On Sunday, Kensington Palace released a video of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry to launch the #HeadsTogether mental health campaign. Click to read more >

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS ...

On 4th May, the Duchess will visit Hampton Court's Magic Garden to officially open the new children's play area.  She will then attend a lunch reception for Anna Freud Centre of which she is Patron.

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Mother's Day is next Sunday and if you're still hunting for a gift for your mum/mom then why not turn to the Duchess of Cambridge for some inspiration. Here are my top gift ideas to say thanks to the special woman in your life ...

Kate reportedly used Jo Malone fragrances to scent Westminster Abbey for her wedding ceremony. She used a combination of Jo Malone's bestselling citrus scents: Orange Blossom, Grapefruit, and Lime, Basil and Mandarin. Freshen up mum's day with these luxurious scents from Jo Malone:

Jo Malone is also available from these top retailers:
Nordstrom | Neiman Marcus | Saks Fifth Ave| John Lewis | House of Fraser | David Jones

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If your mum likes a little bit of bling, why not gift her with some timeless repliKate jewelry pieces that wont break the bank!

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If you need some Mother's Day outfit ideas, how about this aptly inspired Lindo Wing ensemble:

SHOP: Dress | Earrings | Clutch  | Pumps

The pretty pink Topshop dress Kate wore on Day 4 of the Indian royal tour has completely sold out, but there are loads floating about on eBay. However, before you pay a premium to get your hands on the frock, you may want to consider what Melissa L. has to say about the dress:

The Topshop dress arrived today and the top is completely sheer. Kate must have had her's lined as I didn't see any cami bumps or lines. When the description said partially lined I assumed the skirt part would require a slip, not that my bra would be visible lol.

Also, Nordstrom's claimed the 10 had a US 10-12 fit, but as a 12, I felt it fit me pretty much as a 10 would in that it wouldn't zip all the way up. Anyone purchasing one in the US should believe the number on the tag and not the store's description.

Had it looked good on me I might have investigated having it lined and seeing if a half inch could be added to help zipping up, but it was pretty awful on me as it made it look like my hips started an inch under my bust from the front and gave the appearance I was pregnant from the side. No pictures because one, they were all indecent between the sheer top and not zipping up, and two, my vanity would not allow it when I got a good look.

It is a very pretty dress, but it failed on all fronts for me.

Up to 60% off the iconic Stuart Weitzman 'Corkswoon' wedges at 6pm! SHOP >

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Links of London (UK): Enjoy some spring sparkle with 20% OFF! Enter GRAZIA20 at the checkout. SHOP >

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LK Bennett (USA) is offering a further 30% off sale item with code 30SPRING. SHOP >

Each week I like to devote a little time browsing the websites of Kate's favourite brands and designers.  This week, the new arrivals at HOBBS caught my eye. I came across these Duchess-worthy styles:

I always love hearing from fellow repliKaters, so if you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase or showcase your repliKate outfit/closet, please drop me a line at
admin@katescloset.com.au

This week, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday. Her Majesty spent the day at Windsor Castle, and in the evening more than 30 members of the Royal Family attended a private formal dinner to mark the milestone. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were photographed en route to Windsor Castle. Click to read more >

On Friday evening, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry welcomed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle to Kensington Palace for dinner.  Click to read more >

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS
On 4th May, the Duchess will visit Hampton Court's Magic Garden to officially open the new children's play area.  She will then attend a lunch reception for Anna Freud Centre of which she is Patron.

Last week I asked you to vote for you favorite royal tour outfit. I've tallied the results and the clear favorite was the Naeem Khan dress taking out over one third of the votes!  Here's how you ranked the rest of the outfits ...

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Margaret has kindly reviewed a repliKate dress she bought from YesStyle:

I loved Kate’s Jonathan Saunders EDITION Black Bird Print Dress and was sad to see that it wasn’t available anymore.

So when I saw this YesStyle shirt dress on katescloset.com.au, it looked like a wonderful RepliKate. I thought that the print was an especially good match for Kate’s. I was concerned about the sizing (only one size available), but I decided to risk it. It took a little more than two weeks to arrive.

To my surprise, the dress fit very well, with the exception of the length. The dress is incredibly short for me (I’m 5’10”). Additionally, I don’t care for the short ruffled bottom. I would never wear the dress as is in public. Instead, I’m going to shorten the dress into a shirt.

The fabric has some stretch to it, so there should be a fair amount of flexibility in sizing. The belt is not attached to the dress and there aren’t any loops to thread it through.

Overall, this dress is not my favorite purchase. However, I think it will look very good as a shirt and the price was right.

People magazine tracked down the makers of Kate's gifted pendant necklace from the Queen of Bhutan.  The Diamond & Gold Endless Knot pendant was crafted by a local Bhutanese jeweler, Sonam Rabgye.  The Endless Knot is an auspicious Buddhist symbol representing the harmony of wisdom and compassion. The necklace retails for US$1200. SHOP >

RepliKate for less ...

Here's your chance to get your hands on the 'Madison' dress! LK Bennett have reissued their 'Madison' dress in a new season colour. Kate was snapped wearing this style back in August last year. SHOP >

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Good news, you Can pre-order the Glamorous maxi dress Kate wore on Day 3 of the Royal Tour AND get 25% OFF with promo code DRESS25 (expires 1st May). SHOP >

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The incredibly talented Brittany from RepliKate-It offers a beautiful collection of Duchess inspired prints. Here's your chance to grab one (or more) of her beautiful prints at half-price! Use code: ROYALTOUR to receive the discount. Coupon is for April Only. SHOP >

This month in Fashion Files, guest blogger Alaina shares her quest to find the perfect repliKate shoes. Please check out her post titled "Oh My God, Shoes!"

I always love hearing from fellow repliKaters, so if you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase or showcase your repliKate outfit/closet, please drop me a line at
admin@katescloset.com.au

WOW, what a week it was!  The royal tour of India and Bhutan was by far the most colourful of all the tours! Even though it was relatively short, it was jam-packed with fabulous fashion and wonderful moments!  My personal favorite is undoubtedly William and Kate's poignant visit to the Taj Mahal. It was the perfect ending to a perfect tour.

Now that I've had a little bit of time to recharge the sleep bank, I thought it would be fun to examine and deconstruct Kate's tour wardrobe.

But, first things first ... I want to know what you thought was Kate's best look of the Royal Tour. Cast your vote below!

I've deconstructed Kate's outfits and tallied up what she wore on tour:

Dresses - 14
Coats & Jackets - 3
Tops - 2
Pants - 2
Skirts - 1
Earrings - 11
Necklace - 1
Shoes & Boots - 10
Handbags - 5
Other accessories - 3

Below, you'll find all the items she wore:

DRESSES & SEPARATES

Kate packed a total of 14 dresses for the tour of India and Bhutan. Indian-inspired prints featured heavily in the collection as well as boho-styled maxi dresses. In addition to wearing many pieces from her go-to British designers, such as Alexander McQueen and Temperely London; Kate surprised us with a couple of budget-friendly dresses from British fast-fashion brands; Topshop and Glamorous. Another surprise was a colorful maxi dress from American designer Anna Sui, a brand she had never worn before. It was also lovely to see Kate pay tribute to her host country by wearing dresses from designers connected to the subcontinent.

COATS & JACKETS

Given the warm weather during the tour, it was no surprise Kate went light on coats. It was only during the Bhutan leg of the tour that we saw Kate don a a few jackets.

TOPS

BOTTOMS

JEWELLERY

The Duchess wore 12 different pieces of jewellery during the tour, 11 of which were earrings.  She packed no necklaces for the trip but wore a delicate gold & diamond necklace she received as a parting gift from the Queen of Bhutan. Over one third of the pieces was costume jewellery with a price tag as low £6.00!

SHOES

The Duchess packed 10 pairs of shoes, most of which were new to her closet. She kept the color palette simple, only packing neutral tones and black.

HANDBAGS

Four out of the five clutches the Duchess showcased on tour were new additions to her closet. She did however favor her trusty LK Bennett Natalie clutch.

ACCESSORIES

Thank you to everybody who followed along during the tour! It's such an amazing community we have, and the long hours and late nights over the past week were worth it!

One more sleep to go!

Tonight, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will depart the UK to commence their week-long tour of India and Bhutan! The royal couple are scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Sunday morning and head to the luxurious The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel where they will be staying. Click to read the complete itinerary.

Earlier in the week, the Duke and Duchess hosted a pre-tour reception at Kensington Palace. This gave the couple an opportunity to meet young people from India and Bhutan who are currently studying or working in the UK.  Click to read more >

Also this week, a new engagement was added to Kate's calender.  Kensington Palace announced the Duchess will host a charity gala on 22nd June.  The £6,000-a-head high-society party will be in aid of the East Anglia Children’s Hospice, the charity of which Kate became a patron in 2012.

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Jill's repliKate closet continues to grow, and she has kindly shared reviews of her recent purchases! The first is the La Redoute bird print dress (for the  Jonathan Saunders EDITION Black Bird Print Dress). The second is the Warehouse belted dress (for the Goat 'Vreeland' dress).

The La Redoute dress is 100% viscose, has a rounded neckline, a side zip and a front zip from the waist to the neck.  The sleeves are ¾ length.  The length of the frock is not that long – I am 5’ 2” and it sat just above my knee but as you can see in the photos it looks lovely with either stockings or tights.  The dress is actually made in Romania.  There are gathers in the waist seam on either side of the zip, and also in the waist seam in the middle at the back.  It is a lovely fabric, but warning, it does crease very easily.  The dress is very trendy and I love it.  I have enclosed a close up of the gorgeous swallow designs in the fabric.  It is also quite a tight fitting dress – with not much give.

My 2nd purchase was the Warehouse belted shirt dress from ASOS.  As always ASOS is a fantastic company to deal with.  I’ve never ever had one problem with them.  The fabric is 100% polyester but a heavier fabric I felt than what you see in the photos online.  It is quite shapeless (for me) however I would wear another belt with it rather than the tie it is advertised with.  I have taken a close up of the sleeve (3/4 folded) and as you can see the fabric almost looks embossed – it is also quite a deep blue.  The length of the dress fell just below my knees.  I love both dresses and am overall pleased with my purchases.

Palace sources have revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge will be packing 12-15 outfits for the week-long royal tour of Indian and Bhutan.  With over 21 engagements, we can expect her to make a few wardrobe changes each day of the tour.

So what will Kate pack for her visit to the subcontinent?  A Palace source has revealed to US Weekly  that there will be “colourful, flowy dresses; fitted jeans and trousers; and a lot of casual fits.”

Kate will also have to find space for her Brasher Hillmaster GoreTex hiking boots for when she and the Duke go on a six-hour trek to the Tiger's Nest Monastery, 3000m up in the Bhutanese mountains.

The Cambridge entourage are leaving nothing to chance. In February, Kate’s private secretary, Rebecca Deacon, traveled to the region for some fashion inspiration. “She took note of the colors of each local setting, lighting and sunset times”  which helped the Duchess create a “look book,” for the tour, reveals a Palace insider.

Kate will most likely commission bespoke pieces from some of her favorite British designers, such as Alexander McQueen, Temperley London, and Jenny Packham. Below are a few examples of styles that may work for the tour from her go-to design houses:

The Duchess is known for her fashion diplomacy, often selecting pieces that pay homage to her host countries. She will undoubtedly embrace the vibrant colours and rich designs synonymous with Asian culture.  She has already found inspiration from the East before, wearing two designs by Saloni, a womenswear label founded by Indian-born designer, Saloni Lodha:

It remains to be seen if Kate will reach out to other Asian-based designers for the tour. Duchess Kate Blog has done a stellar job at researching potential designers connected to the subcontinent. She suggests Naeem Khan, Sachin & Babi and Needle & Thread as possible contenders.

Naeem Khan is an Indian-American fashion designer, born in Mumbai. He is known for his intricately hand-beaded and embroidered gowns, as well as his extensive understanding of the rich textiles of his homeland. The designs below would be perfect for the glittering Bollywood gala on the first night of the tour.

Sachin & Babi is a New York based fashion label founded by husband and wife duo Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia, who are natives of Delhi and Mumbai. The pair are known for their attention to detail, love of textiles, embroidery and rich colour palettes which shows in their designs.

British brand, Needle & Thread works with artisans in India and the UK to produce exquisitely embellished pieces with contemporary appeal. The designs are reminiscent of Jenny Packham and Temperley London but at a moderate price-point.

Kate is also known for her thrifty style and we may see her repeat outfits she has worn before.  The LK Bennett 'Lasa' blue poppy dress would be a fitting choice during her visit to Bhutan.  The floral print would be a nod to the national flower of Bhutan, the Himalayan Blue Poppy.

I'm confident we will be seeing Kate in some of her most extraordinary outfits yet during this tour!  I look forward to sharing all the fashion moments with you during the course of the week!

It's time to get excited folks, there's only 8 sleeps until the commencement of the royal tour!

This week, Kensington Palace released further details of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's upcoming visit to India & Bhutan. Click to read more >

In the lead up to the tour, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend a reception at Kensington Palace on 6th April. The royal couple will meet young people from the subcontinent who are working or studying in Britain.

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Some of you are probably already familiar with D. Baker Jewelry, an Etsy store that offers an extensive range of beautiful repliKate jewellery at affordable prices.

The store was founded by Daniela from Fort Worth, Texas. In her own words, here's a little background about the store:

D. Baker Jewelry was created in 2008 because of my love of the Tudor and Renaissance era jewelry. I have since expanded into other lines of jewelry inspired from movies, TV shows and celebrities. 

I was self taught and have grown over the years in my craft. Everything is handmade by me in my home studio. Some of my items have been featured in Broadway plays, Metropolitan Opera House events, reenactment events, TV shows, magazine photoshoots and celebrities. I enjoy what I do and have met so many wonderful people along the way.

My jewelry can be worn by anyone for any occasion because everyone should feel elegant and special everyday and I hope that my jewelry inspires that in my customers.

SPECIAL OFFER:
Daniela has kindly offered Kate's Closet readers an exclusive coupon code!  Use the code "KATE10" during checkout to get 10% off any order. Valid through to 30th April. 

Online fashion retailer ASOS has collaborated with Le Kilt to present a unique 2016 spring collection that fuses together Scottish tartan heritage with ’80s post punk style.  You may recall that the Duchess of Cambridge wore a Le Kilt skirt on her recent visit to Scotland.

Le Kilt designer, Samantha Coach worked closely alongside the ASOS team to create a retro-inspired set which includes classic kilts, tennis dress silhouettes and frilly shirt fronts. SHOP THE COLLECTION >

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Each week I like to devote a little time browsing the websites of Kate's favourite brands and designers.  This week, the new arrivals at Reiss caught my eye. I came across these Duchess-worthy styles:

I always love hearing from fellow repliKaters, so if you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase or showcase your repliKate outfit/closet, please drop me a line at
admin@katescloset.com.au