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Kate Middleton just proved boucle is back for summer - shop chic Chanel-inspired dresses that look straight out of a royal wardrobe

Kate Middleton just proved boucle is back for summer - shop chic Chanel-inspired dresses that look straight out of a royal wardrobe

Daily Mail​5 days ago
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more
The Princess of Wales is a longtime fan of Self-Portrait's signature bouclé dresses, having worn several versions over the years.
Often seen in cream tones, these dresses are known for their intricate details - think embossed buttons, contrast piping or delicate lace trims.
The look has roots in 1950s fashion, made iconic by Coco Chanel with her timeless bouclé jackets. Kate even owns a pre-loved blue version that nods to that classic style.
Today, the looped fabric has become a hallmark of Self-Portrait and the trend shows no signs of slowing.
It's also made its way to the high street, with brands such as H&M, Mint Velvet and Sandro offering their own polished takes.
We've rounded up the best bouclé buys of the season, from chic mini dresses to elegant midis - perfect for weddings, garden parties and everything in between.
Self-Portrait Bouclé Mini Dress
£400 Shop
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Cat Deeley just wore the same hoop earrings loved by Kate Middleton - and they're only £25
Cat Deeley just wore the same hoop earrings loved by Kate Middleton - and they're only £25

Daily Mail​

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Cat Deeley just wore the same hoop earrings loved by Kate Middleton - and they're only £25

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more While the Princess of Wales is known for her impeccable fashion sense, it's often the finer details that really stand out. Kate boasts an enviable jewellery collection, ranging from budget-friendly buys to priceless heirlooms. One pair of high street earrings has proven particularly popular - not just with Kate, but with TV presenter Cat Deeley too, who was recently spotted wearing the exact same set. The earrings in question? Orelia's Chain Huggie Hoops, an 18-carat gold-plated design featuring a chain-textured finish and convenient click clasp. Kate is clearly a fan, having worn them to more than 10 royal engagements, including a visit to Maidenhead Rugby Club in 2021. The dainty hoops are as versatile as they are stylish, effortlessly elevating both casual and formal looks. While Kate has paired these earrings with blazers and dresses, Cat gave them a relaxed twist, wearing hers with a cosy sweatshirt on the beach. At just £25, they're an affordable addition to any jewellery collection. It's no surprise these earrings have earned over 40 glowing reviews, with shoppers praising their style, comfort and everyday wearability. One happy customer called them 'the perfect everyday earrings'. Another added: 'I love these earrings, they're perfect for every day wear or occasions! They are lovely quality and I always get compliments on them!' A third reviewer raved: 'Superb earrings, very nice, even more beautiful then in pictures.' Another pointed out their ideal balance of fashion and function, writing: 'Comfortable and a great statement piece.' One first-time buyer shared: 'First purchase from Orelia and I wasn't disappointed. Perfect size and style, buy them, you won't regret it!' Several customers even admitted they were inspired to buy the earrings after spotting them on the Princess of Wales - some going so far as to say they're 'obsessed' with their new go-to accessory. If the gold finish isn't to your liking, you'll be glad to know the earrings also come in sleek sterling silver. Equally versatile and elegant, the silver version offers a more understated take on the design - ideal for those who prefer cooler-toned accessories or want a modern twist on a classic hoop. Whether you're dressing up for a summer event or adding polish to everyday outfits, the sterling silver option brings the same comfort, quality and royal-approved style at the same affordable price. With both finishes available online, it's a no-brainer to pick the one that best suits your wardrobe - or get both to cover all bases.

Born in the USA: Is American Eagle really using whiteness to sell jeans?
Born in the USA: Is American Eagle really using whiteness to sell jeans?

The Guardian

time21 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Born in the USA: Is American Eagle really using whiteness to sell jeans?

American Eagle is a US-founded fashion brand that sells jeans, shrunken 'baby' T-shirts and cropped sweatshirts to predominantly tween and teenage girls. On TikTok, users gush about their clothes in outfit-of-the-day posts or shopping hauls. This week, however, the brand found itself facing backlash over its new campaign, starring the 27-year-old White Lotus and Euphoria actor Sydney Sweeney, in which critics are alleging American Eagle uses the language of eugenics to try to sell denim. The campaign depicts Sweeney in a denim shirt and baggy jeans provocatively posing as a male voice says: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' In one now-viral clip, Sweeney is filmed pasting a campaign poster on to a billboard. The poster's text reads 'Sydney Sweeney has great genes jeans'. In another video that has since been removed from American Eagle's social media channels, Sweeney, who has blond hair and blue eyes, says: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.' Critics were quick to point out the implications of the advert's wordplay. In one video that has had more than 3m views, a TikTok user compared it to 'fascist propaganda,' adding: 'a blonde haired, blue-eyed white woman is talking about her good genes, like, that is Nazi propaganda'. On the brand's own channels, users are battling it out in the comments section. 'It's giving 'Subtle 1930's Germany',' reads one. Another person posted: 'The woke crowd needs to leave the room.' Even the US senator Ted Cruz has weighed in. Reposting a news story on X, he commented: 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well ...' According to Sophie Gilbert, a staff writer at the Atlantic and author of the book Girl on Girl which explores how pop culture is shaped by misogyny: 'The slogan 'Sydney Sweeney has good jeans' obviously winks at the obsession with eugenics that's so prevalent among the modern right.' Dr Sarah Cefai, a senior lecturer in gender and cultural studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, agrees. 'Honestly, what were they thinking, that a white supremacist fantasy has permission to be aired so conspicuously?' Aria Halliday, an associate professor in gender and women's studies, African American and Africana studies and author of Buy Black: How Black Women Transformed US Pop Culture, isn't surprised by the ad. In recent years, she says, 'we have seen an influx of media reasserting the beauty of thin, white, blond, and blue-eyed people,' with many brands 'invested in re-presenting the wholesomeness and sanctity of conservative white values.' Critics have also zeroed in on the campaign's focus on Sweeney's body. In one clip the camera zooms in on the actor's breasts – lingering in a way that Gilbert sees as 'leering and unapologetic' – as Sweeney says: 'My body's composition is determined by my jeans.' The camera then cuts back to Sweeney's face as she shouts: 'Hey, eyes up here!' For Cefai, 'its sexualisation of the viewer via its voyeurism exposes western sexism as a racialised fantasy of whiteness'. American Eagle were approached for comment by the Guardian but did not respond. Fashion campaigns are notorious for purposefully sparking controversy, but the denim genre is a particularly seedy seam. In a 1980s Calvin Klein campaign, a 15-year-old Brooke Shields mused: 'You know what gets between me and my Calvin's? Nothing.' In 1995, another Calvin Klein ad featured models including Kate Moss being filmed in a basement as they undid the top button of their jeans and were asked: 'Are you nervous?' It was criticised for alluding to child exploitation. The American Eagle campaign comes at a time when the US is witnessing a cultural shift centering whiteness as well as more conservative gender roles, while the Maga movement has been linked with promoting a 'soft eugenics' way of thinking. In 2025, there are new factors reinforcing old stereotypes. For Halliday, the rise of GLP-1 medications for weight loss and the record high unemployment of Black women in the US all feed into a wider cultural shift that is 'about recentering whiteness as what America is and who Americans look like.' Some fashion imagery is reflecting this wider regression. The blacklisted photographer Terry Richardson is shooting for magazines and brands again, while Dov Charney, whose role as CEO of American Apparel was terminated after allegations of sexual misconduct, is now making content for his new brand that resembles the heavily sexualised noughties style of his former brand's advertising. For American Eagle, a brand whose biggest demographic is 15- to 25-year-old females, to tailor their campaign to the male gaze seems retrograde, if not downright creepy. However, Jane Cunningham, co-author of Brandsplaining: Why Marketing is (Still) Sexist and How to Fix It, says many gen Z-ers who are fed a 'hypersexualised visual diet' on social media may buy into the strategy. 'Their attitude may be that they are 'owning' their sexuality by being overtly sexual in the way they present,' she says, pointing to the pop star Sabrina Carpenter as another example of someone who has also been accused of catering to the heterosexual male gaze. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion Halliday says that while 'Black girls are rarely the target audience for ads,' some may still be curious to try the jeans: 'the desire to be perceived as beautiful is hard to ignore,' she says. Many gen Z-ers may not have experienced this genre of advertising, or 'intentional provocation as branding strategy', before, says Gilbert, for whom the campaign also reminds her of 90s Wonderbra ads with their 'Hello Boys' slogan. But maybe they will come to see through it. They are 'extremely savvy as consumers', she points out. 'They have the kind of language and expertise in terms of deconstructing media that I couldn't have dreamed of utilising as a teen during the 1990s. And they know when someone is trying to play them, which seems to be happening here. She adds: 'It all feels like it was cooked up in a conference room to provoke maximum controversy and maximum outrage, and to get maximum attention.' And it seems – in the business sense at least – to be working. Since the campaign launched, American Eagle's stock has shot up almost 18%. To read the complete version of this newsletter – complete with this week's trending topics in The Measure – subscribe to receive Fashion Statement in your inbox every Thursday.

Flat in iconic Poirot building up for sale for £190k - but it's not exactly spacious
Flat in iconic Poirot building up for sale for £190k - but it's not exactly spacious

Daily Mail​

time21 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Flat in iconic Poirot building up for sale for £190k - but it's not exactly spacious

A studio flat in Barbican, London, is going up for auction later this month with a guide price of £190,000 before fees. Located on Charterhouse Square, the building is instantly recognisable as Whitehaven Mansions, the fictional home of Agatha Christie's famous detective Hercule Poirot. As well as exterior filming, a number of interior shots of the Grade II-listed Art Deco building were used for the programme during its 24 years in production. In 2019, the building was used again for filming, after being selected as a home for one of the leading characters of the Batman spin-off, Pennyworth. Built in 1936 by by Guy Morgan and Partners, the London building features classic Art Deco design and rare amenities for its era, including a rooftop garden with city views, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, gym and communal lounge. The block, which spans nine floors and is home to 120 flats, also has a porter service, a secure entry system and two lifts. Flat 28 Florin Court will appeal to buyers with a love of classic TV, as well as architecture and design. A canny investor could also be drawn to the studio's location and potential. And its City location means it could also be an ideal pied a terre. However, anyone who lives there will have to be comfortable with a small space, as it measures just 209 sq ft, or less than 20 sq m. The current minimum space standard says newly-built homes for one person should be at least 37 sq m. The studio flat is located on the third floor of the curved building. It has a bedroom and living space, and separate kitchenette and bathroom areas. The property has an enviable location, providing easy access to the City of London and the Elizabeth Line. It is close to both Barbican and Farringdon underground stations. The property is held on a 999 year lease from 1 April 2017, with around 991 years unexpired. The studio flat has an EPC rating of C and has not been inspected by Auction House, which is selling the property via auction in August. Viewings for the property are taking place on 1 August between 2.15pm to 2.45pm and on 5 August from 2.15pm to 2.45pm. Potential: Flat 28 Florin Court is going under the hammer with a guide price of £190,000 How to buy at auction Auctions are one area where good deals still come up. Properties sold this way can, in some cases, be substantially cheaper than on the open market. According to Property Auction News, the average price properties sell at auction for is around £166,000. However, properties sold in this way often - though not always - come with added complexities for the buyer. It is therefore important to do as much research as possible before buying any property at auction. Where possible, always visit the property in person before the auction. Do not underestimate how much renovation work or reconfigurations could cost if you are taking on a project property. Read legal documents for the property carefully and, when possible, get advice from a solicitor before heading to the auction. Sometimes, the legal pack includes 'special conditions' that mean you might also be liable to pay an additional three per cent fee to a sales agent. Before submitting any bids, always check what sort of price similar properties in the area have sold for. This will, of course, be harder if it is a more unusual property that you are after. If you do bid, do not get carried away and bid more than you can afford. Most properties bought via auction have a 28-day competition date and home loans for auction properties can be harder to get. How to find a new mortgage Borrowers who need a mortgage because their current fixed rate deal is ending, or they are buying a home, should explore their options as soon as possible. Buy-to-let landlords should also act as soon as they can. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you What if I need to remortgage? Borrowers should compare rates, speak to a mortgage broker and be prepared to act. Homeowners can lock in to a new deal six to nine months in advance, often with no obligation to take it. Most mortgage deals allow fees to be added to the loan and only be charged when it is taken out. This means borrowers can secure a rate without paying expensive arrangement fees. Keep in mind that by doing this and not clearing the fee on completion, interest will be paid on the fee amount over the entire term of the loan, so this may not be the best option for everyone. What if I am buying a home? Those with home purchases agreed should also aim to secure rates as soon as possible, so they know exactly what their monthly payments will be. Buyers should avoid overstretching and be aware that house prices may fall, as higher mortgage rates limit people's borrowing ability and buying power. What about buy-to-let landlords Buy-to-let landlords with interest-only mortgages will see a greater jump in monthly costs than homeowners on residential mortgages. This makes remortgaging in plenty of time essential and our partner L&C can help with buy-to-let mortgages too. How to compare mortgage costs The best way to compare mortgage costs and find the right deal for you is to speak to a broker. This is Money has a long-standing partnership with fee-free broker L&C, to provide you with fee-free expert mortgage advice. Interested in seeing today's best mortgage rates? Use This is Money and L&Cs best mortgage rates calculator to show deals matching your home value, mortgage size, term and fixed rate needs. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you. Be aware that rates can change quickly, however, and so if you need a mortgage or want to compare rates, speak to L&C as soon as possible, so they can help you find the right mortgage for you.

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