sale rack

It’s hard to hide from the royal “British Invasion”! Kate and Wills have embarked on their tour of North America and the one thing on everyone’s mind, Kate’s every fashion move.  In the last week, there’s been constant news about Kate Middleton, more formally known as Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge, and the media frenzy surrounding the couple has shot Kate into the StyleStar stratosphere!

Kate is single handedly bringing back elegance and conservative dressing in the most fashionable of ways. Her style choices have led to her dubbed as the “Royal Recessionistista” thanks to her down to earth style and “commoner” upbringing…by the way, that’s a title we here at CheapChicas LOVE!

She’s been photographed a handful of times wearing the same L.K. Bennett nude pumps, she’s recycled dresses like her infamous Reiss engagement dress, and she’s more likely to be caught in Zara than YSL.  IMO, her budget-conscious style efforts are sending the right message to all women…that style isn’t about spending, it’s about confidence and how you wear it!

The simplicity and elegance of Kate’s style is what makes it so easy to emulate. While she’s always on trend, she never overdoes it. Her L.A.  looks have been soft but still a bit trendy, trying out a range of summer’s best trends: pleats, brights, patterns and soft colors.

The Alexander McQueen gown (pictured above) and this DVF dress are my two favorite Kate looks that any girl, princess or not, could wear.  The dress would be perfect for a special occasion (summer black tie wedding!) and if you like the dress, try this soft French Connection gown. Its a little less conservative, but you can take a cue from Kate’s stylist and belt it to show off a small waist. It comes with a belt, but add more sparkle like Kate does by changing the belt to something like this.

Her bright green DVF dress is so versatile that any woman could wear it to work, a party, a luncheon or out on a date! To get a similar look, try this green J.Crew dress or this chic, yet conservative Ellen Tracy dress.

Kate’s style proves that you can mix-and-match your existing wardrobe and still look like a million bucks!  And she’s doing it so well that her simple yet chic aesthetic is inspiring women worldwide to focus their purchases on classic, timeless styles that will last for seasons to come.  And if you just can’t get enough Kate, check out the the options below which we think the princess herself would approve of!

More Ellen Tracy…

J.Crew Caroline Dress: $79.99

Click it/Skip it: Click it!

This dress didn’t jump out at my right away, but I decided to try it on anyway because it was on sale …and I already had a huge pile for the dressing room. J.Crew has tons of great stuff on sale right now BTW! Anyway, the cut on this dress turned out to be so flattering and comfortable, I fell in love.

Fit: This dress fits very true to size and it comes in petite too! (There’s more colors left in stock online for the petites than in store).  It pinches in at the waist so it has the effect of a full skirt which happens to be a super flattering fit on most body types…more on that later.

To be honest, this dress is really basic, but in a really good way.  It’s still fashionable thanks to the cut and the material but it’s also the perfect blank canvas. I also like it because it’s conservative enough for work but casual enough to wear on the weekends as well!

Shopper’s Notes: This dress is universally flattering for all body types, but if you’re working a curvy body this dress will become your go to piece on those days when you don’t fell like trying but still feel like looking put-together! It will accentuate the your smallest areas and soften a large bust.

It comes in safari green, blossom pink, and faded black. I went with the safari green and I will be styling mine with brown leather accessories all summer long like a braided brown belt and wedges!

I am so, so, SO excited for the Zara Semi-Annual Sale. The sale just kicked off Friday June 24th so there’s still plenty of inventory! I consider Zara to be one of the most fabulous yet budget-friendly stores out there so when they start slashing their prices even more…well, now we’re talking!

My only complaint is that they don’t have an online store, but if you can make the trip to a store near you, trust me it’s worth it!  You’ll have to stop yourself from buying everything.

And its not just women’s clothing, everything is on sale. Kids, mens, shoes, bags, jewelry is all marked down in celebration of summer and pre-fall.

Blazers, like this electric blue show stopper are from $29.99, party dresses from $15.99, summer shorts from $15.99, and t-shirts as low as $5.99!!!

And that’s just the half of it. Ladies, you need to get to Zara before all the goodies are picked over and the sale is gone! And if you find something totally amazing…share it with us in the comments!

BEWARE: This post is not for the fashion faint of heart!

Jeffrey Campbell, sigh, the man is a shoenius (shoe genius). And as I was walking past the Nordstrom shoe department, trying desperately not to make eye contact, I came across the ‘Skate’ bootie for $199.95. It’s the perfectly blend of bootie trend, the wedge and, well, a little bit of Lady Gaga if I do say so myself!

These booties are a work of art in person, I would highly suggest going to visit these (if just for admiration purposes) and if you want to add some edge to your style, I can’t think of a better way than buying these babies.

But if you aren’t ready to rock these gorgeous, yet outlandish kicks, I would suggest focusing on the open-toe bootie wedge, a rising trend for the summer months and the perfect shoe for those transitional months when it’s not quite cold enough for boots in the fall.

Aldo has a more wearable example of this trend in a neutral color for $125. Their SOBESLAVA booties would look great with a pair of high waisted shorts, amazing for elongating those tanned legs.

But this shoe isn’t just for shorts…this pair from Restricted Bentley for $79.95 would look great with any flowing summer dress for a night out on the town, or even with a pair of cropped pants for a more work appropriate look.

These Jeffrey Campbell booties are definitely one-of-a-kind and for a slight moment in time, one could understand what it feels like to walk in a shoe that Lady Gaga would potentially wear. But in the meantime (and for those of us who aren’t as adventurous), there are a great selection of wedge booties to fit everyone’s style…and remember, fashion is about having fun, branch out and embrace your inner fashionista!