My heart was warmed, once again, by the fabulous Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Of course, I think she is just marvelous and genuine and real, so there is really little about her that doesn’t warm my heart! Her completely sensible and stunning sartorial taste is to be admired.
I positively glowed hearing that the coat dress she wore to the National Portrait Gallery was purchased secondhand; Royal Vintage, if you will. The lovely gray tweed design is by the now-defunct high street label, Jesire. It was reportedly bought at a secondhand shop in Bucklebury called The Stock Exchange. The shop is near the Middleton family home and is described as “the premier venue for the fashion-conscious bargain hunter”.
![Kate Thrift Store Dress](https://blog.finnfemme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Kate-Thrift-Store-Dress-300x224.jpg)
Being the thrifty, vintage-loving gal I am, and knowing that often the truly best finds are secondhand, I love to hear that someone of immense wealth also has a practical side. The great thing about most vintage and secondhand clothes is that they are truly unique and one-off. You will rarely, if ever, run into someone who is wearing the same thing, so you will always have your own look. Especially important, I would think, if you are the Duchess of Cambridge, and don’t want to look like every other woman. And it has the added bonus of utilizing environmentally-friendly fashion; recycling and reusing at its finest.
So three cheers for the Duchess – she is a Vintie too! ♥
~Marilyn Huttunen