It's speculated that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will embark on a royal tour of the Caribbean early next year!  The first clues about the Royal tour came when the Middleton's rescheduled their annual trip to Mustique in order to accommodate planning for the tour. They usually visit Mustique in  January or February, but now they will visit the island earlier, in November. 

During their trip, the royal couple are expected to visit several Commonwealth nations — including the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. The tour is allegedly set to take place in either February or March 2016. The consensus is that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will not accompany them on the tour :(

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

This week, I was delighted to receive a repliKate review of the Cartier 'Trinity' necklace from Christine:

After searching and searching for a copy of the Cartier necklace, and wasting money on one that wasn't even close, I was so excited to see this necklace in the Weekly Wrap-Up!!! It is from the Tudor Shoppe on Etsy.com. Ordering from Etsy was very easy, and the necklace arrived within a week. The detail of the necklace is wonderful and very similar to the original. It has a nice weight to it, not too heavy, but enough weight to lie flat and not move around too much. The length seems very similar to Kate's. My only complaint is that the two smaller rings should be a bit larger.

The Issa wrap dress is back in stock in ALL sizes at Harvey Nichols.

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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 Whistles caught my eye.  I came across these Duchess-worthy styles:

One of my favourite Duchess-inspired Instagram accounts is @KateMidleton.  The account is run by Katie, a self-confessed royal-obsessed fan of the Duchess of Cambridge :) 

Her account is filled with fun facts and intriguing information, but what I particularly love are her collages. She creates an informative series of collages related to Catherine's sartorial choices. I have teamed up with Katie to reproduce the collages, and each week I'll be sharing one in the newsletter.

This week, we'll start with a collection of Kate's most expensive dresses:

1: Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen created Kate's wedding gown which was estimated to cost $400,000 or £250,000!
2: I was quite surprised by the cost of this Jenny Packham dress! It was $9,368 or £5,999 and has been worn three times; two weddings and a polo match.
3: Kate wore her Alexander McQueen velvet strapless gown to the Sun Military Awards which costed $7,049 or £4,514.
4: Kate's Lela Rose white dress was the most expensive piece from her NZ/Aus tour last year costing $6,722 or £4,305.
5: Kate picked a stunning $5,987 or £3834 pink Jenny Packham gown to an ARK fundraiser.
6: For an Olympics Ceremony, Kate wore a $5,178 or £3316 teal gown by Jenny Packham.
7: Kate's lilac ball gown by Alexander McQueen was $4,686 or £3,000 and was worn in LA on tour.
8: Alexander McQueen designed the nude lace dress that Kate has worn twice and which costed
$4,473 or £2,864.
9: To the Queen's Jubilee Kate wore another Alexander McQueen dress which was $3,570 or £2286.
10: During her tour in Canada, Kate chose a navy lace Erdem dress for $3,388 or £2,169.
11: She chose another Erdem dress for the same tour which was $3,175 or £2,033.
12: Kate wowed in a Temperly London black lace gown when she attended the premiere of the War Horse. It was $3,044 or £1,949.
13: Kate's silver embellished dress is by Erdem and was $3,013 or £1929. She wore it to a friends wedding and to Trooping the Colour.
14: Kate wore the Roland Mouret 'Lambard' cream gown to two events which costed $2,342 or £1,500.
15: Jenny Packham created Kate's silver, one shoulder, Grecian gown which was $2,342 or £1,500.
16: Kate debuted her Alexander McQueen knitted, nautical dress in Canada and then again to Wimbledon; it was $1,963 or £1,257.

What's your favourite out of these?

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

Get ready ladies, there will be a tiara sighting in October!  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the State Banquet for the Chinese President during October's State visit. This will be Kate's first State Banquet and second tiara appearance since the royal wedding. The last time we saw the Duchess in a tiara was back in December 2013 when she attended the Queen's annual Diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace.

A few days ago, Hayley Smith posted a link to great repliKates for the 'Imperia' wedges which I shared on Facebook.

Hayley ordered a pair in cream and here's what she has to say:

I actually own the Imperia's in black and have posted on a few blogs that I actually find them very uncomfortable! I've tried a bunch of tactics to make them comfy but to no avail and it breaks my heart because it's one of the few items of Kate's that I could actually afford! So imagine my glee when I spotted these replikates at Le Chateau, a store of which I own several pairs from and are always comfortable.

These shoes are amazing! I find they have a slight padded sole that adds more support to the ball of the feet and the wedge is a comfortable height. I wear a tiny size US 5 and ordered that size and it fits like a dream. I would say they are true to size. They're so amazing, I might order the black ones too!

I've attached some photos of the shoes on my feet as well as beside the Imperias for a true comparison (really hard to tell at a glance!)

This Fall/Winter, Goat Fashion have reissued their popular 'Vreeland' shirt dress aso on Kate last November. It is now available in a deep Fern green hue at Saks Fifth Avenue:

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Great news for American shoppers: JoJo Maman Bébé has launched in the USA. 

I had a quick look on the site and noticed they have the Cream Princess Line maternity coat in stock!

Hobbs have further reduced the price of their blue 'Wessex' dress. It is now only £50.00!

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 send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au

Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge via Kensington Palace released a statement about the increased paparazzi activity surrounding Prince George. You can read the full statement here.   I'm always so conflicted whenever this issue comes up. While I enjoy the candid photos, I prefer they weren't taken at all, and it obviously upsets William and Kate.  I suspect the debate surrounding paparazzi photos of minors will rage on for many months and years to come.

Now on to the frivolous world of fashion ...

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Last month I posted a $16 repliKate of the Stuart Weitzman 'Corkswoon' wedges from Sears. Some of you snapped up a pair, and Carol from Michigan was kind enough to leave a review after she received her wedges:

Here are my Corkswoon repliKates! I bought them from Sears as shown on your blog and I'm pretty happy with them. They are not quite as high as the Corkswoons but that's fine. As you can see, the color is gorgeous and the materials are of a decent grade. The only thing that doesn't make me happy is the sizing. I usually wear an American 9 or 9 1/2 so I bought the 9 because there were no half sizes available. They are a bit too big; in fact my heels lift a bit when I walk. I am going to put some heel bands on the inside in the back.

I have worn them with a dress, a skirt and top and of course, skinnies and a Breton tee (I couldn't resist!) No, they aren't the real thing and they probably won't last for years...That said, I can't afford Corkswoons right now so this will have to do. I'm pretty happy...

Thank you, Elizabeth, for featuring these on Kate's Closet!

Mint Velvet have just released an update of their Bibi plimsoll, called Bea.  These new season grey suede plimsolls feature a metallic pewter tab at the front and back. It retails for £89.00 and is available from Mint Velvet, House of Fraser and John Lewis.

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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 Hobbs caught my eye. Tere are so many Duchess-approved styles!  Here's what I can see Kate adding to her closet:

The Dune London 'Karley' (update of 'Imperia' wedges) have been reduced to $55:

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Alejandra Ramirez, a frequent contributor to the Kate's Closet FB community put together this fab collage showcasing some of the repliKates found in the Sale section of Reiss (one of Kate's favourite brands)

The lovely team at Pearl & Clasp are offering one lucky Kate's Closet reader the chance to win their best selling Button White Freshwater Earrings! 

These 9mm pearls are large enough to make a statement without going over the top and they are the perfect addition to any woman's jewelry box.  Even the Duchess of Cambridge has been spotted wearing a pair of button pearls!

Pearl & Clasp was founded by neighbours Tara and Sari who partnered with an experienced jeweler in New York’s Diamond District to offer busy women unique jewelry and professional jewelry repairs without wasting valuable time or overspending at their local boutique jewelry store.

Terms and conditions:

This competition is run by Kate's Closet. Pearl & Clasp have kindly donated the prize, one pair of 9mm Button White Freshwater Earrings.

The competition is open worldwide. The prize will be posted using Australia Post Air Mail (untrackable service). Neither Kate's Closet nor Pearl & Clasp accept responsibility or liability if the parcel is lost or damaged in transit.

The competition will end at midnight AEST on 21st Aug 2015 and the winner will be announced in the 22nd Aug edition of the newsletter.

GOOD LUCK!

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 send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au

There were a number of Kate related articles in the papers this week. The first was from the Telegraph who broke the news that Kate has passed a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Advanced Open Water Diver qualification, meaning she can dive to a depth of 30 metres (98ft). Kensington Palace confirmed the story but gave no specifications, however it is believed she qualified for her PADI in Mustique. 

While we are on the topic of Mustique, People gave an insight from a fellow traveller who met the royal couple when he was vacationing on the island with his wife in May 2008 > http://bit.ly/1IUnQo4

And finally, there are rumours circulating that Kate wants “at least three children”. Camilla Tominey, Royal Editor at Express has the inside scoop > http://bit.ly/1KWWLTD

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

This week, Lauren shared a photo of the popular Cartier watch repliKate from eBay, and she kindly reviewed it along with the impressive rock on her finger!

One of Kate's favourite Bristish designers, Goat Fashion, is now available the USA at Saks Fifth Ave. They just launched their Autumn/Winter '15 collection and will be adding more styles over the coming weeks.

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I wonder if we will see Kate wear this new quilted version of the LK Bennett 'Sledge' pumps!? What do you think?

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 send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au

The week commenced with the much anticipated America's Cup sailing event. Unfortunately, stormy weather dampened the festivities of the day and the race had to be cancelled. However, William and Kate continued with their schedule and toured the 1851 Trust headquarters, and meet staff and families. Click to read more >

This week the Duchess debuted two new pieces from her closet. The fleece top was obviously a gift from the 1851 Trust in support of the Ben Ainslie Racing team. Kate added a white/black striped top to her ever growing collection of Breton tops from ME+EM! I wouldn't be surprised if the Duchess owns this style in all 5 available colour-ways!

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

Yesterday I came across this budget-friendly plaid scarf which reminded me of Kate's Zara cape. If you're creative, you could possibly repurpose it as a cape because it appears to be large enough. At less that $10, I think this scarf is a cost effective way to introduce Glen plaid into your Fall/Winter closet. This is also a good alternative for those of us who are petite and usually get swamped by "one-size fits-all" capes!

The popular LK Bennett 'Cayla' dress is available at Zalando, a UK based e-retailer.

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This week, there was a breakthrough in the identification of the mystery navy pleated dress worn by Kate to a 1851 Trust meeting in December last year.  Adriane Miller posted on the WKW Facebook page, that Kate wore Seraphine’s ‘Sophia’ dress as confirmed by Seraphine on their website:

Dillard's, one of my favourite stores for repliKate hunting, is offering a further 30- 40% off their sale stock until the end of Saturday:

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 send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au