When Cat Deeley gives a dress a standing ovation, you sit up and take notice. Case in point? The presenter took to her feet to applaud a high street dress which she mistook for designer.
During This Morning's High Street vs High End: Can you spot the designer dupes? segment, Cat and co-host Ben Shepherd were put through their paces by resident This Morning fashion queen Laura Puddy to see if they could tell which of her trend-led pieces cost hundreds, and which were from the high street and under £100.
Showcasing three different key looks for the new season, Laura put Cat, Ben and the viewers to the test with her three trends; the denim skirt, the barn jacket, and the polka dot dress.
© InstagramCat and Ben were suitably impressed by Laura's brilliant high street finds, but it was this Abercrombie & Fitch Polka Dot dress that had Cat duped - she mistook the £100 for a designer dress and honestly, we can see why. It's gorgeous.
Laura had the Abercrombie & Fitch dress side by side with a designer version, the Self-Portrait Taffeta Corset Dress, priced at £475. Styling both similar, the dresses had a lot in common. Both have similar black and white polka dot designs, with cami-style straps, a midi hem and flared skirt.
For added cool, they both have a dipped hemline and structured bodice; the biggest difference is the Abercrombie & Fitch dress has a bubble hem, which I think adds an element of whimsy to it.
Abercrombie & Fitch Dipped-Waist Bubble Hem Midi Dress
© Abercrombie & FitchAvailable in sizes XXS - XXL, the dress comes in regular, petite and tall too. If you love the shape but not the print, you can grab it in black or raspberry red too.
If you're wondering how to style the dresses, take advice from This Morning. The high street dress was styled with a pair of Next £48 black pointed heels and a very cool textured detail gold clutch bag from Ego, priced at £43. Alternatively, the designer dress was given the same style treatment only with more expensive pieces; black LK Bennett pointed leather heels and a £605 Cult Gaia structured gold bag.
Me? I'd style this dress with chunky flats for daytime and come evening, switch to some strappy low-heels. Come winter, you could even layer over a thin, lightweight roll neck and hiking boots. Wear to your summer events, be it the races or a christening, or a summer's day down the pub. Versatility is its middle name.
