On Kate and that Valentino Dress at the EACH Gala

Yesterday Duchess Kate attended the EACH Gala diner in the blush Jenny Packham gown, a repeat from her first engagement as a royal in 2011. That dress is a breath taker, and so was the dress of the hostess, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. What exactly was she wearing? This stunning embroidered gown from the Valentino 2016 Resort collection. 

Valentino 2016 Resort - whole collection gallery on Spotted Fashion

The whole collection is romantic, colourfol, and each item is very detailed with embroidery. The above gown is clearly inspired by classic landscapes, with a use of very rich colours which are all complementary. I dig it, I want it. 

The Duchess in Vogue in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery - UPDATED WITH REPLIKATES

The British Vogue and the National Gallery have collaborated on a series of portraits of the Duchess of Cambridge, see the full article at the Daily Mail.

The Duchess has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery, and visited the gallery in 2014 in a Jenny Packham gown.

Picture from RDuJour

As an Art History major and a photographer, I am sure that the Vogue collaboration project was one the Duchess could really put her heart into.

In the pictures, the Duchess is wearing a longsleeve with red and, what appears to be, navy stripes with a pocket detail. Furthermore, in the second picture she is wearing a country-style outfit. She is wearing a white blouse, a trench in suede material, and a felt hat. Below are some Repliklates: 

Red and Navy Striped top, John Lewis, GBP 25

J.Crew Striped Waffle Shirt, on sale for EUR 35,05

Orvis Heathered Felt Hat, USD 89

Farlows Failsworth Adventurer hat in khaki and brown, GBP 39,95

About the place where I found the perfect Copykate - Gold Disc Charm Brora Earrings

Today I have found the PERFECT copykate for the Gold disc earrings from Scottish brand Brora she wore in Bhutan. 

We have seen this pair of earrings twice: first when the Duchess arrived to Bhutan, and second when she and William had a private dinner with the King and Queen of Bhutan. 

And I happened to spot a pair of earrings that is an exact copy, I kid you not, of the top half of the Brora earrings. I found them at Hema, a Dutch warehouse that has stores in Belgium and France. Below is a picture of the earrings:

The best part is that they were only 3 Euros. Unfortunately, Hema does not sell any jewelry in their online shop. However. if you are interested in Dutch design, I recommend taking a look at their shop. Hema excels in creating afforable and durable utensils, clothing, and is a avid supporter of young up and coming designers. For more information, see the Dutch Design web page (in Dutch only)

The reason why I have moved from discussing earrings to Dutch design is that I feel Kate does a similar thing with her style - she chooses to dress in a certain way to promote initiatives in society that have a vision to create a more beautiful, better world.

I hope you enjoyed today's post, and I will be keeping an eye on the perfect Copykate item :) 

Kate in a J.Crew Sweater - Items of the same Stripe

For the new mental health campaign 'Heads Together', Kate, Harry, and William showed their support this Sunday morning. For more information about the charity and the involvement of the Duchess, see HRHDuchessKate. 

Kate wore a gorgeous striped sweater from J.Crew. Stripes are associated with nautical themes, and are classic, and easy to combine. These days, stripes are offered in a variety of colours too. Get inspired by checking out the items below: 

LK Bennett Harpa Striped Midi Dress, GBP 225

GAP striped sweater, USD 34,99, also available in green, camel, and red

GAP Blue Striped Rib sweater, On Sale for USD 29,99. Also available in grey, black/white, white/black, yellow, and red

Accessories 

I personally love the striped umbrella, would def. brighten up some drizzly days. 

Striped Umbrella in Blue or Camel, USD 16,06 at Ebay

H&M Striped Shopper bag, EUR 29,99

Kate in Pointillist LK Bennett to meet the Obamas

Yester, William, Kate, and Harry hosted the Obamas for dinner at Kensington Palace.

Picture from glamour.com

A close up from the fabric reveals bright specs of red, which reminds me of the French painting technique known as Pointillism, a technique where little spots of different colours are used as 'building blocks' to create an image: 

Georges Seurat, the Channel of Gravelines

No Replikates today, because I think the print is no unique that no copy would do it any justice. The Duchess looked stunning, and I am looking forward to see her wearing this beautiful dress again. 

How to Wear it - Romantic and Intricate Prints like Duchess Kate

The Duchess knows how to rock a variety of prints, as we have seen this week. I decided to dedicate a post on how to wear prints. I love prints, and these five rules will help you make the most of them. 

1. One print at the Time 
Let's start off with the safest rule - if you opt for a dress with a print, stick to that one print. It focuses the attention on you, rather than the collection of items you are wearing. Combining prints is perfectly fine, but requires time and effort to make it work. Also, a combination of prints exudes an air of edginess instead of classiness. I love both, but suck at pulling off multiple prints, so I rather opt for a safe bet and gravitate towards bright, multi-coloured prints. (The Duchess seems to follow the same rule, but whether that has to do with her personality or her position as a royal is another question) 

Vanilia Stitch Shift dress with Flower Pattern, EUR 109,95

2.  Earrings and Prints make a Statement 

This H&M dress has a busy print. However, you can easily complement this dress with a pair of big earrings like Kate does. This is because the print is quite small and delicate, so the dress and the earrings will not be competing for attention. A rule of thumb is: the bigger the print, the smaller the earrings and vice versa. 

H&M Blue and Black Shift Dress, on sale for EUR 14,99

3. Choose which colour stands out 
You can change the whole appearance of a dress by emphasizing a certain colour. This navy and coral Isabelt Marant dress can be styled with a pair of coral heels for a summery, boho feel. One the other hand, a pair of nay heels makes the dress feel more subdued and classic. 

Isabel Marant Cotton Paisley Print Dress. EUR 180,- 

4. Match the shoes with the bag 

This H&M dress has a strong graphic print, so adding matching shoes and a bag makes the print stand out. If the shoes and the bag each have different colours, the whole look would feel rather messy. HOWEVER - you do not have to stick to the colours in the dress, as long as it complements the whole look. 

H&M Graphic Print Shift Dress, on Sale for EUR 14,99 

5. To belt or not to belt? 

I have noticed that the Duchess leaves away a belt more often than adding one whenever she is wearing dresses. A belt is a great addition and is perfectly fine to match with your shoes and bag, but can also be in a colour of the dress. Make sure that the belt has some cohesiveness with either the dress or your acessories. This H&M dress would not necessarily need a belt because of the mix of materials, but a belt can be pulled off if the rest of the outfit is kept neutral.  

H&M Paisley Print and Lace Dress, EUR 39,99

Finally - Copy Kate's Cassandra Goad Earrings

I have found the time to look up the wonderful replacement earrings for the Cassandra Goad earrings, which we have seen Kate wearing a number of times this tour. You can find them here.