Yahoo Lifestyle Duchess Catherine’s Shopping Secrets
Duchess Catherine wearing Topshop. Photo by Getty Images.
She’s one of the most scrutinised people on the planet, with each outfit change inspiring headlines around the world.
And now Duchess Catherine’s shopping secrets have finally been revealed, with author and sales guru Mark Ellwood saying he believes she’s a notorious bargain hunter.
While most Royals use a personal shopper to buy their clothes, it seems Catherine is happier delving through the sale racks with her friends.
“I went to (high-street chainstore Reiss) and got chatting to a beautiful English rose behind the counter,” explained Ellwood. “(I) asked why they were so many Chinese shoppers in the store - there are no Reiss stores in China - and she said: "Oh, it’s Kate Middleton – she’s in here all the time."
“'She said, "You look up and there’ll be Kate and her same two friends going through the 60 per cent off rack. You have no idea she's there and security must be outside, but she comes in all the time. And she's totally different to the Prince of Thailand, who I heard shut down a restaurant and brought his own staff when he visited Bicester."'
In addition to chainstore buys such as Topshop and Zara, the Duchess regularly picks up cut-price designer wear.
Click the image above to see which other stars love chainstore clothing!
“She regularly shops at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, where she picked up a Missoni coat-dress she has worn to a number of public engagements, including a visit to Fortnum and Mason with the Queen and Camilla,” reported the Mirror UK.
It’s puzzling for some, with New York writer Anne Slowey questioning Catherine’s style icon status.
"Is she a style icon of the likes of a Kate Moss? Absolutely not. Is she in the public eye? Are people going to become obsessed with everything she wears regardless of what it is? Yes," Slowey said.
It seems Catherine is all too aware of the so-called ‘Kate effect’, where anything she wears sells out within days.
“The Duchess is aware that people are struggling in the current economic climate," reported the Daily Mail, indicating that perhaps the Duchess is merely trying to appease her critics.
“In the position that she's in you can't be simply stunning as she is and not have influence," added Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing.
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