A few years ago Hadley Hartz was just a regular girl in Louisville, Ky.   She was working as a personal assistant for a local film producer when she was given the opportunity of a lifetime.  She was asked to be one of the stars of the show “Southern Belles:  Louisville” along with Kellie Frey, Shea Johnson, Emily Gimmell, and Julie Smith.  When the show ended in June 2009, Hartz had been able to discover what she wanted in life through her opportunities on the show.  Now a professor at Jefferson Community and Technical College, the 29-year-old has expanded her resume to include fashion and beauty blogger.  The blog is called Hadley’s Reality, and through it Hartz has seen even more doors open for her.

Q.  How did you end up as one of the cast members of the SOAPNet reality show, “Southern Belles: Louisville”?

A.  While the show was holding casting calls here in Louisville, my boss and I went out with one of the show’s producers, and he made the comment that I should have my own TV show.  A few months later, he called and said that ABC/Disney wanted me for the show, and I thought he was joking.  I was so surprised!  I did the interview with them and was added to the show.

Q.  What was your experience as part of the cast of a reality show?

A.  It was actually a lot different than I expected it to be.  It was not as intrusive as I thought.  They just asked what they could film each day, and they pretty much stuck with that.  Filming did take a little longer than I thought it would at 8 months, but it was a great experience.

Q.  Do you still keep in touch with the girls from the show?

A.  Definitely.  In fact, I just had lunch with Kellie the other day.  I see Emily a lot, too.  Julie moved to LA, so I don’t get to see her anymore, but Shea, Kellie, Emily and I are still here in Louisville.

Q.  How has your life changed since the show?

A.  Being on the show actually opened up a lot of doors for me.  It was interesting to see yourself on TV through a different set of eyes.  I finally saw that I wanted to pursue teaching, and it helped me realize what I really wanted in life, especially in a man.  Now, I’ve got a really great guy, and I love him.

Q.  How did the show help you decide to start your blog Hadley’s Reality?

A.  Being on the show helped me become better known here in Louisville and in other areas, too.  I was constantly getting questions about what I wore on the show, my makeup on the show, and things like that.  Eventually, I thought that instead of just constantly answering questions individually, I would make a website so that everyone could see what they needed.

Q.  You always have really great fashion finds on your blog.  How do you determine which ones you want to post on there?

A.  Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty random.  I love finding the great discounts at the vintage and thrift stores, so I’m always excited to share a great deal with everyone.  I think there is an art to vintage shopping and I love sharing that with everyone.

Q.  Do you enjoy shopping at the vintage and thrift stores more than department stores and boutiques?

A.  Absolutely.  The other stores are great, but for the price tag, I think about how many clothes I could have at a vintage store.  I remember buying a dress for the show that was around $500, which is probably the most expensive outfit I own.  I always look at it and think about how many other things I could have gotten.

Q.  What are your favorite fashion items to shop for?

A.  Purses would be number one.  You can get a great leather purse for around $4 at a vintage store, and if you bought the same one in a department store you’d pay $50 or more.   The items I’d pick next would probably be belts, long skirts, and high-waisted pants.

Q.  What would you say your favorite outfit is?

A.  My maxi dresses are my favorite because they are a whole outfit by themselves.  You can dress them up or down, and they go so easily from summer to fall with the right accessories.

Q.  You also blog about makeup and beauty products.  What are your favorites in those?

A.  I love having a tan, and I always go for the faux tan instead of tanning beds.  I used to go to a local tanning salon and get the spray tan, but then I discovered a product by L’Oreal that is a gel tanning product that is great.  For makeup, I am in love with Bobbi Brown products.

Q.  What is your day-to-day makeup routine, and how do you switch it up for nights out?

A.  There is actually a huge difference from what I wear to work and when I go out.  At work, I normally don’t wear much makeup, and my hair is usually up.  I want to make sure I look clean and sophisticated since I teach at a college. But at night, I go all out.  I usually wear my hair down and curled, and I always make sure to put on great makeup.

Q. What are your top fashion and beauty tips?

A.  Definitely number one is dress for your body type.  We all can’t wear the latest fashions, and we shouldn’t try.   If it looks good on you, then wear it.  If not, don’t.  Also, always wear heels to look taller and thinner.  And when you are taking pictures, always do a “skinny arm” pose.  Put your hand on your waist or hip where your arm is away from your body.  You’ll look thinner all over.

Q.  You obviously love fashion and beauty.  Do you think that you will ever pursue a career in beauty and fashion instead of teaching?

A.  I love teaching, but teaching doesn’t necessarily let you make big bucks.  I’ve always wanted to open up my own vintage store like the ones I shop at on Bardstown road here in Louisville, but I’ve always been nervous about it.  But recently, someone approached me about starting my own purse line, so I’ll be working on that soon.

Q.  That sounds like a great opportunity.  Have you gotten started on the purse line?

A.  I actually already decided on a name for it—Haute Little Mess.  I am planning on selling them locally in Louisville first, then branching out online, and finally my own store.  I’m really exited about it.

Q.  Do you have any final tips for other fashion and beauty bloggers?

A.  I see so many blogs where people write what it seems like they think other people want to hear, but I find that if I’m truthful about everything I write, people enjoy reading the post more.  Be true to yourself, and you’ll definitely be successful.

Thanks so much again to Hadley for letting me do the interview!  Good luck with Hadley’s Reality & Haute Little Mess!

1. Brighter Than the Sun: Great upbeat track to make anyone feel good.  I’ve been listening to it for a while and will continue to as it just makes me happy!  I won’t say much on this one and “I Do” since they’ve been out for a while.

2.  I Do: Cute track that will always remind me of the Royal Wedding and my own wedding and just being in love.

3. Before I Let You Go: Upbeat song about knowing you’re the right one for someone and never letting go.  Follows the theme of the album about love.  Great beat & lyrics.

4.  Favorite Song ft. Common:  At first, this is an unlikely combo, but Colbie & Common really do a great job with the Reggae-esque beat.  This song will make you want to run away to the islands!

5.What If: Easily my favorite on the whole album since this is the reason I wanted it.  Featured in the movie ‘Letters to Juliet’, this song has been on the list of every Colbie fan for a while.  It doesn’t seem to sound exactly like the movie version, but it is close enough that this is sure to be a huge favorite among listeners.  It will be on repeat in my car for a LONG time.

6. Shadow: Starting out as a very light, almost acoustic tune, this song seems to represent the carefree attitude that makes Colbie’s music so popular.  It then breaks into an faster, more upbeat chorus that is quite catchy.  Sort of the opposite of the other songs as it is about telling someone to go & that you can still be strong without them.

7. Think Good Thoughts: Starting out as another beachy-island song, this is the bubbly tune we love to hear from Colbie.  Carefree and cool, this is a great song for the beach.

8. Like Yesterday: A love song of sorts about remembering a past love.  A great beat to it.  Definitely a good song to accompany you on a drive or bike ride through the country.

9. All of You: This song to me has a little bit of a modern country beat, which Colbie uses well. Again upbeat & I would definitely expect this one to be used in a good romance or romantic comedy soon.

10. Dream Life, Life: All about making life great and your own dream.  ”All we have is this life, so make it be what you want” is the ending lyric of the chorus and I love it.  This is a great song to listen to if you need a pick me up after a bad day at work or just any day.  It will make you really want to enjoy life!

11. What Means the Most: One of the slower songs on the album, this one is well placed within the album selection after “Dream Life, Life”.  It is a beautiful song about loving the one you are with and that being all you need.  If this song had been around when I got married, it would have definitely been in my wedding.  I actually cried listening to it & I’m not ashamed to admit that!  Great love song–anyone planning a wedding, check this song out!

12. Make it Rain: The second slower song, it really complements “What Means the Most”.  This one is a great love song about true love.  Lyrics like “I’ll keep wanting you for one more kiss” make some of the great romantic movies like “Sweet Home Alabama” pop in my head and just make me happy!

BONUS TRACKS:

13. Stereo: Peppy love song about the simple things in love & life.  A good song to play when you and your true love want to dance, spend some time together on the front porch or deck, or just to remind yourself how much you love someone.

14. Maria: If I had to pick a least favorite song on the album, it would pick this one. It is a great upbeat song about a girl, love at first sight, etc., but I don’t think it really fits with Colbie’s normal tunes.  I don’t really dislike it, but I will definitely play the others more than this one. Colbie, of course, sounds great singing it, but I am a bigger fan of the rest of the album.

I definitely recommend everyone picking up this album.  It is what we love about Colbie Caillat’s great voice and bubbly songs, but these seem to go really deep in their meanings, too.  So head over to iTunes and grab a copy!

So, I downloaded the free app and started to play it.  It was quite fun and almostchallenging for a while.  The object of the game is to “dig” through a handbag (that looks similar to an Hermes bag) and find different items (blackberry, iPod, lipstick, wallet, etc.) and match them to the silhouette below the bag.  The first few times I played, I had a semi-tough time figuring out which item matched which silhouette, but after several times of playing (and running out of time) I got the hang of it and earned several charms for my virtual charm bracelet.  It kept me entertained, nonetheless.

The only current drawback to the game is that you only get the one bag and the same set of items each time you play, thus becoming quite boring and monotonous  after a while.  My suggestion to the creator (NBC Universal, Inc.) is to definitely make more bags and items.  I’d also suggest maybe making different sections of the game based on the different Real Housewives shows and even switching up the items to include items you might think of the different wives carrying.

Other than those few things, I think it is a fun and free game worth downloading and at least playing a few times.  To get the game on iTunes, click here.

Well, in the age of social media technology, you can.  No, this isn’t a new Facebook game or a trending tweet.  It is a unique iPhone app with the appropriate name of Pose.  It is a photo based fashion app where you can share stylish finds, fashion, beauty, & more with tons of friends.

So how do you Pose?  It’s easy!  You sign up for an account, then you can start snapping photos of your fashion & beauty finds, and you upload them to share with your network, which can include other people on Pose as well as your Facebook & Twitter friends.  You can also just keep them private if you want to keep a record of your purchases or wish-list items.  Once you share the item, it has its own page where friends on Pose can “love it” by pressing the little heart on the screen or share it via Twitter, Facebook, or email.

The interface is great and is quite stylish itself & you can see your current feed, which includes your network of Pose friends.  You can also touch to discover which will lead you to either Posers (the most stylish shoppers handpicked by Pose), popular poses, and featured poses based on the recent poses you have “loved”.

Pose seems to be a mix of a photo-based twitter mixed with Foursquare since you can actually post the store name, brand, item, & even price, which are pulled based on your location using the iPhone location tracking.

The only downfall to this is that many retail stores, especially the high end ones such as Louis Vuitton &Dior, discourage taking photos & have been known to ask you for your camera or phone until you are finished shopping.  This might not be as big of a problem when it comes to clothes, since you can snap a pic in the dressing room mirror.  But I don’t see this issue getting too out of hand; in fact, I’m sure many stores will end up using it to their advantage.  So head on over to the App Store & start Posing!

We were then treated to the planning, drama, and atmosphere of both Ramona’s daughter Avery’s & the Countess’ daughter Victoria’s Sweet Sixteen birthday parties.  You’d think that this would have been an episode covered in drama, drama, drama, but for most viewers, it was shockingly boring.  We had the same old discussions as the last time over Sonja’s debt & bankruptcy as well as the usual Ramona v. Jill “lets make fun of each other” bitch-fest with Ramona impersonating Jill…badly.  We did get to see a pretty interesting side of Avery, however, when she and Ramona were at odds over her party.  Can we say mini-me?

Speaking of those Sweet Sixteens…

For Victoria’s party, we were shown a drastic change as we were thrown into basically a teen club complete with dancing, grinding, and mocktails.  Much more teenagery than the competing party.  It was fun from the looks of it.  Victoria seemed to really enjoy it, so I suppose that’s all that matters, right?  Most of the housewives showed up for Victoria’s & danced the night away until it was time to head to Avery’s “Winter Wonderland” themed party, complete with beds sitting areas where the 16 year olds could party it up.  It was quite pretty, but not what I would think of for a Sweet Sixteen party.  But Avery seemed to love it and even tweeted about it after the show, thanking her mom & dad for such a great party.

The end of the evening took us to the husbands, Simon & Bobby, getting into a bit of an argument over Simon’s Jill Zarin hater website.  Of course, Simon says he has no involvement in the site, but I guess we will see on this week’s episode which looks to be full of drama & a contrast to the weirdly boring episode I’ve recapped here.  Stay tuned for a recap of this week’s episode on Thursday or Friday!

Fukushima is not cured, so why are the headlines acting as if?

This morning’s headlines seem strangely dominated by a theme. Words like “normal”, “no risk”, “not harmful”, “reduced”, “continue to fall”. However, upon closer examination I noticed that many of these stories report one sample only and and in the same breath discuss how no further testing is needed since everything is okay now. Radiation readings are going to fluctuate around the globe with the jetstream. Fallout will be heavier with rain and snow. It will go where the wind carries it.

Many of these stories talk about Fukushima in the past tense. It’s over, rather than it is the same or worse than it was a month ago. They haven’t covered it with cement, nor have they gotten control of these reactors. This ‘control’ is estimated at 6-9 months out, at the least. So why make it sound better than it is? It is difficult to find accurate information online but I did find a couple of non- US sources that seem to paint a more realistic picture.

Greenpeace was not allowed to measure radiation even outside of the no- entry zone more that 30K offshore- they were outright refused. So just because there are no readings, doesn’t mean that the food, water or air is safe.

It alarms me that the media is encouraging magical thinking. Just because we can’t see it or feel it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. I encourage everyone to keep watch and look for yourselves. Didn’t your family teach you that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is?

“This is about providing independent and transparent information that will help people to protect both their health and livelihoods.’ Since the March 11 quake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Greenpeace has carried out monitoring on land outside the 30km evacuation zone and urged the government to move away more people who are living nearby….
‘We need to extend our research into the marine environment Japan relies upon so heavily to feed itself,’ said Ike Teuling, a Greenpeace radiation expert aboard the Rainbow Warrior, according to a statement.
‘It has been almost two months since this crisis began, and there is still not enough information in the public domain, or enough safety measures in place to protect the health of the population,’ Teuling said. — AFP

Al Jazeerra “We were getting frustrated with what was being reported in the media, what was being released by TEPCO, what was being released by the government,” said Sean Bonner, co-founder of Safecast.org, which is currently partially self-funded, partially funded via a Kickstarter fundraiser.”…”The general sense people have is that “the information we are given is not the whole picture. Many times we see TEPCO say ‘there is no evidence of X’, only to find out later that it is because they have not done any checking for X,” said Knowles.”

Does Naked Juice Have Something to Hide?

“The Naked Truth”, “Like Nature Intended” and “Nothing to Hide” are on the Naked Juice Company (under Pepsico) home page. Ingredients for their juices comes from Japan. This is something that people who pay a high price for their juice may want to know.

I wrote them personally a couple of days ago because my four year old is obsessed with the Green Juice and I started wondering about the ingredients, worrying that I was giving my child radiated green stuff three times a day from the West Coast. I wrote for reassurance that I was giving him radiation free Naked Goodness.

The customer service response was not only surprising, but made me shake in my boots- more than a little. I was told that I could rest assured that we are being protected as the ingredients come from HUNDREDS of miles away from the Fukishima Plant (and I was worried about the West Coast of the US!). You can read the response for yourself below. Assuming it was a typographical error, I called. The customer service agent agreed (full of humor) that this had to be the case but he kindly asked me to wait on hold while he verified this information. Much time passed and he came back with unhappy news (he sounded personally upset actually). It was no typo. He went on to say that he was to tell me that the juice is not manufactured in Japan. But he added very quietly that ingredients do come from hundreds, not thousands of miles from Fukishima.

Personally, I would rather pay an additional premium for this juice (which is already over $3 per single serving bottle) with the understanding that it is to make up for the inability to use Japanese produce in order to protect consumer health. The demographic that purchases this juice is looking for “Naked” juice and tend to be health conscious. Not naked with a dash of radioactive toxic waste. I do thank Naked Juice’s Customer Relations for being honest about this when asked. But I do hope that the website advertising also addresses this issue, and better yet- corrects it.

SIMILAR: Radioactive Milk and Leafy Greens

from ConsumerRelations@nakedjuice.com
to xxxxxxxx
date Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 10:15 AM
subject RE: Naked Juice Green Machine Smoothie , REF.# 027493266A
hide details 10:15 AM (4 hours ago)

Dr. xxxxx:

Thank you for contacting us at PepsiCo to express your concerns. We appreciate this opportunity to share some information we hope you will find reassuring.

In response to the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, PepsiCo’s Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs team has been closely monitoring any potential issues related to the safety of raw materials the company purchases from Japan.

Our suppliers have confirmed that, despite the recent disaster, the materials we purchase continue to be safe and suitable for consumers. In fact, those suppliers and their factories are located hundreds of miles from the Fukushima Daiichi power plants and are well beyond affected regions.

We want to assure you that PepsiCo will continue to closely track any new developments as well as follow any recommended courses of action. Please know that the well being of our consumers is of the utmost importance to us, and we will remain vigilant to ensure all our products are safe for you and your family.

Sharon
Naked Juice Consumer Relations
Ref# 027493266A

Naked is transitioning to hybrid vehicles for juice delivery.

Radioactive Milk & Leafy Greens:

I’ve grown weary of the lack of mainstream media coverage in the US regarding the toxic waste in our air, water (rain) and food supply (most notably milk and leafy green produce). It has been explained away by checkered graphs (via Facebook sharing), and the comparisons for exposure in layman’s terms with items like a banana to a CAT scan, or a transatlantic flight. This was helpful in the first weeks following Japan’s multiple crises. Perhaps I am overly suspicious, but I don’t think we are in the same place that we were when those helpful graphics first starting making their rounds via information sharing. So, I’ve been doing my own research. I suggest that you read the European resource I quote in this post as well.

I haven’t come up with any earth shattering answers, but I’ve come up with a few thoughts of my own.

1.Consuming radioactive milk or food products is not the same as being exposed to everyday background radiation or bananas. I for one, don’t want to drink it. I don’t want my family or friends to drink it either. Even if it means giving up my morning latte.

I think that we should all be suspicious of an isotope that finds its way into our milk supply from Japan. How did it get here in the US? Those cows ate grass with nuclear fallout. And traveled their own very long dairy cow intestinal system, and came out in milk that has been processed, minimally or not. And there it is. It’s still there.

Spinach, salads, cabbage and other vegetables with large surface areas are among those food products that are particularly sensitive to iodine-131 contamination, if they are cultivated outside and exposed to rainwater. Washing vegetables does not help, as iodine-131 is quickly metabolised by the plants, CRIIRAD notes.Fresh milk and creamy cheeses, as well as meat from cattle that have been outside eating grass, are categorised as foods that may have been indirectly contaminated and must also be monitored. Contamination of milk and cheese from goats and sheep may be of a greater magnitude than that of produce from cows.”

2. Even if US mainstream media reports are right, and levels post no threat to human health, I am guessing that the length of exposure and how frequently you expose yourself may have more impact than what has been addressed. It’s not over yet, and while media coverage has stopped for the most part, the toxic waste has not. Our children are especially vulnerable.

“If the foods (leafy vegetables, milk etc.) contain between one and 10 Bq per kg or more, it is possible that the reference level of 10 mSv may be exceeded within two to three weeks.” …the report goes on to say that, “The risks associated with iodine-131 contamination in Europe are no longer “negligible,” according to CRIIRAD, a French research body on radioactivity. The NGO is advising pregnant women and infants against “risky behaviour,” such as consuming fresh milk or vegetables with large leaves.”

SIMILAR: NAKED JUICE MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE: RADIATION
3. There are many websites, some obnoxious, some more reliable looking that others discussing EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) plans to raise the levels of “safe” consumption so while the levels rise, the exposure stays “safe”. Apparently, Japan is doing this for their seafood. Perhaps these are just rumors. I’ll let you know if I get a clear answer.

Update 7:30 PM PST: Not a rumor.

“We all deserve to know why some in the agency want to legitimize exposing the public to radiation at levels vastly higher than what EPA officially considers dangerous.”

The internal documents show that under the updated PAG a single glass of water could give a lifetime’s permissible exposure. In addition, it would allow long-term cleanup limits thousands of times more lax than anything EPA has ever before accepted. These new limits would cause a cancer in as much as every fourth person exposed.

PEER obtained the internal e-mails after filing a lawsuit this past fall under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) but the EPA has yet to turn over thousands more communications. “EPA touts its new transparency but when it comes to matters of controversy the agency still puts up a wall,” added Erickson, who filed the FOIA suit. “Besides the months of stonewalling, we are seeing them pull stunts such as ORIA giving us rebuttals to other EPA documents they have yet to release.”

4. Just because you buy organic, drink soymilk, or something else (like almond milk) your organic products are often grown on the West Coast. Most items are not grown in a greenhouse. So think about this before dismissing your possibility of ingesting isotopes from Japan. Companies are set to lose money if people start worrying about it, so in this country, we can’t expect them to scare us into not buying. There is a lot for them to lose financially. This, I understand. I for one though, will show more loyalty to a brand who addresses these legitimate concerns with their own research and concerned response- not waiting for the government to tell them to pull it from the shelves.

5. Maybe it really isn’t that bad for you. Maybe it really is just like eating a banana or taking a trip abroad on an airplane. But this isn’t what my gut is telling me, so I just wanted to share it with you.

So, this bit of research is being done for mothers who do not want their children (or anyone in their family for that matter) to drink milk with any level of radioactive toxic waste from Japan. If I get more answers, I will update this post.

Radioactive Particles are Falling From the Sky, Even if you Don't See Them

Horizon Dairy

Having just gotten off the phone with Horizon Dairy, I was given some somewhat helpful information although it was not terribly specific. As their website states,

In addition to the 531 certified organic family farmers currently providing organic milk to Horizon, there are 61 additional farms under contract with the company that will begin supplying milk during the next several months after all transition steps have been met.

“The fact that we added 100 family farmers to our network in 2010 reflects the consumer demand for organic milk, which has been steadily climbing,” said Mike Ferry, Horizon president. Our family farmers are the heart of our business, allowing us to provide the highest quality organic milk to our customers.

Family farmers supply about 93 percent of Horizon’s organic milk. The remainder comes from two company-owned farms in Idaho and Maryland, which were certified organic in 1994 and 1998. The average size of Horizon’s family farm partner is 91 milking cows, and 95 percent of the farms have fewer than 100 milking cows.

Armed with this information, I asked her if with so many farms, how can one tell where your milk comes from? Can you tell by the lot number? The customer service representative said no, you can’t tell by the printed number on the carton. However, she stated, the milk you purchase locally comes from the surrounding states to your local area. So if you live on the East Coast or in the South, your milk is unlikely to come from the West Coast. She did offer up the fact that, “lots of people are calling about this” and launched into a scripted “cooperation with the EPA” speech that included the fact that they would pull milk off the shelves if the EPA told them to.

So what does this mean for the future of the milk supply? Will this stay a fairly quiet issue like it is now (out of mainstream media for the most part) or will there be increased milk prices in order to purchase radioactive free milk?

Kroger/ Ralphs

With Kroger, They operate 15 Dairies. (I’m not sure if the organic line is from somewhere other than the list I found though) A handful of these dairies are on the Western Side of the US. The cartons do not reveal which dairy they came from, and I’m told that like Horizon, you can’t tell from the numbers printed on the carton. My phone call to a local Kroger resulted in a rattling off of the distribution centers, which has little to do with where the cows are or what dairy the milk originated from. And before now, perhaps it didn’t matter as much, so I am not faulting the companies unpreparedness for these questions. However, I do expect them to come up with something soon.

SIMILAR: NAKED JUICE MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE: RADIATION

*Resource 1*
*Resource 2*

Kate’s style is one that I think is very trendy yet classic, sexy yet conservative.  I’ve yet to see an outfit of hers that doesn’t say, “This girl really knows what looks good!”  We are all waiting anxiously to see what her wedding dress will look like, and I’m sure that it will be one to die for.  Watching news video and looking at pictures of Kate reminds me of a Jacqueline Kennedy–still the First Lady of Presidential wives’ fashion in my opinion.  She is still a fashion icon even today, and I see the future Princess as a very similar style icon.  Kate has recently been criticized by a few fashion designers as not stylish, not trendy, etc., but I completely disagree.  Being trendy and stylish is fine for some, but what about the majority of women?  We can’t usually pull off the wild styles that grace the runways, but we can pull off the classic, sexy style of Miss Middleton.  We’ve all seen the famous engagement dress in numerous pictures, but let’s look at some other outfits the future Princess has put together.  I’ve got some causal styles Kate has worn recently as well as in the past, but in my opinion, they are still great classic styles that work for any time.

I love this outfit.  Of all of the ones I’ve looked at that Kate has worn, it is one of my favorites.  She puts jeans with a great looking white and cream shirt/sweater combo, dark boots, and an off white bag.  Neutral colors are always hot, and Kate rocks them!  Any woman-royal or not, tall, short, skinny or not-can pull off this outfit.  

For the next outfit on the left, Kate pairs a beautiful dress with a white jacket and black hat & heels.  She carries a medium sized clutch to complete a more formal look with out being overly dressed up for whatever royal occasion she happens to be attending.

Here we have formal Kate & casual Kate, and she looks great in both outfits.  The low-cut dress suits Kate’s body type and the conservative heels and small bag really complement the outfit by adding a touch of class, while she still stays edgy with the dress.  The next picture with kate in a causal khaki colored skirt, fitted t-shirt, big brown belt, and boots create the perfect chic look for a princess who wants to go out for the day in cute but casual attire.

These are just a few examples of Kate Middleton’s classic and utterly timeless, yet slightly trendy style.  Kate knows how to dress for any occasion, whether it be a royal even with the Queen, a day out with friends, or a night out with her Prince.  Ladies of the U.S., we can learn a lot from her; keep Kate on your style watch list!