HOW TO DRESS LIKE THE DUCHESS ON A BUDGET

DARCI PLEAT PRINT DRESS, £34 – £109 HOUSE OF FRASER

Here I am strolling through my local House of Fraser, no makeup on and in my active wear dashing around shopping for a client.

Out the corner of my eye I catch beautiful and bright pops of colourful print, flattering dress shapes and before I know it. I’m in the changing rooms.

My emerald green radar is ON!

Oh my, I found a Unicorn dress…

For those of you who don’t know what a Unicorn is when it comes to shopping. It is a dress that is a one off buy because it is classic, suits your shape, your colour, is versatile across your wardrobe and is preferably in the Sale. YAY!

Having some form of Emerald Green usually ticks my boxes too.

You MUST always buy a unicorn lovelies, they don’t come along often. And this Issa beauty sits perfectly into my capsule wardrobe. You will only discover Unicorns when you understand your Style Code.

In the space of a week I’ve already wore it for a family party, work and an anniversary date with Dave. I’ve received lots of compliments. The great thing is I still felt elegant even with a food baby!

WORK. WEEKEND. OCCASION.

**DARCI DRESS, £40 WAS £109 Issa London**

If you’ve never came across Issa London, you will certainly remember Kate Middleton in many of her dresses. Especially this blue beauty she announced her engagement to Prince William in to match her Sapphire rock…..

kate issa dress — **NAVY DARCI DRESS, £99 Issa London**

After this announcement her dresses sold out world wide, her company struggled financially to keep up with the demands suddenly made overnight for stock and resulted in her shutting up shop.

Come on Kate, a little heads up for Issa would have been nice eh?

This unfortunate news has now become VERY good news as Issa is now stocking dresses just like this at a price us mere mortals can afford, nationwide in House of Fraser. Phew!

We can now get the same £400+ Dress that Kate wore for £99, or £40 if you get lucky in the sale like I did.

I am very sorry to tell you that this green print dress is actually sold out, it was literally the only one left in House of Fraser. As far as I can see, it doesn’t even exist on-line anymore either.

When I found this dress, it was so meant to be.

Don’t fret there are LOTS of amazing punchy colours and prints available for you in this exact dress style. I LOVE a brand/designer who offers a variety of colours in an item and Issa certainly does that.

Keep reading to see how you can create my look with an alternative dress and shop my 3 fave prints/colours available in this dress……

RECREATE MY LOOK

SHOP MY LOOK: Black suedette two part platform courts, £25.99 New Look / ISSA Kate printed wrap dress, £109 / Bright Green belted trench coat, £85 River Island / Yellow Shoulder bag, £14.99 H&M

OR CREATE YOUR OWN

SHOP THE DRESS: DARCI PLEAT PRINT DRESS, £34 – £109 HOUSE OF FRASER

WHICH COLOUR SHOULD YOU INVEST IN?

The Orange and Black is great for ladies with Deep or Warm colours (Autumn).

The Blue is a beautiful bold option for for Bright and Cool colours (Winter).

This blush pink is versatile for almost all colours, especially Springs. It looks fuchsia in the picture below but is a little warmer in real life.

If you’re unsure of which Colours suit you best, don’t stress. It’s not easy to figure out on your own but hopefully my easy step by step guide HERE will help you before investing.

SHOP THE DRESS: DARCI PLEAT PRINT DRESS, £34 – £109 HOUSE OF FRASER

WILL THIS DRESS SUIT YOUR SHAPE?

A 3/4 length sleeve, nipped in waist, V-neck bust, stretch material and fluid shape is very universally flattering… However, it will suit some shapes more than others.

A dress like this is a wardrobe MUST have for any hourglass, Oval or Pear shapes.

Inverted triangles can wear this but I would invest in a block colour rather than print. Click HERE to see an alternative I’ve found to suit you better.

The only shape I would advise against this dress is a rectangle but HERE is a great alternative shape for you from Issa.

If you’re not 100% sure of your body shape, don’t worry lots of people aren’t. I’ve created a simple guide to help you before investing. Click HERE to read before making a decision.