit cards, a lipstick and some change, but not a whole lot more.

Overall, my impression of the Nina is that it’s an expensive bag considering it’s not as versatile as the Natalie – and considering the Natalie originally retailed at £140 (then £160) and the Nina starts at £185, the price per wear is going to be pretty high for me… Of course, the Nina is going to be a year-round clutch, whereas Natalie’s straw effect means it’s best used in spring and summer. And finally, the big question is going to be, does this new season trench match the old season’s taupe? The answer… No.

Trench is a much pinker-based nude than taupe’s yellow-based one. You can probably wear both together as they’re a close enough match, but they’re certainly not the same colour when you look closely. If you’ve purchased a pair of shoes from L.K. Bennett in trench, the Nina is probably going to be your best bet to match the colour!

The Nina clutch is available here from L.K. Bennett for £185.

What do you think? Are you going to purchase one? Wait for a sale? Or skip this one all together? I’m still wondering whether or not to return mine…

A Month in Pictures: May 2015

June 11, 2015Leave a comment

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Friday Lust List: Red Suede Heels from L.K. Bennett

March 27, 2015April 17, 2015Leave a comment

Red suede heels have become a point of obsession for me, and once I decided I wanted a pair, I started to get a serious case of The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon – they kept appearing everywhere, and I found myself pinning, liking and stumbling across dozens of gorgeous outfits featuring them! Then, when I saw a pair on Tatiana’s Instagram, I knew I had to take the plunge!

When I saw these gorgeous Fern heels in ‘salsa’ from L.K. Bennett, I had to snap them up right away, especially considering there was limited stock on the site!

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Spend or Splurge: Pointed Flats

May 12, 2014June 25, 20141 Comment

After I posted a pic of my growing collection of pointed flats, I had quite a few people asking me where they were from, so I put together a Polyvore collection of a few examples at different budgets. A couple of the items aren’t the same as the ones in my picture, as they were last season’s, but hopefully I managed to find some interesting alternatives!

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Bag ‘n’ Shoes: Modalu Crossbody Twiggy in Berry and L.K. Bennett Dale Pointed Flats

May 9, 2014June 25, 20149 Comments

I am all about the pointed flats this year – last year I was dipping my toe in very gingerly, but 2014 is the year I’m going full pelt into the trend!

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Nautical and Nice

April 10, 2014April 3, 20141 Comment

It all started with those pointed Dale flats from L.K. Bennett… And then the French Sole nautical collection. And Modalu’s nifty fabric Riviera tote with that amazing navy and white stripe… Pretty soon, I was obsessed with all things nautical, and, well, it was pretty much only a matter of time before this happened:

On the top row we have the aforementioned Modalu tote (£75), and next to that, the Soho grab, also from Modalu (£89). If leather is more your thing, Modalu also do this amazing azure blue Artemis shopper, which is one of my favourite colours this season (£199). L.K. Bennett also have a couple of really cool nautical totes this season – at the end of the top row is the Hoxton canvas tote (£175), and the cool and quirky Lytham St. Anne’s canvas beach bag (£95, one of a series of three) starts off the second row on the left. Save your pennies with the simple chic of this navy striped tote with rope handles from Next (£20), or treat yourself to Kate Spade’s Welcome To Brighton bag (£130). Rounding out the bag selection are two clutches – on the left is L.K. Bennett’s embellished straw Evie clutch (£225), and the right is Kate Spade’s nifty Terrace Drive Abbett clutch (£245).

On to the shoes! On the top row we have French Sole’s red pointed Penelope flats (£180), then L.K. Bennett’s azure Connie espadrille wedges (£160). The L.K. Bennett team are mad for gosgrain this season, because they have several offerings that make use of the striped ribbon in a variety of colours – each of my selections is available in various bold striped patterns. Next to that on the end of the top row of three is another nifty pair of French Sole flats, Henriettas with a rope pattern that dances across the toes (£160). On the bottom row on the left are a pair of slingback pointed toe flats from Next (£26), another pair of simpler Henriettas from French Sole – I couldn’t resist the rope bow! – (£150), and then a peep-toe espadrille wedge from Next (£34). Finally, a Marlene block heel sandal from L.K. Bennett (£175), and those shoes that started it all, the Dale pointed toe flats, from L.K. Bennett (£150) – available in navy and white, azure and white, and raspberry and white, and all in that gosgrain finish I love so much!

Do you like to channel a bit of nautical style in your wardrobe come the sunnier seasons? Without doubt, nautical style is always in fashion during spring and summer, and I’m a sucker for it every time! Considering that it always makes an appearance on the shelves, it’s a smart investment to pick up a few nautical accessories to mix and match – you’ll probably find you end up using them year after year. Do you have an old favourite you like to bring out?

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Replikating at Hobbs, Gunwharf Quays

April 5, 2014July 28, 2015Leave a comment

Gunwharf Quays is my local shopping outlet, and whilst it doesn’t have as many luxury brands as Bicester, it’s still an amazing place to shop.

If you’re after some Kate Middleton style, it’s also a great place to pick up replikates!

Many of Kate’s favourite shops and brands are here, including L.K. Bennett, Barbour, Hobbs, Jaeger, Ted Baker, Links and Ralph Lauren

I popped in to Gunwharf for a quick pit stop this weekend, and here are some of my finds!

This awesome Ted Baker jacket in silver was a special sample priced at £80. Unfortunately it was a bit creased and didn’t photograph well, but it had a beautiful shape to the back.

Ted Baker is an excellent place to get really gorgeous party dresses or frocks for the races.

Another great outlet is L.K. Bennett. I’ve purchased many a great item in here, including a teal Jude jacket (£60) and a pair of black suede Harper pumps (£115). Highlights today included a black Davina dress (Kate has worn one in teal under her Jetta jacket – like the Jude) for £150, and Sledges in beige, gold and black glitter for £115.

I spent most of my time in Hobbs though – I love the brand and the physical stores, but let’s just say their online service leaves a lot to be desired… But let’s stick with the positive for this post!

There were a few items in here from the current mid season sale, including plenty of items in the same Dalmatian print that Kate wore in Southampton (hers was a collarless coat). The Niamh top was there in blue and white for £28.

There were also trousers, a scarf, and a cardigan (£50).

As the Dalmatian mac that Kate wore is long since sold out, these are great replikating options which use the same print! There are even shoes – the Lexi open toe court for £49 and the Bea ballerina, £35.

My favourite replikate from Hobbs is the Myra wedge, in navy suede (£49).

They also had the mushroom version, which was incredibly tempting!

Hobbs Outlet stores can be found at Bicester, Braintree, Canterbury, Cardiff, Cheshire Oaks, Kildare, Portsmouth, Swindon, Walton-On-Thames and York. Track them down at http://www.hobbs.co.uk.

Sunshine at the Beach

April 2, 2014April 2, 20141 Comment

Since I bought my lovely yellow Zara coat, I’ve been thinking of ways to style it for spring. As I’m also slightly obsessed with nautical stripes at the moment, I put together this outfit featuring a striped navy and ecru jumper from Next (£18), striped, pointed Dale flats from L.K. Bennett (and also available from Next… Although I’ve been waiting for mine to dispatch for a month: £150), inky denim leggings from Next (£24), the aforementioned yellow Zara coat (£99.99) and the Mulberry Lily in Emerald (£750).

Bright colours, nautical influences, and a mix of green, yellow, blue and white – what do you think? I have to confess, I’m struggling to come up with bag matches for this coat that go with the rest of an outfit!

EDIT: Grazia magazine UK is currently offering 25% off L.K. Bennett between 1-14 April. Pick up the 7 April edition with Gwyneth Paltrow on the front for your code, which can be used online or in a store!

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Ascot Ladies Day 2013

August 19, 2013Leave a comment

It’s my much-delayed report on Ladies’ Day at Ascot 2013! I had a blast as usual – and we even won big in one race when we bet on the Queen’s horse to win, and also scooped the second and third place runners too – but somehow, the shine is wearing off of this event for me. Maybe it’s the fact that I had my foot crushed by a rather large middle-aged lady who was completely smashed out of her mind during the Bandstand Singalong (and it still hurts now, two months later) or maybe it’s the fact that the dress code standards have slipped again, but there’s just something about Ascot Ladies’ Day that is wearing a little thin on me now. But, this post is to concentrate on the positive!

The theme this year was floral (my friends and I try to match – last year’s theme was obvious and awesome at the same time!), so I spent a lot of time hunting out the perfect floral dress. It had to be flared and with a ’50s style vest-shaped top. I found the perfect dress in French Connection’s Maggie Lou. However, I had a massive crisis of confidence when my usual dress size didn’t fit me, which prompted me to go on an epic, short-term weight loss plan, which I’m pleased to say was successful. I am certainly not the size I’d like to be, but I did fit into a size 10 again!

Once I found my perfect dress, I needed a hat or fascinator to go with it. I had always planned to get something made, so I commissioned the fabulous Marissa Fleur from Etsy to create a bespoke headpiece based on the colours of the dress.

Floral Headpiece, commissioned from Marissa Fleur via Etsy / Disc Stud Earrings with Aqua Chalcedony Stones, Azuni / Maggie Lou Dress, French Connection / Wrap, Monsoon / Natalie Clutch, L.K. Bennett / Black Patent Maddox Wedges, L.K. Bennett

Here’s what the headpiece looks like flattened out, and below is the finished product on a headband, which is how I wore it on the day!

We booked afternoon tea at the event and wound up being incredibly late thanks to some atrocious traffic on the way. I think we were stuck for at least an hour and a half. It wasn’t the best of ways to begin, I have to say, although the tea was lovely enough to make it worth the wait:

At first I was slightly disappointed, as I thought the pork pie, tarts and fondant fancies were shop-bought, but upon thorough investigation, they seemed to have been made by hand – and they were certainly tastier than their supermarket counterparts!

The tearooms were a bit corporate feeling, but the mismatched china gave it a cool look – although, obviously, it’s much cheaper to fill a tearoom with mismatched china sets! At our table there was even a set that matched my colour scheme!

The afternoon tea cost £24pp and was honestly worth it for not having to go through the drama of fighting for a table at one of the kiosks or in the Bandstand restaurant. The food was very decent, and there was certainly enough! I think we were stuffed by the end! And anywhere with tea on tap is fine with me, of course.

For dinner, we went to Heston’s Hind’s Head in Bray again, but I think I’ll save that for another post. In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of the day…