Would you like to buy Kate Middleton’s Issa engagement dress? Too bad.

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The UK is in the midst of a major royal love fest, with everyone excited about Kate Middleton and Prince William’s engagement. Photos of the couple appeared on every front page in Britain, and Prime Minister Cameron says he’s considering making their wedding day a national holiday… which will come in handy, in case the “Save the Date” is in March (ugh, rain). Meanwhile, Kate Middleton’s first HUGE public appearance is still causing repercussions, and not just in Jessica Simpson’s journal. This lovely silk jersey dress that Kate wore for her big day? Well, every woman aged 13 to 70 ran to the stores to find it. Welcome to the Madhouse, Kate.

Well, that didn’t take long. Kate Middleton’s Issa London dress has sold out within 24 hours. British retailer Harvey Nichols confirmed on Thursday that the dress is out of stock at its London store.

“Since the announcement of the royal engagement we have been inundated with requests regarding Issa,” the store’s buying director Averyl Oates told Vogue UK.

Issa London, from Brazilian-born Daniella Issa Helayel, is one of Middleton’s go-to designer labels.

In fact, the Sapphire dress, priced at £385 or about $616, was gone within hours. “The dress worn by Kate sold out almost immediately,” Oates said.

This isn’t the first time one of Middleton’s fashion choices has caused a stir: In 2007, the Topshop print dress she wore for her 25th birthday sold out within 24 hours.

[From Us Weekly]

I still maintain two things: one, that if Kate had bigger boobs, she would not be called a “conservative dresser” because her style tends towards clingy, bright, low-cut, gaudy jerseys that would look a tad tacky on a curvier woman and secondly, Issa should not design the wedding dress. The honeymoon gear? Sure. Absolutely. Clingy little nighties and cute little low-cut blouses, of course. But not the wedding dress. No one needs to see the future queen’s itty bitty tittays poking out of some diaphanous, thin white silk jersey gown.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 in London, England. After much speculation, Clarence House today announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The couple will get married in either the Spring or Summer of next year and continue to live in North Wales while Prince William works as an air sea rescue pilot for the RAF. The couple became engaged during a recent holiday in Kenya having been together for eight years. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, in central London November 16, 2010. Britain's Prince William is to marry his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, after an on-off courtship lasting nearly a decade, bringing months of speculation about his intentions to an end.  REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett  (BRITAIN - Tags: SOCIETY ROYALS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Photo by: KGC55/starmaxinc.com  2010  11/16/10 Kate Middleton and Prince William at a photocall honoring the official announcement of their engagement. (St. James Palace, London, England)  Photo via Newscom

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London November 16, 2010. Britain's Prince William is to marry his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, after an on-off courtship lasting nearly a decade, bringing months of speculation about his intentions to an end.  REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett  (BRITAIN - Tags: SOCIETY ROYALS ENTERTAINMENT PROFILE)

STOKE ON TRENT, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 17: Workers at Aynsley China start producing commemorative plates, cups and mugs to mark the engagement between Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton on November 17, 2010 in Stoke On Trent, United Kingdom. The historic china company has rushed through production of collectable china after the announcement of their royal wedding yesterday. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

STOKE ON TRENT, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 17: Workers at Aynsley China start producing commemorative plates, cups and mugs to mark the engagement between Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton on November 17, 2010 in Stoke On Trent, United Kingdom. The historic china company has rushed through production of collectable china after the announcement of their royal wedding yesterday. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Header photo courtesy of WENN.

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59 Responses to “Would you like to buy Kate Middleton’s Issa engagement dress? Too bad.”

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  1. David says:

    She is way to skinny

  2. The_Porscha says:

    Um, “and not just in Jessica Simpson’s journal” is the most hysterical part of this. Can totally see it.

    Additionally, I don’t think the palace will allow her to wear an ISSA wedding dress. I’m guessing they have some iron-fisted stipulations about how the new royal is going to look when she’s traipses down the aisle, and “clingy and low-cut” despite being a look of the day is probably not gonna fly. (I’m picturing the queen swatting her with a ruler and telling her to change, FYI.)

  3. Cat says:

    What’s up w/her eyebrow…

  4. JulieM says:

    I know this will come as a surprise to no one, but I thought her Issa dress was so so. Nice color, but flimsy, inexpensive looking material. I know jersey is supposed to be thin. It just looked cheap. $600 is overpriced. Looks like a little extra padding up on top too. Katie has been getting freebies from Issa for several years now. The designer viewed it as good publicity that William’s girlfriend wore her stuff. She was correct and her business is about to go through the roof.

    There is another article up at the Daily Mail (They must be running 10 per day) stating that our dear Kate will not be a “Working Princess” right away. Surprise, surprise. I can remember Diana slogging around on her own with morning sickness when she was carrying William. I guess they (the gray suits, as Fergie called them) don’t want to make the same mistakes with Katie. Fair enough. So delicate Kate will be spared any actual work. For how long?

  5. mystified says:

    I like the cut of the dress on her although the fabric is too shiny. It sort of cheapens the look. I also think the cut of the dress uniquely suits her figure and great legs. Almost any other woman in that dress would look either dumpy or slutty, or both.

  6. featherblue says:

    I’m English and can tell you that she is not too skinny. This is how the middle class look- not flabby with rolls of chubb spilling out like a lot of council-house chavs you see on streets all across the UK. Also- she does stand to be the Queen of England, of course she wouldn’t be exposing cleavage and she would absolutely have to be seen in tights. She doesn’t have the luxury of getting tongue piercings (like Zara Phillips) or wearing Nazi uniforms (like Harry) or even fat (like Fergie). She does however have the luxury of being one of the most famous Royals on the planet. Look at the Queen (quintessentially English) v’s Princess Margaret (reputedly wild).
    I know which brother I’d rather roll with.
    I happen to think she looks lovely, it’s a shame that the commemorative plate photo is crap.

  7. ruru says:

    I love that dress *sighs wistfully*

  8. orion70 says:

    That dress is nowhere near what I should think a 28 year old would wear, and I think it’s kind of meh anyway…for anyone.

  9. brin says:

    She looked lovely & I can’t wait to see her wedding dress.

  10. devilgirl says:

    I thought the dress was a tad cheap looking.

    Why did they use such an unflattering photo of her on those commemorative items?

  11. Vee says:

    I thought the dress was gorgeous, the color spectacular and very appropriate for the event.

  12. Roma says:

    I agree, my first thought was “ooh, bad photo”. We all take one now and then, but to be commemorated that way?

  13. Stronzilla says:

    The face that launched a million plates. And cups. And tea towels. Too bad they used ‘Kate’ instead of ‘Catherine’ on the commemorative items. Too bad Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell are both dead. Hey,its fate! Get Papa Joe on the phone, what an opportunity for the Jessica Simpson line!

  14. PJ says:

    I’m sure the deep blue dress was chosen to match the sapphire engagement ring. The fabric is shiny because she’s not wearing big jewels. A not-shiny fabric would have been a little too everyday, too businesslike. I checked out the Issa Web site, they have really nice designs.

    The English body type is small-boned, so the women seem amazingly slim, almost an Asian kind of thinness. The men have small shoulders (check out Jude Law or Tony Blair).

    I’d say Kate’s style is elegant simplicity. She almost never wears patterns and instead makes her statement in rich colors and fabrics.

  15. Grace says:

    I actually love the dress and think it looks great on her. She has a great figure and went about accentuating it without looking slutty. I think it’s very appropriate and classy.

  16. TG says:

    I agree with others on here, that dress looked like something my mother would have forced me to wear while growing up and as cheap too. I did like the middle part though. Wish she had worn that lovely blue one with the black blazer she wore to a recent wedding. That one was stunning. And she does look very slim and athletic and that is a good thing in my mind anyway.

  17. marge says:

    it’s very regular dress, good colour, but nothing really special… I really don’t see the fuss about it.
    But I absolutely HATE when blue dresses are paired with back shoes… it looks too heavy, and dated, an uniform like. ugghh

  18. mln says:

    I feel like I have seen that dress and color at Deb or Forever 21 on the sale rack a dozen times, and yes it only looks non slutty on her because she is small-framed.

  19. OtherChris says:

    I actually hate that dress, but it’s probably because I am a member of the big knockers club and would look like a hooker in it.

  20. Kaiser says:

    OtherChris – Right? If I wore that dress, everyone would call me a whore.

  21. WYIJM says:

    “The English body type is small-boned, so the women seem amazingly slim, almost an Asian kind of thinness.”
    Er…no.

  22. shayrlmj says:

    I love that dress ON HER. it’s fits her very well and the color is awesome!! She is a really pretty lady, and I don’t think she is too skinny. She looks heathly, she is just small boned, her mother is too…

  23. GreenGinger says:

    @marge, blue with black shoes is one of my pet peeves too. Especially if it is a shade approaching navy.

  24. Crash2GO2 says:

    She’s got some big shoes to fit for sure when you consider how well Diana used to dress! But I think she looks lovely here.

  25. Sandy says:

    here we go

  26. chasingadalia says:

    “The English body type is small-boned, so the women seem amazingly slim, almost an Asian kind of thinness.”

    “Er…no.”
    ———–

    Yeahhh, I’m inclined to agree with WYIJM. Isn’t it a little more hit or miss? I can think of big-boned English friends and very thin-boned English friends.

  27. dejii says:

    Is she really ‘too skinny’ as some say? How much do ya’ll suposse she weighs? I personally don’t like the dress. I think it looks cheap.

  28. Delta Juliet says:

    I must be in a mood today because some of these posts are cracking me up!

    I agree that on a curvier girl, this dress would look slutty. It looks nice on her because of her build (although I am not crazy about the dress itself. She is quite slim isn’t she! I still can’t get on board with her though…I can’t figure out how she can have such pretty hair, nice figure and features, and yet I find her so unattractive. She looks OLD and she has a wierd smile. But at least Will loves her 🙂

  29. tango says:

    I think the style of the dress is just fine. It’s just a tinge too short. It exposes her bony knees. Add an inch or so and then it would’ve hit middle knee and been just that little bit more attractive. And look at the photos – the front hem rides up a bit. That’s kinda what you get when you wear off the rack. I think she should’ve had a dress custom made for the engagment announcement. It didn’t have to be stuffy or super luxe but just unique to her style and individual.

  30. kathug says:

    I do not think that this dress is that great AT ALL. Shit, I could prolly pull something cuter out of my closet right now, and I am nowhere near royalty. Plus, I think the black heels look horrible with the dress…..nude would have looked much, much better.

  31. Noa says:

    #14 – “The English body type is small-boned, so the women seem amazingly slim, almost an Asian kind of thinness.”…

    …uuuhhh, I definitely don’t think so and I’ve been living in London for a couple of years?!

  32. Stronzilla says:

    The average dress size for women in the UK is a 16 (a US 14), with the average female measurements being a bust of 38.5 inches (98 cm), a waist of 34 inches (86 cm) and hips of 40.5 inches (103 cm).

    If that’s small boned and slim then I’m Posh Beckham.

  33. anti says:

    i like her and love the dress but it accentuates that she has absolutely no hips.

  34. irishserra says:

    While I would certainly look terrible in that dress, I thought Kate looked very nice in it. I like her figure and wouldn’t mind having it. I also happen to be one of those women with a bit much in the boob department.

  35. Nibbi says:

    More than the dress (i do think the top looks really pretty and flattering) i notice how pretty she looks here. it makes me think how being truly happy makes one look good. she looks genuinely glowing. even in those last pics where she was walking into the wedding w her guy, she looked sorta grey or old or tired or something (maybe it was just the crappy cold grey light outdoors, but still…) here she suddenly looks a lot younger, demure, pretty, happy… whereas in the past she often looked pinched, creased, sort of boring to me. weird.

  36. Benny says:

    I think she looks really old. For only being what 29? 28? She has crows feet….

  37. dealwithit says:

    So what color shoes does one wear with blue, pray do tell? 🙂 Also, is this fashion pronouncement limited to the Caucasian race or all races?

  38. dealwithit says:

    That particular cut dress is all over Filenes and in the mall. Have never been a fan. Would not even buy that for my mum.

  39. Sara says:

    I think she’s really skinny too, but girl just has no hips. None. Her shoulders look huge. Weird.

  40. Ron says:

    They look happy and she looks pretty.

  41. skibunny says:

    She looks gorgeous and so does her figure. The dress is appropriate. I’m Canadian and so looking forward to the wedding. She is going to look amazing!

  42. Yooper says:

    The snarking begins. What fun! Black shoes – no. Uneven hem – no. Eyebrow waxing, please! Wear hose for something like this and nude shoes. Also bad manicure when you see the closeups. Some work ahead here. Smoker/partier face, to me. Looks older than she should and that’ll do it. (Sorry to make a comparison, but Diana’s complexion was flawless) And whoever slapped that photo on the commemorative junk should be shot.

  43. Yooper says:

    Oh! Sorry! The topic was about the dress. I HAVE worn that dress. Got it at JCP/American Apparel. But, for this occasion, it’s too shiny, does look slightly cheap. As for the ring…it should’ve been something that was just hers and hers alone. I hear she’s thinking of wearing Di’s tiara. WTF!

  44. Jillian says:

    I agree with anti, the dress shouts “NO HIPS!” I have a similar build (larger boobs, rail-thin, no hips) and I like to wear full, high-waisted skirts that belt tightly right under my ribcage. Gives a great illusion of hips.

  45. Anon73 says:

    i did not care for the dress. something about it missed for me. color, cut, texture.

    also did not like the choice of sheer stocking and black shoes with it. meh.

  46. Marie says:

    I think she looks older than her 28 years. About the dress I love the color, and like the dress from the waist up, hate the bottom of it.

  47. JoGirl310 says:

    She’s gorgeous and seems like a true natural beauty. (Her eyebrows probably look a little weird because they’re not overly groomed like on a lot of people I see here in Los Angeles.)

    Personally, I don’t think she’s way too thin, but she’s certainly borderline, and I wouldn’t want to see her get any thinner. She’s definitely suffering from that phenomenon that Heidi Klum was quoted about yesterday; after a certain age, being very thin ages our faces.

    As far as the dress is concerned, I’d stay away from it because I have a bit too much meat on my bones. 🙂 Looks lovely on Kate, though.

    Edit: Diana was only 20 when she married Charles, so of course her complexion was nicer than Kate’s 28-year-old skin.

  48. jane16 says:

    I like the dress. I have an Elie Tahari dress that is almost identical in color, fabric & style, except that is is sleeveless.

  49. fizXgirl314 says:

    People are such sheep *eyeroll*

  50. Jenna says:

    is she not wearing nylons!? it looks like she is…?

  51. SUZANNE says:

    SHE LOOKS LIKE EVERY DAIRY PRINCESS ACROSS THE NATION. THE DRESS IS ON SALE AT TJ MAX. NOT IMPRESSED. SHE HAS A LOOK ON HER FACE LIKE…I’M MARRYING THIS DORK TO GET THE TITLE…DEAL WITH IT!

  52. Kat says:

    Loved the Issa dress, thought Kate looked beautiful.

  53. Trish says:

    She’s very pretty. I think the dress colour is beautiful and the style very nice & appropriate for the occasion.

  54. Brie says:

    English body type small boned and asian like????? uh… NO!

    Shorter, yes. Small boned, no.
    English women are prone to hips, thighs and boobs.
    Definately not a bad thing but certainly not small boned and asianesque lol

  55. sally says:

    Commemorative china? THAT’S SO TACKY! hahaha

  56. Trippin says:

    She’s just looks a little hard in the face. Why is her head cocked?

  57. eternalcanadian says:

    No problem, I didn’t like the dress to begin with! Good she was wearing nylons. She doesn’t have the luxury of getting all pierced up like Zara Phillips or loll around smoking or drinking in an uber-mini skirt like Chelsy Davies. Catherine does have a standard to meet as the daughter-in-law of the heir to the throne of England, not to mention the grandaughter-in-law of the current monarch of England.

    I had to lolz @ the commemorative china. Geez, it looks so tacky and those aren’t the most flattering pictures of either Eilliam or Catherine.

    As for her weight, she is getting a bit too skinny. I hope she doesn’t lose any more weight. At one time I think it was last summer her shoulder bones were visible and her elbows extra bony. Back in 2007 when she broke up with William and was training for the dragon boat race she looked really good and fit, but no longer has that muscular and healthy body.

  58. Zaza says:

    Bland, frumpy dress on bland woman, where oh where did William find her? Or seems like she found him. Wait in silence for ten years the title is the pay off. Hope Kate digs up something more interesting for the wedding.
    What a strange oouple!

  59. Amy says:

    I love the dress and it looked perfect on her!!!