What Kate Middleton has done for the British High Street fashion stores cannot be underestimated, as, yet again, a dress coat she was spotted wearing has caused a website to crash after selling out of the said garment. The Orla Kiely Dress Coat, which was on sale at £163.50, down from a whopping £325, is now unavailable as undoubtably, the site prepares for another onslaught of eager Kate fans seeking to buy it tomorrow. A spokesperson for the site commented that the dress-coat sold out ‘within minutes’ of her public appearance today in Oxford, and admitted that there was an ‘absolute frenzy’ on the website. Kate is definitely showing her fashion style as literally everything she touches, turns into high street panic buying and imitations of the original garments.
Dedicated Kate fans will know that this is not the first time Kate mania has struck the High Street and websites have crashed with unprecedented demand, I mean, even Princess Diana did not have this effect. Talking of effect, now everything Kate wears and followers rush to copy is being dubbed ‘The Kate Effect’, not only here but more so in the US, Kate is really pushing all the right buttons as her role as an ambassador for all things British. Wearing a cute nude Reiss ‘Shola’ bandage dress priced at £175, when she met the First Lady – Michelle Obama, she stunned the US press with her poise and decorum. And once pictures were released of the dress it forced the fashion label to hurriedly restock, set up an emergency hotline for harried customers, then restock again. In fact, the a spokesperson for Reiss stated that said they were shifting the pale nude bandage dress at a rate of one a minute and online traffic to the website soared by 500 per cent before it finally crashed. For this season they have bought out a remake of the famous Shola dress, renamed ‘Lola’ in different colours. No doubt is if catches Kate’s eye so will it catch the copykates too.
And then we have the chocolate brown woollen Hobbs coat that sold out in under one hour, and had to be restocked, or how about the Whistles £95 cream pleated dress which Kate wore during a visit to Los Angeles to visit the Inner City Arts Academy? Both retailers have seen a surge in activity on their sites and have had to quickly restock these now iconic items. But are ladies wanting to copy the fabulous Duchess or merely make a few bucks? Some people who managed to get hold of a black and white Zara dress, Kate wore to a Princes Trust Foundation charity event, were already selling it on ebay the very same day for up to £220. The majority however, I feel, just want to emulate the stylish look the Duchess has achieved with simple styling and high street products that are available.
Meanwhile, the Oral Kiely Birdie Wool Jacquard Shirt Dress, is still not available in the colour Kate purchased, but the emerald green colour is selling out fast so if you want a piece of Kate, albeit in a different hue, head over to Orla Kiely now. And watch this space for more Kate clothing updates! You know you want to!
