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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!

Heat waves have hit, days are getting longer … and the need for a more casual wardrobe is getting more and more intense. Don’t you, sometimes of course, envy the men in your life with the ability to just throw on some jeans and a shirt and look fantastic and put together? It is time to let the jealousy go and literally just steal the shirt right off the poor guys back.

Two summers ago it was all about boyfriend jeans, last summer (and now still) boyfriend jackets were all the rage, now, it is time to steal their oversized button downs a la Blake Lively here! It is a light and easy way to put a little spice in your wardrobe and let go of your typical summer duds. Covering up won’t feel like such a drag, especially when it is 95 degrees outside, since these kinds of skirts are breezy, and most importantly, simple, leaving lots of room to style it up. And is there anything hotter than a women in man’s white button down??

This spring and summer calls for as much denim one can put on their bodies, so my pick has to be this Rachel Roy button down on sale for $46.99! This one is especially fantastic because it’s much longer in the back (it’ll also work in the fall w/leggings!) and that faded texture gives it a bit of a vintage feel.

Style is with your hair down and numerous, chunky bangles, or leave your hair up in a simple bun with more of a simple feathery necklace. You could even throw this over your bikini as a cover up!

And for more of a classic look, try this Jessica Simpson oversized, white button down for just $19.99. I would recommend going with more of a retro look for this style…paired with skinny’s, a chunky, colorful statement necklace and of course a pair of sky-high Dany’s!

Who knew walking into our boyfriends closets and stealing their style, yet AGAIN, would be the answer? Thanks boys, in advance of course!

I keep spotting some of my favorite celebs in bow belts…I mean not only bow belts, but paired with dresses, high waist pants and skirts. I happen to be a “bow-girl” so I’m excited to see an updated version of this super feminine, sweet, and whimsical accessory!

At a recent event honoring Morgan Freeman, Gisele Bundchen was spotted in an pre-fall Oscar de la Renta gown. Her head-turning look had a bright pop of color thanks to a hot pink bow belt and she couldn’t have looked more beautiful!

The bow belt has also been spotted on Emily Blant, Emma Stone, Eva Mendez and even not too girl-y, Jessica Biel. And designers are getting in on the action as well-Marc Jacobs, Valentino, and Elie Saab all included this cute accessory as part of their runway collections.

I don’t know about you, but I like a little surprise in an outfit, and that’s exactly what the bow belt achieves. The nice thing about this trend is that it is totally do-able on a CheapChica budget…we’re talking DIY ladies! Head over to your favorite craft store and find some grosgrain and tie it into a perfect bow.

Now if you’re not the crafty type, I found some super cute belts on Zara.com for under $25.00. and check out this one from Steve Madden.  This wear-with-everything black patent leather style is  only $9.99.

So get “BOWED” over this season while adding a little panache to any outfit….

More Forever 21…

I have a major girl crush on Olivia Palermo…she may not be the nicest person and words like warm and fuzzy certainly don’t describe her villain-ess character on The City but damn can that girl dress! I usually want to copy her outfit piece for piece  (we actually did a look for less on this exact outfit) and the more and more pictures I see of her, the more I notice her fabulous eye of accessories…case in point, this adorable floral/petal clutch.

I have so many weddings this summer (like many of you) and while my standard envelope clutches would work just fine, I’ve been dying to kick my clutches up a notch!  So when I saw this picture of Olivia I was determined to find out the designer…I mean how ridiculously cute is that bag?! It’s the perfect accessory for all those summer affairs!

It turns out that OP is a little bit of a CheapChica herself…her bag isn’t the work of some obscure French designer nor does the price tag come with three zero’s, it’s actually by Sondra Roberts who’s based in New York and it’s $105.  If you’re looking for a statement making clutch you must check out her entire collection.

I love this satin one for a more elegant evening event and this lucite one would add a big punch of color to any outfit–it’s such a modern and cool update to a traditional clutch.  Ladies, these are not your grandma’s clutches!

I’m such a huge fan of these (I just got one of her bags for a wedding I’m going to this weekend in the Hamptons) that I want two of you to have the exact bag that Olivia’s carrying in the picture above!  To enter to win a Sondra Roberts Rose clutch all you have to do is leave a comment on this post letting me know what your favorite bag is on her website…simple and sweet…just like the bag!  Good luck!

This summer increase your glamour quotient by adding a blush blazer to your closet. The blush blazer is equal parts feminine and minimalist. Style icons like Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Olsen, and Charlize Theron have all been spotted wearing blazers in this rose-colored hue.

But one of my new favorite style icons, Miss Emma Watson added a fun mix of masculine (the tie and hat) and feminine (the lace shorts and heels) to her ensemble with the blazer serving as the central piece!

The blush color works as a neutral, and is a softer, more feminine alternative to your basic black blazer…and it’s just as (if not more) wearable.

For around $50, you can snatch up Lulus.com blush pink blazer! With its ¾ length sleeves and tailored fit you can pull off chic and totally on trend (without trying too hard)…

Now If you’d like to compliment the romantic color with pretty detailing on the sleeves, you’ll LOVE this Material Girl pearl blush blazer from Madonna’s line with her daughter Lourdes, available at Macy’s. The lace detail on the sleeves is absolutely gorgeous and in case you’re on the fence, it’s on sale right now for around 25 dollars!

Whichever suits your style, they’re both amazing deals for what’s sure to become your new wardrobe staple!!

You can get more of Rebecca’s style tips on her blog young-sophisticates.com and don’t forget to look out for her monthly Look for Less column here on CheapChicas!

I’ve been looking for a flip-flop upgrade that would work for dressed up summer days when I have a meeting or when I’m wearing an outfit that needs something other than rubber footwear!  My only requirements were that they were neutral enough to go with everything and that they had some hardware so they’d feel fancier than my plain sandals.

I fell in love with a pair of Tory Burch sandals at Nordstrom, but I’m not spending $200 on something that doesn’t even cover my toes so I was happy to come across these studded stunners from Forever 21 for only $13 bucks…I bought them in both colors because really, how could you not?!