The Duchess of Cambridge has been praised for her thrifty fashion choices — so it’s ironic that she is driving up the prices of her favourite items.
Several of Catherine’s wardrobe essentials cost up to 30 percent more since being given the royal seal of approval, a phenomenon dubbed “Kate-flation”.
The duchess’s ubiquitous nude LK Bennett sledge shoes were on sale for $265 before Catherine wore them, but will now set shoppers back $300.
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Another favourite, an LK Bennett clutch bag, cost $215 this time last year, but now retails for $245.
But it’s Catherine’s blue Issa engagement dress that has seen the most astonishing rise. The blue silk wrap dress cost $590 when the duchess bought it to wear for her momentous announcement, but now sells for $760, a rise of more than $150.
LK Bennett has denied it increased its prices to capitalise on Catherine’s royal influence, with a spokesperson insisting rising costs has forced them to put up the prices of certain items.
Video: Catherine’s style
