Inspired Outfit with "Originals"

So the other day I was getting ready for work, and before I knew it I had on a cute, comfy outfit with a couple of "originals" that I got my hands on in the last year. Some of my favorite outfits of the Duchess' are her casual ones--partly because I can better afford the actual pieces, but also because there's an aspect to her style that I just like. While I wish she would mix up her jeans (although if I were that skinny I'd wear skinny jeans all the time, too), I think we curvy ladies can style copy her style but with options that are more us. :)

So, here is Tuesday's outfit:

Sorry for the weird white circle in the middle--had something on the lens but I like this picture the best. :) Anyway, recognize the originals? The crop pants are a recent buy from Bealle's and very comfortable. I needed some color that day, so I slipped on the green tank and topped it off with the white ruffled BCBG jacket. Slid on the Sebago Bala boat shoes and necklace and I was ready to go! (Also, I wore the Azuni London earrings first worn during the 2012 tour. Though you can't see them in the picture, they looked great with the outfit!)

Then yesterday I had a desire to wear the Zara necklace, so I went with my skinny jeans and a favorite color of the Duchess: red!

I love the necklace! I also have gotten a lot of compliments on it. :) I was quite tired yesterday which is why I kept things pretty simple and went with a pair of London Sole ballet flats that I got off eBay. The Duchess has been seen in their ballet flats a couple times and I can see why. The only downside is that there is no padding or support in them, so I don't recommend them if you're going to be on your feet for a while. But they are very cute and go with almost any outfit! Definitely a must-have, but only off eBay (at least, for me!). :)

Jewelry-2

I thought now would be a good time to share some more jewelry pieces that are "repli-Kate" or similar to hers (at least to me). And I'm going to start with her wedding earrings!

      

 

I believe I got these off eBay not too long after the wedding. (There were a lot of replicas to sift through!) They were about $15-$20 I think--I wouldn't have spent more than that, I know. I love them! They are so fun wear and really catch the eye. However, because they are so sparkly and unique I try to wear them only for nicer occasions/places.

 

Just as elegant--but more subtle--was the jewelry worn the day William and Kate's engagement was announced. Etsy.com is a great place to go for Kate-related/inspired jewelry, which is where I bought this necklace:

 

It is a very light piece that goes well with a lot of outfits for all occasions. I haven't gone for the matching earring yet--there are so many choices out there to choose from! This piece and many more can found at Tudor Shop on etsy.com.

Also from the same shop are these replicas of the citrine drop by Kiki McDonough:

 

Light and classy, I can see why the Duchess wears these so often!

 

For the Annoushka Pearl earrings, I did a bit of finagling. The pearl drops are from the replicas I got from Tudor Shop (on etsy) but the hoop part was not as big as I wanted. So I went looking for gold hoops and found these at Macy's. They don't have the diamonds (or the much cheaper CZ) on them, but I rather like them without that--they are now less fancy and easier to wear for all occasions. Anyway, I love the way they turned out! I also get a LOT of compliments on them. :)

 

 

These next earrings are much larger than any the Duchess has worn (or will likely ever wear). They reminded me a bit of her Temple of Heaven earrings, which I love. While I have seen replicas on etsy, they are still a bit more than I want to spend. These came from Wal-Mart. They are a bit heavy for my ears, so I don't wear them very often, but thought I would share them anyway!

 

 I just love coming across such finds unexpectedly! Etsy, Francesca's and Charming Charlie's are great pieces to find Kate-style jewelry--both necklaces and earrings. Which ones have you bought? Favorites?



Shirt Dresses-A Must for Every Wardrobe!

As I had promised earlier, in this post I will take a look at shirt dresses and how great they are for us curvier ladies. :)

While the Duchess has been seen in several shirt dresses, not all of them are equal. When looking at shirt dresses, you do need to have an idea of what sillouhete looks well on you to avoid frustration if it doesn't end up fitting. (I speak from experience here.) However, once you know what will work, shirt dresses become a go-to style. Always classy, they are a great combination of nice and casual for almost any occasion/work! For a first example, let's take a look (again) at the yellow Jaeger dress the Duchess wore for the 2012 tour:

As I've said before, full or A-line skirts do wonders for the bottom half! This dress I managed to find on a very nice sale via another blog. I managed to scoop it up without doing any damage to my budget! (Woohoo!) Though a bit of a splurge, I knew the dress would work on me and, therefore, definitely worth it. (I also wore it swing dancing with a vintage hat--loved it!)

Now here are a couple other shirt dresses from my closet:

 

Like the yellow dress, this one has a skirt of large pleats that creates a very nice sillouhete from all angles. This picture was from a night of swing dancing at a local hall. :)

 

A thrift store find, this brown polka-dot dress is super cute and quite comfortable, especially for summer!

 

 

This one has a fuller skirt that still gives that pencil-esk sillouhete. And for $9? Quite the bargain! :)

 

Also from the thrift store:

 

It may be hard to see but the ruffled collar is super-cute and I love the color!

 

Another great thing about shirt dresses is that the fabric is generally very comfortable and has a flattering drape on the body. Many of the ones I have seen in stores have matching belts to help define the waist (or you can change them out with others!). And if one is too tight or form fitting on you, just know that there are many other options that will be just right! Good luck and have fun!!

Dresses 2--"Originals"

Welcome back everyone! I hope your time has been going well! I wanted to share in this post some of the Duchess' actual dresses that work well on curvier women. :) Here we go!

 

The yellow Jaeger shirt dress worn on the 2012 royal tour. I loved this dress the moment I saw it on her! And yes, partly because I knew I could pull it off far more easily than those pencil ones. Anyway, I happened to come across it on a sale via another Kate blog and scooped it up! Again, I made sure that even though it was on sale it was within my budget. I paired it with my light beige pumps and another pair of Kate-style pearl earrings. This style works well on most body types I think. The matching sash helps emphasize/define the waist while the full, pleated skirt is great for those of us with hips and booty. :)

 

By NEXT, this dress was worn during the (supposed?) split and Kate was seen out in rather shorter dresses than before. Blue is my favorite color so of course I liked this one. However, as a mini shift dress, you really need to watch the length in back when you have curves! Well, thankfully this dress looks good in back as well. Living in the south (where summer starts in March most years and ends in November), wearing black suede boots was a flat-out no-no. :) Instead, I pair it with beige wedges (of which I have two different pairs). Another eBay find that was so below my budget I couldn't pass it up! Paired with light beige wedges and I'm set for a summer's night out!

 

One note about shift dresses: I got lucky with this one. I highly recommend trying on shift dresses because when you have curves, not all shift dresses will look nice. Some seem to add 20 lbs, and lets face it, we don't want that! I've tried on some that I thought were so cute, only to get them on and realize they were NOT! However, I don't let this deter me from trying them on. There are many types of clothing that I think will work on me only to discover they don't--it's part of trying on clothes and searching for the ones that make you feel like a Duchess. :)



 

 

This "original" is the Topshop dress worn on her 25th birthday. Like so many of her clothes, I fell in love when I saw it and kept an eye out for it on eBay and, like always, within my budget. :) This is a very slim-fitting dress and isn't really for a curvy gal. However, every now and then I have a "skinny day" where it seems to fit the way I want. ;) I will say that when I find a similar style with a bit more give on the bottom half I will love it! And it would be a great option for anyone else with a similar desire. More fabric on the bottom in this style (think more A-line skirt than pencil) works well to minimize the hips and anything else we want. ;)

And here is another budget-friendly splurge: the Seraphine dress worn leaving the hospital after Prince George was born!

 

I also got the fuscia one worn for the first official family portrait but have not done a picture with it yet. It is the same style as the above and the color very striking. I love this dress! It is incredibly comfortable and flows so well over my curves! It also does not matter that I'm NOT pregnant. There's plenty of fabric in the bust for those of us with ample bosoms. (And in case you're wondering, I'm a 10/12 in dresses usually, sometimes an 8, depending on the designer/company.) Anyway, purple flower pattern on a lavender background, empire-like waist (which is why it is a great option for curvy ladies!) and tie-back sash. Paired with my SW Minx copies (thanks to Marshall's!) and I've got a super-comfy outfit that gets many compliments!

 

 

What "originals" have you found that you just love and want to share? Because I'd love to learn more along with anyone else! :)

Wrap Dresses-Every Woman's Friend!

I wear a lot of dresses--especially in the summer when it's so hot. Because I am one size on top and another on bottom, structured dresses that have a more defined bottom half don't fit me well very well. And sometimes my hips are a bit more pronounced than I like. ;) But I have discovered two dress styles that work on me almost-always. Wrap and shirt dresses are great options that can be found in a variety of prints, styles, and occasions. For this post I will be focusing on my love of wrap dresses. Shirt dresses will be covered in another post later one. :)

So to begin! If you will recall, the beautiful navy faux-wrap dress by Issa worn by Kate at the engagement announcement was striking not only for the color, but for the way she looked in it. Consequently, it sold out within minutes. Aside from the fact that thousands of women desire to copy her look down to her nail polish, this dress is so desirable because all women can pull it off. Have you noticed how the dresses that sell out instantly always have a skirt that is not pencil-like? It's because fuller skirts can make us look a bit slimmer, so we naturally gravitate to them.

Now, faux-wrap dresses and real wrap dresses have almost-exactly the same fit and fall on the body. Owning some of each, I have found this to be the case for me. For example, below is one of each:

 

The red dress is a faux-wrap. While you do need to know your waist size for these styles, the rest of the dress fits and falls the way a true wrap dress does, which makes them ideal for those of us with different sizes top and bottom. :) The navy and polka-dot dress on the right is a true wrap dress which, incidentally, is great for shopping since you don't have to constantly worry about getting clothes over your head. ;)

As you can see, each dress helps define the waist and down-play the hips. Another reason I'm such a fan is the V-neck wrap dress create. Being rather busty, I am very conscious about how much cleavage is being bared--especially in the work place. But on the upside, V-necks help elongate the neck and, therefore, the torso. Slip on a cami underneath when needed and you're all set to look stylish, classy, and work-appropriate no matter what!

Here's one more faux-wrap dress that I got because it reminded me of the Issa dress worn the day before The Wedding:

While the pattern is polka-dots and not birds (the Issa dress is a bird print) it is also a faux-wrap style, silk, and flows comfortably. Love it! (And yes, those are the Pied a Terre Imperia espadrilles.)

So that "wraps" it up (sorry, I couldn't resist!) my wrap dress post for today. I do have more that are part of my winter wardrobe, but those are packed for now and must wait for another day. So until that day, go out and find yourself several wrap dresses that make you feel like a Duchess!

Jewelry

So, still being in the process of moving means most of my clothes are still packed. On the upside, this gives me a chance to look at some of my jewelry I've accumulated that is, once again, inspired by the Duchess. As you may have noticed, the Duchess' jewelry selection is pretty minimal, earrings making up the majority of what we see.

To begin, here's a Charming Charlie's find that reminds me of the Asbrey Button pendant the Duchess is so fond of, but without the center amethyst stone:

 

Below is a Francesca's find for the Links of London bubble stiletto earrings:

 

Also from Charming Charlie's, these earrings were part of an earring/necklace set. I love the Kiki McDonough green amethyst earrings worn multiple times, but goodness, they're expensive! So here's the closest copy I've come across (aside from some on etsy.com that just don't quite do it for me). And yes, they are blue-green. :) They do well for me until I can afford/find a better copy.

 

Found on Amazon for $5 (Emeral Drop Earrings), here are another pair worn multiple times with some of her green-themed outfits:

 

They are fairly small, maybe half an inch in total length, but when on they are quite eye catching. I've gotten many compliments on them the few times I've worn them so far!

 

Though she has only worn them once (that I can remember), the original KMcD's are also lovely and very expensive. Well, I was browsing through Macy's one day and came across these beauties for $25!(Citrine Drop Earrings) Needless to say, I snapped them right up. :)

 

They really do look very nice on, giving a nice, classy sparkle to any outfit without being overwhelming. (Which in itself is "very Kate.")

 

No jewelry post would be complete without my purchase of a copy of the engagement ring!

 

So there are some of my "repli-Kate" jewelry pieces. I'll cover more in another post later on, as well as a couple originals I managed to get my hands on! :)

 

What are your favorite jewelry pieces the Duchess has worn? Any good copies you have or would like to share?

Dress Time!

Hello again! It hasn't been too long since my last post, but I wanted to share some dresses that are my "repli-Kates" since the first post didn't have any! (What on earth was I thinking??)

Here are some looks from the pre-married days...just my version:

 

This dress is either a.) the same style Kate wore at a polo match, or b.) the same print but in a slightly different color and style. I have no idea, but it IS the same brand, BCBG. Either way, I love this dress! And the best part? I got in on eBay for $30! Way better than the original retail! I paired it with my Pied a Terre Imperia wedges in black (she also wore black wedges) that I splurged a little bit on via eBay. This style dress--with an empire waist--is very nice to emphasize the smallest part of the body just below the bust and then flows gently, showing curve without emphasizing anything else. ;) This style can be found everywhere, so just find a print you like and pair with whatever accessories you want!

 

 

This is another eBay find! The dress is NOT the Reiss one, but other than no exposed front zipper or the tulip hem, it's almost identical and VERY flattering. The skirt part is a bit more like a pencil skirt which really can show off curves. As for the shoes? They're the HOBBS Albini courts/pumps, found on eBay. :) (Have I mentioned yet that I love eBay?) And if you need an outfit reminder, this is my take on the outfit worn in Canada for the royal tour that year.



 

Here's a more casual look that I've worn several times to school, work, etc. The dress is by Warehouse and is a bird print. I always loved the Issa bird print dress, but finding a similar one is surprisingly difficult. Anway, I like this dress, but it's a "wiggle" dress--translates to pretty figure-hugging. Being a woman with a bust and booty, I'm a bit self-conscious in this dress, but add the jacket and I'm good to go! The jacket came from Kohl's when I was looking for an alternative to the BCBG Max Azria white jacket worn the day before the wedding. It's a soft beige color with a ruffled peplum. I love having it since it goes with so many things, as well as being just right when it's cold at work. ;)

 

And one more for now:

 

 

While not being a flowery person, I really do like this dress. (Pardon the fly-away hair, must have just come back home.) A DVF dress in a very similar pattern to one worn at a wedding and to a club by Kate (hers was black and gold), the shell is silk and flows very well. Also strapless, I chose to pair it that Sunday with the white BCBG jacket worn the day before The Wedding (another eBay find for $36!). Slip on a pair of light beige pumps (a solid investment every woman should do! These are Antonio Melani and quite comfortable.) and accessories and you're all set!

 

So, while I have stayed as close as possible to the "originals," I also make sure what I get will work with my body type since I'm not model-thin. Items that emphasize the best parts are what I go for, and let the rest fall in a natural way that downplays those other areas. ;) When I do buy an "original" piece, it's one that fits within this framework and--most importantly--is within my budget. The red Hobbs shoes are one of only a few things I've spent a bit more on, but those buys are spread out which does make them more special to me when I get them. :)

 

What are some of your favorite Kate-inspired dresses?

Welcome! Here's What I'm Thinking . . .

Hello there Kate fans! I'm a huge fan of the Duchess' style--simple, elegant, no-fuss, and classic. Unfortunately, I do not have the same body type as she does! I haven't been quite that slim since high school....some years ago now. Needless to say, certain outfits that she looks great in just don't have the same look on a curvy gal. (Let's face it, many of us are curves, not straight-ish lines!) That being said, her style is what I like to emulate when possible--and yes, the actual pieces when they work (and are affordable!). After doing some thinking, I decided I wanted to create a space for us hour-glasses and pears (or whatever we're called these days) to share both "Kate outfits" that work for us, "Repli-Kates," and--most importantly--those precious finds that are "very Kate" yet made for, well, curves!

Another aspect that I hope will come out here is how to get this style on a budget and for a more....normal....life. What do I mean by a budget? Think "graduate student eating lots of ramen" kind of budget. As you might have guessed, I was in grad school for a couple years (graduated this year in fact), which was not very fun during all these royal tours! ;) Anyway, I discovered lots of great "Kate-like" items that, when I saw them, I was reminded of something from her wardrobe/style but well within my means. The second part is that much of her wardrobe is simply too fancy for my every-day life and work. But that doesn't stop me from taking style cues!


A few things before I get into the fun stuff:
1. I am not very tech-y person, so this blog is going to be pretty simple to navigate and what-not.
2. I want this to be a place for all body-types to benefit from. I wear women's sizes and my weight fluctuates, much like many other women. I know I would have loved to find a similar blog to help me see other possibilities, which has lead me to create this one for all of us to share!
3. Let's all follow the good general rule with each other: "if you can't say something nice" go find another blog ;)

So, to get things started, here are a few examples (for now) of my Kate-inspired purchases for a less "formal" look:

 

 

I bought this jacket from Kohl's several years ago on sale. I was initially attracted to the ruffled front, which made me think of the now-famous Reiss Nanette dress. I also remembered Kate's outfit at one of William's military shin-digs earlier in their relationship. As it turned out, I already had black tights/hose, boots, dress, and a black hat! I've made a few changes over the last couple years to it--suede boots were a later investment (still under $100!) for example.

 

 

 

This outfit is a bit closer to one Kate wore pre-engagement. (In case you haven't noticed, I'm not going to be particular about dates and places unless I believe them pertinent.) The blouse is the actual Great Plains top she wore, but in the opposite color way. Again, tight budget means I do a lot of ebay-ing, which lead me to this find! I had already found a pair of skinny jeans I liked (under $40) and had knee-high boots and belt. I discovered that even though I am on the pear side of an hour-glass shape, this look works for me. Yay!

 

The final look I want to share for this beginning post is one from Kate's "married days."

 

The Duchess wore a similar (and pricier) version before the London Olympics while visiting one of the teams. I found these cropped coral jeans at Kohl's (wonderful place for such finds!), had the jacket from White House Black Market (an earlier splurge because I fell in love. Sigh.) and basic white top. Though I loved the look of her navy heels with it, I was not in a work-place in which that would be appropriate. My alternative was pair of black patent wedges close to her LK Bennett Greta ones! Comfy, stylish, yet casual!

So, as I wrap up this first post, I look forward to sharing with you other finds of mine and style tips that have a hint of "royal" to them!