What is there to say about Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, K-Middy… whatever you want to call her? Over the past few years she’s gone from being the lucky university student who fell in love with Prince William to a future Queen of England and fully-fledged member of the royal family.
I don’t think there’s a single person out there who doesn’t love Kate. She’s pretty but in an approachable, down to earth way. She’s friendly, always smiling and conducts all of her royal duties with enthusiasm and style.
But what we really love about Kate are her clothes. OK so she’s lucky enough to have designers who are falling over themselves to dress her, but there’s something about the simple yet elegant way she puts things together that make her outfits so successful.
We all know about the high street brands she loves, so here’s a look at her favorite designers.
Alexander McQueen
Obviously I can’t discuss Alexander McQueen without talking about the gorgeous wedding dress Kate wore on her big day. Designed by Sarah Burton, everyone agreed the gown was a beautiful and intricate creation fit for a princess.
Kate’s love affair with the brand has continued and she has been spotted in a few smart Alexander McQueen coat dresses, like the navy outfit she wore to present medals to Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks in Windsor in June 2012, complete with a gold shamrock broach. She also wore a green Alexander McQueen dress to the British Sports Personality of the Year awards at the end of 2012.
Plus, who can forget the incredible cream and gold evening gown she worn in Malaysia to dine with the country’s king? She looked like a Disney princess and women everywhere sighed with jealously.
Mulberry
The popularity of Mulberry has skyrocketed over the past few years and it’s impossible to walk down the street without spotting at least a handful of girls toting an Alexa, a Bayswater or a Del Rey. Although Kate hasn’t been spotted lugging around the brand’s most famous arm candy, she is a lover of their beautiful dresses.
Remember when, stop the press, she had a fringe cut at the end of last year? That gorgeous emerald green dress Kate wore to debut her new look was a Mulberry creation. She also wore a navy Mulberry dress with matching wedges on her Asian tour with Prince William.
Jenny Packham
Take a look at any of Kate’s stunning red carpet dresses and the chances are it’s by Jenny Packham. She seems to have become Kate’s designer of choice when she needs some high-octane glamour.
My favourite dress by far was the glimmering pink creation Kate wore to the Absolute Return for Kids gala dinner in London in June 2011. It was covered in sequins and had an almost ethereal quality to it.
Fast forward a year and there’s Kate in Jenny Packham again, but this time it was an incredible pleated turquoise blue creation with lace detailing, which she wore at a concert to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Issa
Issa is one of Kate’s favourite brands and she famously wore a blue Issa dress to announce her engagement to Prince William. After those photos, sales of the dress went through the roof as everyone tried to emulate her elegant style.
Other notable Issa dresses include the plunging grey gown she wore to a Starlight Children’s Foundation charity event back in 2009.
Erdem
Erdem is known for its pretty floral dresses and use of intricate patterns – and it seems this is a winning combination in Kate’s eyes. The number of Erdem outfits she’s worn is quite hard to keep track of, but my favourite has to be the gorgeous navy and white lace dress from the brand’s spring/summer 12 collection she wore on the couple’s tour of Canada just after their wedding.
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This guest blog was contributed by Jane Sampson a freelance blogger who often writes about celebrity style with a special focus on designer online shopping.