Before she became the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton was well known for her knack of blending high-street styles with designer labels. Now that she’s the wife of the future heir to the throne, high-end garb is outnumbering Topshop picks— but she still knows how to work a chain-store look.
Last week, the Duchess of Cambridge chose high-street fashion for a charity concert she attended with Will, Prince Charles, and Camilla. She matched a £69.99 black-and-gray-patterned dress from Zara with a black Ralph Lauren jacket.
Host and Take That singer Gary Barlow greeted the special guests: “I hope you enjoy tonight, I hope it’s not too loud.” Prince William replied: “The louder the better, Gary.” Rock and roll, Wills!
Yes, they’re British royalty, but Will and Kate know how to blend in with the rest of us. From Reiss dresses to J Brand jeggings, Tom Sykes looks at the affordable styles Kate has opted for since her big day.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore $500 wool coat from the British mass retailer Hobbs while at a solo charity function on Feb. 14. Underneath, she had on a dress that retails for under $100 from the high-street stalwart Oasis.
When Kate met first lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace in May 2011, the duchess wore a demure taupe bandage dress from British chain store Reiss. The £175 dress sold out overnight and began popping up on eBay for ever more outrageous sums.
Toby Melville, AFP / Getty Images
Arriving at Los Angeles International Airport to go back to England after a whirlwind North America tour, Catherine looked rather fetching in a summery £95 Whistles pleated dress. She also wore it to visit L.A.’s Inner City Arts Academy during her trip. You won’t find the frock in stores today, however, as Kate purchased it three years ago.
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Proving she’s not illiterate in the hard-to-read world of American denim, Kate pulled on a pair of superskinny J Brand jeggings when she and Will visited Slave Lake, Alberta, during the Canada leg of their North America tour.
Samir Hussein, Wire Image / Getty Images
In what was perhaps an attempt to show the public that marriage to the future king of England wouldn’t change her, Kate was pictured wearing a £49.99 cornflower blue Zara dress the day after her wedding, as she and Will walked hand in hand outside Buckingham Palace.
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Kate’s High Street picks extend to footwear. The duchess paired her post-wedding Zara dress with reasonably priced LK Bennet wedges.
John Stillwell, AFP/Getty Images
Kate proved she's a high-street girl at heart when she chose a Reiss dress, which retailed at £159, for her official Mario Testino engagement photos. In typical Kate fashion, she also reportedly did her own makeup for the shoot.
Mario Testino, Alpha/Landov
For a second engagement shot, Kate chose a £95 Whistles scallop-edge blouse. It instantly sold out, only to be reissued as "The Kate." A few months later, the duchess confounded London’s fashion set when she whizzed into the Whistles store on the popular King’s Road and purchased the very same shirt. This time, the ivory silk blouse set her back £125—£30 more than when she bought it back in 2008, before it was renamed in her honor. That’s gratitude for you.
Mario Testino, Alpha/Landov
Prior to her wedding, Kate was spotted checking out the summer collection at high-street chain Warehouse on the King’s Road. She came away with a white lace-trimmed smock, £55; a feather-printed one-shouldered dress, £45; a skimpy tropical frock, £65; and a poppy-print strapless number, £60. Perhaps she was saving up for an extravagant getaway? Roughly a month later, the duke and duchess escaped to the Seychelles for a 10-day honeymoon that cost an estimated $1 million.
Danny Martindale, WireImage / Getty Images
