What Would “Just Kate” Wear? The Duchess’s Fashion Rules

 

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve purchased at least one Karin Herzog product, own a Sandwash Pink Bobbi Brown Lipstick (or your own personal ideal lipstick), and have more than one wrap dress hanging in your closet (guilty!).  Like most readers here, I spend a fair amount of time looking at RepliKate outfits: both the real deal or less expensive dupes of the styles the Duchess wears.  I drool every month when the My Royal Closet feature is published here on What Would Kate Do?   Nevertheless, other day I was trying to figure out how to justify a RepliKate purchase, and caught myself I wondering how would the Duchess dress if she were “just” Kate?

I firmly believe the answer is pretty much the same.  Sure, there might be less McQueen and more Zara.  But when you get down to it, the Duchess’s core style principles would apply equally if she were “just” Kate (perish the thought!), which means that you and I can embrace them too.

1. Find style elements that work for you

 

It’s not just about donning a pair of L.K. Bennetts and a Chelsea blowout.  Achieving Kate-worthy style is about finding elements that work for you – your height, your body shape, your hair.  Kate discovered that her wavy mane could be tamed to perfection initially with the folks at Richard Ward and rather than trying to force her locks into something they aren’t (can you imagine her with “the Rachel”?), she embraced and enhanced her curls.  Likewise, she seeks out styles that emphasize her slender waist, and has been known to adjust a hemline to make the most of her height (without, of course, offending the Royal sense of decorum).

 

2. Invest in quality

 

Quality, timeless pieces are always in fashion – they stand the test of time not only in the trend stakes but hold up to wear after wear.  Catherine shows us that when she steps out in her Sledges (the rumour is that there is only one pair!).  Her Katherine Hooker coat from Cheltenham in 2006 was still in great shape (arguably even better shape, see #3 below!) when Kate wore it again  just before the Royal Wedding – five years later.

 

 

 

3. Tailor!

For as much as we hear of Kate buying off the rack at Peter Jones and the Bicester Village outlets, these days by the time we see her wearing her finds, most have almost definitely been altered, even if it’s only a nip at the waist and an adjustment of the hemline.  Even the designer pieces she wears are frequently bespoke.  I will never forget my surprise at the completely different effect of Kate wearing her bespoke version of the red McQueen dress at the Jubilee Thames River Pageant (complete with long sleeves and lengthened hemline) juxtaposed with other celebrities who later wore the piece as originally designed (sleeveless and with a short skirt).  We may not all have the ability to ring up a designer for a complete re-do, but a few dollars spent can turn a pair of trousers or a jacket from dull to Duchess-worthy!

In the truest philosophical sense, then, RepliKating isn’t just about a blue and white Breton and a sapphire ring.  It is about finding the best way to project yourself and feel confident when you step out into the world.