Welcome to My Royal Closet! Each month, take a look into a different closet that has been royally-inspired by Kate. The Duchess of Cambridge has been a huge influence on our closets, and we want to share our favorite repliKates and outfits with you!
Meet Suzanne: My name is Suzanne Marutollo and my fascination for all things royal Kate started at the same time as it did for many others: November 16, 2010, the day Kate and William announced their engagement to the press. As I observed Kate during the announcement, I was immediately impressed by her poise and humility. Most significantly, as a fashion professional, I was truly impressed by her style and fashion sense. For the announcement, Kate matched her beautiful sapphire engagement ring with her now-famous sapphire blue Issa dress, and wore a perfectly complimentary necklace with a set of earrings. I was immediately captivated by Kate’s sophisticated and graceful look. I decided to try and incorporate Kate’s elegant style into my own fashion choices. You can chat with Suzanne on Instagram.
Dresses: As Kate is one of the most photographed individuals on the planet, I have enjoyed seeing her many magnificent dresses over the years. Like many others, I would immediately check websites to see if one of Kate’s recently-worn outfits was available for purchase. I learned that, unfortunately, these outfits would typically sell out very quickly, or were vastly out of my price range. Since I still aspired to follow Kate’s elegant style, however, I forced myself to become creative with my own fashion choices.
For example, when I was pregnant with my son, I looked to Kate’s pregnancy outfits for inspiration. As shown below, I used Kate’s wrap Asos Polka Dot Maternity Dress (left) and her head-to-toe navy ensemble from Beulah London (middle) to create a perfect party look for an Easter dinner (right). I found the fascinator hat on Etsy (a great option for affordable fascinators) and the dress is a Maternity Wrap Skater Dress in a Butterfly Print from Asos. I never would have thought to purchase a dress of this type for myself, but seeing Kate wear it helped me find confidence in dressing my new, pregnant figure.
Another example of Kate-inspired creativity occurred at my baby shower. As shown below, I chose a royal blue maternity dress with a flattering front knot, similar to Kate’s engagement dress. I would encourage women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to browse the Séraphine collection. They market many of their dresses as perfect for before, during, and after pregnancy; and I can attest that they are indeed perfect (and comfortable!).
I also had fun with finding a polka dot dress – a take on Kate’s from her first appearance at the Lindo Wing with George. My son, Thomas, is even getting in on the action, using the same birdy print swaddle as Prince George.
Of course, on some occasions, I was fortunate enough to actually purchase outfits worn by Kate at an affordable rate. For instance, I purchased this brown, animal-print shirtdress from British retailer Hobbs. Kate’s multiple uses of this dress made it a must-have item for me. Like Kate, I wore the embossed silk dress with a sash belt both before and during the early stages of my pregnancy. Additionally, I purchased Kate’s white Jaegar with navy trim. Both outfits are also a good fit for important meetings or occasions – – or even a nice dinner with loved ones. These were smart purchases and I can see why Kate loves them.
Shoes: A shoe collection that can be paired with almost anything in your closet is the smartest, most practical investment you can make for your wardrobe. Kate, being the thrifty shopper she is, has just that! I was given these shoes as a gift marking my 30th birthday. The pattern on these L.K. Bennett ‘Sledge’ Pumps in tortoise shell is noticeable up close, but from far away works perfectly as a neutral.
Accessories: Kate has an enviable collection of hats, scarves, purses, necklaces and earrings. These pieces are the easiest to repli-Kate. One can find many options on Etsy. Here are a few gems I was able to scoop up:
Various replica earrings, replica set Kate wore for her engagement announcement, a Merci Maman gold plated necklace (with my family’s names), a small tiara barrette (perfect to hold her signature half-up-half-down ’do in your own hair) and my very own genuine, sapphire ring framed in diamonds in white gold.
Kate’s dresses, shoes, and accessories are certainly stunning, but, unfortunately, they are hard to come by for the average person (Kate is a princess, after all). As outlined above, however, with a few creative steps, we too can dress elegantly like Kate.
I love that you included picture of Kate wearing the outfits mentioned!