How does she dress to suit her body shape and still create a strong look.
In a style session, we draw out your style based on your likes, dislikes, lifestyle and budgets. It’s all about you but then we also look outwards for inspiration. This can often be celebrities or a picture cut out of a magazine, an outfit in an advert.
Some celebrities have such a clear sense of their own style but don’t forget, someone has helped them pick their outfit that you see, their accessories, someone has done their hair and makeup. Of course we could all look like that daily if we had that to hand.
So the key thing is, to use a celebrity as inspiration and then the change that style to suit you.
Kate’s style is one of the celebrities that a lot of my clients admire. A classic style. She tries to use British designers often and is becoming known for wearing her outfits over and over again as well as trying high street brands such as Hobbs and Reiss.
Kate has a super slender body and is quite straight and an athletic physic. If you look at her body shape in dresses, she has quite a long body. As a straight, you are like a rectangle shape, so need to create curves otherwise you can look quite boxy.
Kates overall look is a classic look, timeless pieces, simple and clean lines, never anything too frilly or floaty (maybe a hint of it but never too much), jackets to bring a casual look smarter. No oversized or fashion details, just timeless, elegant pieces that she can wear 10 years later.
I’m going to concentrate on Kate day look rather than evening gowns.
Trousers and Jeans - Kate doesn’t tend to go for fashion cuts and tends to stick to her straight or skinny legged worn with white pumps/ trainers, loafers or boots. They work well with her lean legs and hips. Occasionally you see Kate in a wide legged trouser but if so she will keep the classic look pairing them with a more classic Vega or SuperGa trainer or shoe and a Breton stripe top.
With her jeans, again they are normally straight or skinny but occasionally she has been seen to wear cropped, ankle grazing jeans. You can try a pair of mom jeans to create this look or these jeans seen worn here are &Other Stories and were £65.
Blazers – Blazers bring Kate from casual into her smart casual look that she wears so well. She wears them casually over jeans and a t-shirt but also over skirts and dresses when in a more formal setting. Blazers are a staple look for Kate and they are always well shaped at the waist. You will rarely see Kate in a relaxed fit, oversized fashion cut blazer.
Another staple of Kate’s casual look is her gilets. They bring a country casual look to a shirt and jeans. She often wears hers over her Breton stripe long sleeved tops or a shirt. Gilets are great for giving shape if they are cut well. Joules do fantastic, well-fitting gilets that are shaped at the waist. Avoid the puffy gilets as these can do the opposite and add unwanted shape and bulk. Kate has very slender hips so can easily wear hers zipped up but if you struggle with your hips, just wear them open over a long sleeve t-shirt or shirt.
Kate is great at colour blocking (wearing the same colour head to toe). She did this recently at a charity event in her striking De Mellier London red top and skirt. But also does it very well with her dresses and dress length long coats in matching colours. Always keeping to her style of clean lines and classic shapes but in a bold colour. Your can create a striking dramatic look with colour blocking but equally you can create a subtle and elegant look to such as the examples here.
Kate is never showing too much skin either, this is also to do with being a royal but in summer she will always have sleeves on her dresses and rarely sleeveless tops and dresses. Kate's slender figure works well with her high necked dresses so you often see her in a high neck dress, polo neck or shirts.
Kate's summer dresses are midi or maxi and often a small summery floral print. You rarely see her in a bold graphic print (occasionally but not often). Think of Laura Ashley Prints. Zara is great for these style dresses but most high street stores such as M&S and H&M currently have them even going through to the Autumn /winter stock.
Some High Street brands to help you create Kates look:
Boden
Joules
Hobbs
LK Bennett
Reiss
The & Other Stories
Zara
M&S - especially their ranges with Ghost and Finery
Make sure to add your own personality to Kate's style buy changing the colours to suit you or adding some quirky prints to your dresses and shirts. Joules do wonderful shirts with little duck or foxes on, adding a fun element to a classic shirt.
Then tweak Kate's style to suit your body shape. You can be a curvy 18 and still create the same looks as Kate.
To discover and develop your own style more, I have a workshop on the 20th November that is perfect for this. Click here more more info https://www.sparkling-ginger.co.uk/bodyshapeandstyleworkshop