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It's an awkward reality of royal reporting that we're also in the fashion business. To be perfectly frank I've no expertise nor credibility in this area but I do what I can by forwarding on any details I get from the palace. I also lean heavily on those who know what they're talking about. I'm certainly not dismissive. The "Kate effect" is a widely accepted phenomenon in the fashion business. The Duchess of Cambridge isn't known for high fashion; in fact she often wears high-street outfits that might even be -- gasp! -- out of season. But, when they're available, they'll sell out within hours of her wearing them, guaranteed. On tours like this one in Australia, there are new outfits appearing every day. When they're in the vaguely affordable bracket -- such as the $325 Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress worn last week -- then it's spending spree time for her fans. Fashion detectives Central to this phenomenon is an intrepid troupe of digital fashion scouts who identify and source Kate's outfits within minutes of them appearing in public. Chief scout would be Susan Kelley, best known by her Twitter handle: @WhatKateWore. Kelley was also the first to spot a potential challenger to Kate's royal fashion crown. Cue "The George Effect" "Having one's child wearing the identical sweater a real-life Prince is wearing? That has a lot of cachet. Especially when it's something you can find at your local Baby Gap store," says Kelley. | 
