A Royal Recessionista? Kate Middleton’s High Street Style

Last week the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton turned up in a Reiss dress called the Shola dress priced at $340.00 US. I personally think she looked better than Mrs. O in her bell shaped puffy skirt.  Needless to say, the dress flew off the shelves in minutes after it was seen on Kate. Kate’s Reiss styles have been so popular that the upscale, but not in the stratosphere priced Reiss, now has it’s own dedicated URL for the Duchess’s style, at http://www.reissonline.com/shola.  Reiss is within the price range of many, stylish and conservative enough to be classy but not controversial. “We’re a design-led, iconic, modern, sexy label,” says Reiss brand director Andy Burling. “We are about attention to detail. Confidence. We acknowledge trends, but we are not enslaved to them. Our look is very clean, and sharper than any given trend. So, if the trend is colour, ours might not be as ‘out there’.”

Pictured: The Reiss Shola dress is sold out now.

The dress is sold out, but you can go on the wait list to find out when it is restocked.  Of course, this is not a dress that will look good on everyone, it’s very figure hugging.  However, you might want to check out the Reiss Summer Sale, there are some good looking finds to be had. I love their Penelope shift dress, it looks straight out of the 1960s, and I could see Jean Shrimpton wearing it.

Reiss has to be thanking its lucky stars for Kate Middleton.  She had re-energized and popularized this classic British store. Not to mention all of high-street.  The Duchess has been seen wearing Zara, French Connection, H&M and many other popular retail brands.  Her style is very economically conscious, and despite the less than couture price tags on her frocks, she always looks like a million.