Queen of Recycling: Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton has made a new name for herself this year (as well as the Duchess of Cambridge) as the accessible style icon for her love of affordable fashion and recycling her favourite wardrobe staples.
Not only is Kate receiving hefty praise from fashion commentators all over the world, but trends are springing up all over the place copying her flawless, if not a little safe, style.
These include her love for leg lengthening nude court pumps (her favourites from LK Bennett) and of course the surge in 'kate' dresses for next season.
And it's not just the critics that she has won over, celebrities are bowled over by the Middleton look. Anne Hathaway said in a recent interview with USA today she is grateful to Kate for being an 'advocate for dressing like a lady.'
Since then, Anne's fashion choices have been guided by Kate including her appearance on the red carpet for the premiere of new film One Day for which she wore a white lace Alexander McQueen number, not too dissimilar from what our Kate would be seen in.
So how does Kate make recycling work?
Though you may just think it is about leaving a large time gap between the last and this time the item is worn, but to Kate, that is irrelevant.
Whether it is the creamy gold coat worn for a wedding in 2006 and the very same Zara Phillips' big day or the green Diane Von Furstenberg dress worn to LA and then a few weeks later from the Tindall's pre-wedding party, Kate clearly doesn't mind.
Instead she chooses different accessories, including hats, bags and shoes to make dresses and outfits look fresh and different. And although we don't go around wearing fascinators everyday, we can try a couple of other things...
By taking a chunky to slim belt you can instantly change the look of an outfit. A slim belt is dainty and will look more formal if you're wanting to may a dress work for both the day and evening.
Different sized clutch bags are also a quick way to change the impact an outfit has. Kate is a fan of the small, box-shaped clutch - perfect for your lippy and kohl eyeliner, but not much more. Make a dress work for the day by choosing an oversized, envelope clutch to fit in more of your daily essentials.
Though shoes are pretty self explanitory when it comes to lifting the look of an outfit, Kate is also one for choosing different blazers and cute cardigans for finishing off her outfit.
And let's not forget the bling...glam up with as little or as much as you think works for an outfit, but perhaps choose pieces you haven't worn with that dress before, just to give it an extra facelift.
FemaleFirst Jenna Fordie
twitter: @Jenna_FAM
Tagged in Kate Middleton