GUEST POST: Style Icon: Kate Middleton

*This post was updated below on 1 May 2011.


This week’s style icon post is special for two reasons, the first is that this is a guest post from the lovely Lexie of The Stylista and the Frog, and second is that it kick starts a month of special posts celebrating the Royal Wedding that will take place at the end of the month, on Friday 29 April between today’s style icon, Catherine Middleton and Prince William.

Lexie explains: “The Stylista and the Frog is a fashion blog that was set up as a way to collate looks/trends/styles that have inspired me and the people I meet.” Lexie’s blog might only be a few months old but reading her posts, you’d think she had been blogging for years. Check out her latest street style pics – she certainly has an eye for spotting some v stylish young ladies!

Before, I finally hand over to Lexie to tell us about her style icon, I just want to thank Lexie and all of our guest bloggers and remind you that you can still email me with your style icon:

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Even before the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton was announced, many in the fashion industry (as well as us mere mortals) were looking over Kate's wardrobe with a magnifying glass. Over the past few months there has been a media frenzy over Kate and her 'look'. Magazines and fashion editors all over the world have commented on her hair, dress sense, make up and even the way she walks.

Kate said a while ago that she wasn't fussed about fashion, though it is clear to see over the years she has become careful about the way she is viewed by the public in regards to her outfit choices. I personally think she does have style and is very careful when putting an outfit together.

Looking back over the last 8 years of her being in the public eye while dating Prince William, there have been very few times that she has been seen looking drab and plain. Indeed she does have an air of simplicity to her style and doesn’t break fashion rules like Zara Phillips. Though it is clear that Kate has learned over the years what suits her shape and the colours that complement her skin tone. To me this is a clever way to play her cards.

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If we are to look back, in 2005, at her and William's graduation ceremony. She worn a short skirt under her gown which obviously raised a few eyebrows, however it was a see through dress that caught Williams eye at a university fashion show that prompted him to ask her out in the first place. So I wasn’t surprised with her dress choice on graduation was how any normal student would have dressed.

After graduation it was reported that Kate had stylist Leesa Whisker assist her outfit choices in the early days of dating William, to help her look more of a socialite rather than a student. It was clear through her opting for cardigans with floral print skirts, the image she was hoping to give off to the public. I am guessing that this is where the accusations of her looking like ''lamb dressed as mutton'' came from as many were expressing that she wasn’t dressing her age.

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However in 2006, Kate started to dress more for her age. At the wedding of the Duchess of Cornwall's daughter Laura, Kate opted for a gold brocade silk coat over a laced cream dress, complete with a matching feather fascinator and gold clutch purse. Sticking to a classy yet youthful image.

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Later that year in December she wore a bold scarlet red coat and black hat to watch William graduate from Sandhurst. As this was the first time she has been at a high-profile public event attended by the monarch and senior royals as William's guest I am sure she wanted to look elegant and classy. I thought she pulled off the look effortlessly, and this was the start of her showing that she was very capable of picking an outfit.

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Over the next couple of years it was clear that we were taking note of Miss Middleton's attire. The simple black and white patterned Topshop dress she wore to work on her 25th birthday in January 2007 sold out on the high street and was one of Topshop's best selling dresses for the year.

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However in 2008 there was one outfit that made me smile (as I too have worn an outfit very similar) though surprised many was the yellow hotpants, sequinned turquoise halterneck and florescent pink leg warmers she wore to a charity Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco which she co-organised in 2008. When the papers picked up on the images of her lying on the floor after taking a tumble in the rink they led with the heading the next day of ''Kate's in a state''. A little bit harsh as it was Kate letting her hair down.

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Though even with this one night of neon leg warmers under her belt Kate has remained classic in her day to day dress sense. Opting for high street options rather than high end designer from stores such as Jigsaw, which is owned by family friends John and Belle Robinson, Whistles, French Connection and LK Bennett. She sticks to key items in different colours such as a fitted yet feminine dresses and knee length coats. Kate keeps her hair non-fussy, yet styled an glossy and keeps her make up and jewellery very simple, which is something that I feel the general public find attractive about her, as a person and her sense of style.

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Indeed all eyes are on Kate as the future princess in waiting, mainly to see how she takes to royal life and of course who will design her wedding dress. However I am sure she will take each event, outing, charity attendance as it comes and think carefully about her outfit choices and indeed be a stylish princess.

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UPDATE: On 29 April 2011 Miss Catherine Middleton married Prince William of Wales at Westminster Abbey and became, from that moment, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus.


On her wedding day, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge cemented her place as a style icon when her wedding dress was revealed and the designer confirmed at Sarah Burton, of Alexander McQueen:

Source: Press Association

Source: Press Association

Source: Press Association

For her evening reception at Buckingham Palace the Duchess changed her dress, opting for a slightly lower key gown - without the cumbersome train which might have impeded her first dance somewhat - by the same designer, Sarah Burton:

Source: Press Association

What do you think of Kate's style? Is her style fit for a princess? Who is your style icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

I am seeking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series (see here for previous guest bloggers on this site) about their Style Icon. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.

15 pieces, 15 outfits: H&M

A little like the 30 for 30 challenge but without the dressing up part (so not quite so much fun!!), I have decided to trial a new little feature. Each week I will take 15 pieces from a high street store and style them into 15 outfits, to show you just how versatile a capsule wardrobe can be and how much fun! So, as we ease into Spring, I'll pick out this season's essentials for your closet, from colour block tees to simple maxis and classics like Breton tees and chinos:

These are the 15 pieces that I will "remix" into 15 outfits, this week from H&M:

And here are the 15 outfits:

What do you think of this new feature? Fun or flop? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Blogger Awards: My Stylish Life

Today's post is a little different to usual - as I've been awarded not just one but two awards from fellow bloggers which is rather lovely:

Veshoevius of The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award:

And My Favourite Things awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award:

Once nominated for either of these awards, I have to: 

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award;
Share 7 things about yourself;
Award 7 recently discovered great bloggers; and
Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Sources: left and right

1. Pearls

I love pearls. Strings of pearls. Pearl earrings. Pearl ring. If it has a pearl on it – or more than one – I will probably want it!! I remember that my mum had a string of freshwater pearls when I was a little girl and I loved them. She let me wear them for the ball at the end of my GCSE year and it felt like she’d lent me the crown jewels (yes – I led a very sheltered life!).



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2. Jeans junkie

I am a complete jeans junkie. I realised the other day that in the past five years I have owned over 20 pairs - from skinny to bootcut and boyfriend to flared. Most seem to end up at the charity shop at some point but many still remain tucked away at the back of my wardrobe - just in case! I don't ever seem to find trousers that fit me all that great but I rarely find a pair of jeans that I don't love!

3. Coloured nail polish

You must all know by now - I like to wear black. In my wardrobe colour does not feature too highly but on my dressing table I have many many coloured nail polishes. I love bright blues, corals, pinks, reds, as well as blacks, navys and pale natural colours too. I remember I was given my very first dark royal blue polish when I was 14 by a friend of my mum, it was from Boots 17 and even now I can remember exactly how it smelt - all blue polishes seem to have the same smell. I wore it all the time when I wasn't at school. During my teens I collected coloured nail polishes. then one day, just like that, I got rid of them all. Now I have a huge collection again.

4. I'd eat beans to buy clothes

If it wasn't for the fact that the boyf and I share a food budget, I would quite happily live on beans on toast for weeks at a time, just to have more money to spend on clothes and shoes and bags! In fact, as a student, I did.

"When I first moved to New York and was totally broke, sometimes I'd buy Vogue instead of dinner. I felt it fed me more"

-- Carrie Bradshaw

5. I ♥ Mr Darcy

I love to read and my favourite books of all time - that I read again and again - are Jane Austin's - all of them*! Every time I re-read Pride and Prejudice I fall in love with Mr Darcy again and then when I read Persuasion I love Captain Wentworth a little bit more again.

6. I hate wearing make-up

If I didn't have to, I wouldn't. I always wear very minimal make-up. The reason for my dislike is two-fold: 1. it is such a faff to put on and time-consuming; and 2. it always feels so heavy by the end of the day.

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7. I ♥ the summertime

Something which can prove a little disheartening when you like in the UK. If I could live anywhere in the world, I'd live anywhere the sun shone everyday and it was warm enough to only wear dresses and flip flops all year round.

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I am now supposed to name 7 bloggers for each award but I will leave it to you to tell us 7 things about yourself and post the link in the comments below. Alright?

*When we were clearing out some of my grandmother's things we came across a notebook filled with poems and quotations, including this one which marries my love of Jane Austin and my favourite book of her's, Persuasion:

Jane's Marriage

Jane went to Paradise:

That was only fair.

Good Sir Walter followed her,
And armed her up the stair.
Henry and Tobias,
And Miguel of Spain,
Stood with Shakespeare at the top
To welcome Jane--

Then the Three Archangels
Offered out of hand
Anything in Heaven's gift
That she might command.
Azrael's eyes upon her,
Raphael's wings above,
Michael's sword against her heart,
Jane said: "Love."

Instantly the under-
Standing Seraphim
Laid their fingers on their lips
And went to look for him.
Stole across the Zodiac,
Harnessed Charles's Wain,
And whispered round the Nebulae
"Who loved Jane?"

In a private limbo
Where none had thought to look,
Sat a Hampshire gentleman
Reading of a book.
It was called Persuasion
And it told the plain
Story of the love between
Him and Jane.

He heard the question,
Circle Heaven through--
Closed the book and answered:
"I did -- and do!"
Quietly but speedily
(As Captain Wentworth moved)
Entered into Paradise
The man Jane loved!
Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made.
And while the stones of Winchester--or Milson Street--remain,
Glory, Love, and Honour unto England's Jane!

Rudyard Kipling

Mani of the Week: Models Own Lilac Dream

This is officially the colour of Spring: Models Own in Lilac Dream.

What colour are you wearing this season?

BARGAIN HUNTER: '70s-inspired jewellery

As already discussed here before, '70s-influenced fashion is what this summer's trends are all about! So I have hunted out some fabulous '70s-inspired jewellery, to accessorise your flares:

Top row (l-r): Slinky Chain Lariat; Multirow Chain Necklace; Feather Leaf Cluster; Mixed Wood Bangle Pack;
Second row (l-r): Ethnic Beads Thong Necklace; Burgundy Opaque Studs; Gold Mulitrow Chain; XXL Beaten Disc Hoops;
Third row (l-r): Gold Disc Earrings; Ott Enamel Set Fili Ring; Turqouise Set Ring; Mini Box Knot Drop;
Bottom row (l-r): Wrapped Cord And Chain Disc; Leather Feather Earring; Peacock Feather Earring; Metal Raffia Bangle.


Will you be going back in time this summer and taking inspiration from the '70s?

Monday Morning Pic-Me-Up

Spring was definitely in the air last week (when this photo was shot) and I am hoping that by posting it today it might encourage the sun to shine again this week - I like the warmth on my face as I took a stroll in the Bay on my lunch break.

What are you up to this week? Today? Right now?


This week, I am saying goodbye (hopefully only temporarily) to work colleagues as we head towards an election here in Wales and I lose my current job. After nearly four years working for the same person, I will be hoping to find a new job in May - either that or I will have persuaded the boyf that he should definitely "keep" me - something he's not too keen on right now. Watch this space, is all I can say!

A Day in the Life #3

Last Thursday (24 March) the day of the exhibition for Samsung's The Now Project arrived. The culmination of a month of taking photographs of a perceived now. The day also happened to coincide with the day my (super stylish) sis wanted us to go to The Ideal Home Show at Earls Court. So I made a day of it. Seeing as it was the day when the photographs I had taken on my Samsung Wave II would be exhibited, I thought it only fitting that I should leave the DSLR at home and document the day on my mobile. Plus, it's always nice to have a day out without a clunky camera in tow - a bit unusual, too, for a blogger!

So here is my day in photos:

8.20am - the sun is already out when I arrive at the railway station:

9.20am - enjoy a coffee on the train, after painting my nails with Models Own in Lilac Dream:

10.20am - arrive at Earls Court:

11.20am - enjoy a quick pint (!!):

12.20pm - pick up some ideas for the interior of my (dream) home:

1.20pm - Emily of myfashionlife.com talks us through this season's hottest trends, including '70s style and colour blocking, on the Ideal Woman catwalk:

4.00pm - stylish sis and I re-charge our batteries with a cupcake in the sun outside the tube station (before panic ensues as I realise I have lost my Oyster card - oops!):

6.20pm - the sun sets beautifully over the Thames:

As I stroll across Tower Bridge, towards the Design Museum:

7.20pm - everyone's photos are displayed on a series of screens in a constantly changing montage:

This is the first bloggers' event I've been able to get to - so a huge thank you to Nicole from RED for making it possible and being so sweet and lovely when I met her.

I also met some of the bloggers behind some of the blogs I read (nearly) every day. Jill of Street Style London was so lovely and welcoming and introduced me to Kate of I am not a celebrity.

8. 20pm - I found myself on the terrace of the Design Museum with Lexxi of My Labyrinth Blog and Charlie of A la mode (who Jill was also kind enough to introduce me to):

And, then, before I knew it, it was time to make my way home again...