Welcome to My Royal Closet! Each month, take a look into a different closet that has been royally-inspired by Kate. The Duchess of Cambridge has been a huge influence on our closets, and we want to share our favorite repliKates and outfits with you!

Meet Ashley: Ashley is writer of the new lifestyle blog Sed Bona and a lover of all beautiful things. She lives in Chicago with her handsome husband and two darling pugs. In August 2011 she travelled to London and had the privilege of seeing the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress on display at Buckingham Palace. From that moment on, Kate’s wardrobe has had the single biggest impact on both Ashley’s fashion and life philosophy of any style icon.

LK Bennett Darwin Jacket

When the Duchess was first seen in this sheepskin coat, I really wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It looks like some neanderthalic creation that would find itself outdated the very next season and I was honestly shocked she chose it. Then a year later, while perusing the racks at my local LK Bennett, I actually SAW this coat in person and instantly understood it’s spell. No photos will ever do this coat justice. The fur is the most butter-y soft and scrumptious pile I’ve ever felt. This jacket was my Christmas present last year from Hubby but because the weather was so brutal last winter, he let me wear it throughout December. I tend to be a cold-natured person who prefers to hibernate once the temperatures drop below 20 degrees (last year we had almost four months straight of under 20-degree weather). But in this coat, I can almost envision myself burrowed under the feather duvets in my bed back home.

Any coat which magically transports me to a place where winter hath no power, is my wardrobe hero. Stylistically, this coat features flattering tailoring with a slight peplum in the back which is surprisingly slimming for such a bulky piece. As far as sheepskin coats go, this is the most inexpensive designer piece on the market now and well worth the (somewhat shocking) investment.

Smythe One-Button Blazer

This simple wool navy blazer is the essential I never had in my closet. Much of the reason that I often turn to the Duchess’ closet when looking to expand my own is that she puts a high priority on excellent tailoring and every piece she chooses is designed to showcase her figure in an elegant way. Even on my petite frame, this blazer has a magically slimming effect thanks to the slight shoulder padding and uniquely flared cutout hemline. The back cutout also lends a modern touch to the piece without sacrificing it’s “wardrobe basic” status.

Everytime I wear this blazer, I have people asking me where they can get it. Beware though, Smythe produced a viscose-blend version for Shopbop which I’ve heard does not wear nearly as well as it’s wool sibling and was priced exactly the same.

Issa London Silk Wrap Dress

Ah, the dress that started it all. Even though we are sadly unlikely to ever see the Duchess don this silky dress of perfection again, I have found this to be one of the most versatile cocktail dresses I own. In person, this dress has a gorgeous fluidity to the fabric and looks particularly fetching in low-light (and especially candlelight), making it the perfect holiday and cocktail party dress.

Without a doubt, this is the piece I get asked about the most in my closet, if only for notority’s sake. The color is called ‘petrol blue’, a sea-green and deep marine-blue color which compliments my pale complexion. The beautiful wrap tailoring is incredibly flattering on every figure I’ve seen wearing it and there are a lot of small intelligent tailoring tucks and folds in the dress that make the design even more brilliant. I am eagerly awaiting Daniella Helayel’s (Issa London’s founder and original designer) next clothing line as she truly is a master of intelligent tailoring.

LK Bennett Natalie Clutch

Somehow my closet survived without this clutch. I think back in the archaic days of my wardrobe style when I would convince myself that a black bag went with any outfit and cringe. Thankfully, because of this clutch, I graduated to a more sophisticated and elegant formal-dressing philosophy. There’s something about the soft texture that the woven straw strands make which is pleasant to the touch and yet surprisingly hardy – my little bag has gotten an incredible amount of use while showing almost no signs of wear at all.

This clutch is especially well-suited for summer events or tropical destinations where the straw texture looks polished without feeling out of place. It also happens to hold a surprising amount of things, something which was a pleasant surprise to me. But in the spirit of honesty, every LK Bennett bag I’ve purchased has impressed me with it’s quality and utility and I’ve found much of this to be true of every LK Bennett clutch I own.

Tiffany & Co Diamonds By the Yard Bracelet

Being the five-diamond platinum version, my Tiffany bracelet differs slightly from the Duchess’ three-diamond one but has the same incredible versatility. It’s one of my very favorite pieces of jewelry, especially since my husband gave it to me not long after we were engaged to wear on our wedding day.

I’ve never been a huge fan of large and clunky bracelets since I spend so much time shooting with my camera or on the computer and I hate to burden my wrists. This delicate-as-air bracelet suits my lifestyle perfectly! It pairs just as well with jeans as it did with my wedding dress since it’s such a timeless and understated design. I know this is a piece that I will turn to for the rest of my life, especially because it has so many sentimental memories attached to it.

Do you want your closet featured on My Royal Closet? E-mail us at [email protected] with the subject “My Royal Closet” and we will be in touch!

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