According to Warehouse's newsletter yesterday - quick, responsive marketing complete with creepy, stalkerish store manager quote - and the Telegraph's Fashion section, Kate Middleton has been causing a stir on the high street over the past few days.
Kate Middleton on the King's Road yesterday
Spotted in Warehouse, Whistles and Banana Republic yesterday on the King's Road, the most famous bride-to-be has got tongues wagging about her purchases. It's safe to assume, from the four summer pieces she picked up from Warehouse - including a tropical print short dress and a floral strapless dress - that she's stocking up on honeymoon essentials. But Warehouse? As much as I love the British high street, and as great as it is that she eschews expensive high end fashion brands for more "relatable" stores like Jigsaw and L.K. Bennett and she likes a bargain, I can't picture our future queen holidaying in a £24 dress... In other Kate Middleton fashion news, she's just bought her Whistles blouse again. The one she wore in the official engagement photos, below. The one she already owns.
Kate in her Whistles blouse
Why, Kate, WHY? For the official portraits, taken by Mario Testino, Kate Middleton styled herself and chose her AW2008 cream silk blouse which cost £95 over two years ago. Whistles CEO Jane Sheperdson said: "We are delighted that Katherine has chosen to wear Whistles in her engagement photographs. Due to a surge of customer interest we will be re-releasing the 'Kate' blouse as a limited edition in early 2012." I guess if one of my favourite labels reissued a piece from the archives just because I wore it and named it after me, I'd probably buy one as a souvenir too...
Kate in her Reiss dress
She also wore a white Reiss dress in the engagement photoshoot, and the high street chain has also jumped onboard the Kate train by designing a similar version of the Nannette dress Kate wore, which came out and sold out in January 2011. Reiss MD David Reiss said: "Kate has been a customer of Reiss for some time now and we are absolutely delighted that she chose to wear one of our dresses for such a wonderful occasion." It looks like the safe and conservative, but ever-so-lovely Kate will be taking the crown for nation's sweetheart. She may be criticised for dressing safely or too old for her age, but she's certainly making waves, fans and a massive impact in the fashion industry. Now back to speculating about the dress...
