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Kate Middleton’s Engagement Photos: The Reiss Nannette Dress

Welcome to another ‘catch-up’ post, as we continue getting up to speed on some of the more important, or notable garments worn thus far by Kate Middleton. A piece definitely fitting under this heading would be the Reiss dress seen in one of the two formal engagement photos by Mario Testino.

PHOTO: Reiss

The dress worn by Miss Middleton is the Nannette style by Reiss, a company we hadn’t previously heard of until the photos were released last fall. Here is what was originally posted on the company’s blog:

The Nannette dress that Kate is wearing comes as part of our core dress offering that we are renowned for. While this particular style is not currently available, there will be a version coming out mid January as part of our SS11 collection

Reiss Blog

A description of the dress from The Daily Mail:

“The Nannette dress has 3/4 sleeves, an asymmetric draped neck line, paneled waist band and side pockets and an overlay on the front skirt.

It features a cascading frill alongside an exposed zip that fastens the dress at the front.”

While more dresses were briefly available, they sold out almost immediately. A number of comments on the Reiss blog provide more timely information for those still interested in acquiring the dress:

“Due to the unprecedented demand, we are not taking orders for this dress at the moment, keep an eye on the website for further updates. If you’re not a fan of our facebook, we would encourage you sign up as you’ll be the first to know.”

“We’re sorry you didn’t manage to get hold of the dress, due to the unprecedented demand we sold out within hours.”

The dress is one of those garments that looks unremarkable on the hanger, it needs to be tried on before any sense of style emerges.

One of the more interesting aspects about Miss Middleton’s dress choice is the fact the dress was more than two years old.  Here is a portion of comments on that fact from the Huffington Post:

“….Kate looks uncommonly chic in a dress that she has owned for 2 years from her very own closet. The dress is a rich looking winter white by UK store Reiss.

She has always been one to buy off-the rack from popular retailers (the High Street), but wearing an off-the rack dress from two years ago ushers in a new era of royal fashion accessibility.”

Miss Middleton accessorized with white topaz earrings by Links of London.

Links of London

(The Hope Egg Earrings are also sold out.)

Mary Hall’s HuffPo story on the photos posits that “thrift is the new chic”:

“I’ve written before about Kate’s style essentials. She has always been one to buy off-the rack from popular retailers (the High Street), but wearing an off-the rack dress from two years ago ushers in a new era of royal fashion accessibility. When Diana Spencer was still Lady Diana she also choose an off the rack garment for her engagement photo.  Remember the charmingly demure blue suit she wore from Harrod’s with the blouse with the little tie bow at the neck?”

Multiple references have been made linking that blue suit with Miss Middleton in her blue Issa dress (more on that here).

As an FYI, Prince William is wearing a Turnbull & Asser shirt, and it turns out he actually borrowed the sweater he is wearing from photographer Mario Testino as the pictures were being shot.

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