The Duchess of Cambridge shops at Selfridges Department Store London

First opened in 1909 by American businessman Gordon Selfridge, Selfridges was instrumental in shaping the retail landscape in the UK, celebrating shopping as an entertainment as well as a necessity. Recently made famous by the ITV series Mr. Selfridge, the department store was voted the World’s Best Department Store three years in a row at the Global Summit of Department Stores.

It’s certainly a store that would be well known to any fashionable young woman, standing on Oxford Street in the heart of London’s busiest shopping district. So it’s no surprise to hear that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has been spotted shopping there!

One of the biggest appeals of Selfridges is in its mix of high street and high end designer fashion – and that’s also a blend that’s made Kate famous. In the Womens’ Street Fashion department, you can find brands previously favoured by the Duchess, including Whistles, Ray-Ban, Reiss, Jaeger, Topshop, Pied a Terre, MaxMara, J Brand, Links of London, Ted Baker and Warehouse. The Duchess has been spotted browsing these racks on previous visits, and considering that the cream of the crop is on offer under one roof, it’s easy to see why.

On the other end of the scale, there’s also a mix of higher end and luxury labels that the Duchess has been spotted in, including Bally, Roland Mouret, Alexander McQueen, Roksanda Illincic, Anya Hindmarch, Issa, Aquascutum, Barbour, Mulberry, Joesph, Cartier, Diane von Fustenberg, Jimmy Choo, Jonathan Saunders, Longchamp, Orla Kiely and Tiffany.

For the more discrete shopper, the flagship London store also offers Personal Shopping, with custom-designed dressing rooms and lounge areas. This service offers privacy for both regular customers, as well as celebrities – and Selfridge’s own press releases hint at ‘royalty’ too. (We can only wonder!)

Any fashionista would be impressed by the shoe department – because it’s the largest in the world, and stocks over 100,000 pairs at any given time, selling over 7000 of these in an average week!

But that’s not the only department that’s world-class. The beauty department is also the biggest in the world too, with brands favoured by the Duchess including Bobbi Brown, Lancome, and Clarins, as well as MAC, YSL, Tom Ford and many more.

There’s even a space for fitness fashion – and Kate was spotted browsing the racks of British label Sweaty Betty (one of my personal favourite brands when it comes to sportswear), although she wasn’t reported to have made a purchase…

If all that shopping has tuckered you out, the department store has 13 restaurants, cafes and bars to refresh you – but if you have time, you could even wait around for a tattoo or a piercing at the only parlour of its type in a UK department store!

As well as the London store, Selfridges also has several other premises in the UK, including the iconic Birmingham Bullring, and two stores in Manchester at the Trafford Centre and Exchange Square. However, if you can’t make it to any of these, you can still shop online at www.selfridges.com, where many of the brands are available to buy. The website even had its own Kate effect in 2011 when sales of nude tights like Wolford Naked 8s and Falke Shelina soared thanks to the Duchess’ appearances in similar pairs!

So, the next time you’re in London, head to Oxford Street to find one of the country’s most iconic department stores, full of brands that’ll win your heart (and empty your wallet!).